ExtraordinaryanecdoteofLouisXIVandmadamedeMaintenon——
ThecomtesseduBarryatChantilly——Opinionofkingandcomtede
laMarcherespectingthe“IronMask“——MadameduBarryvisits
madamedeLagarde
MyacquaintancewiththesingularbeingIwasspeakingofinthe
lastchapterdidnotendhere，asyouwillfindinthesequel。
I
willnowgiveyouanaccountofanequallystrangeaffair，in
nearlythesamewordsasLouisXVhimselfrelatedittome。
Altho’stronglyrecommendedbymysister-in-lawandM。deSartines
toconcealthewholestoryofmymysteriousfriendfromthe
king，yet，unaccustomedtotheprudentialobservationofcourt
reserve，I，onefineevening，inordertofillupalongblankin
theconversation，relatedthestoryfrombeginningtoend。
His
majestylistenedwithattentionuntilIhadconcluded。
“Thisisindeed，“saidhe，“amostsingularhistory；andIthink
youhaveactedverywiselyinputtinganendtoallsuchinterference
onthepartofthepolice；forinsuchcasesyoufrequentlyrun
greatriskstoprocureatriflinggratification。
Wehaveseen
somethingofthesamesortinourfamily。“
Thisdiscourseexcitedmycuriosity；andIentreatedofhimto
explainhimselfmorefully。
“Ioughtnottodoso，“repliedhe；
“suchtransactionsshouldbekeptforeverconcealed；butasmore
thanhalfacenturyhaselapsedsincetheeventIalludetotook
place，IthinkImayventuretobreakthesilenceIhavereligiously
observeduntilnow。
YouaretheonlypersonIhaveevermentioned
itto，andImustbindyoutothestrictestsecrecy。“
ThisIfaithfullypromised；andsolongasLouisXVlivedIkept
myword。
“Attheconclusionofthelastcentury，duringthemonthof
September，“resumedtheking，“ithappenedthatLouisXIV，and
madamedeMaintenonformedthewishofconsultingtogethersome
learnedastrologer，inordertoascertainwhetherthecomingage
wouldbeproductiveofgoodorilltothem。
Asneitherofthem
knewtowhomtoapply，inordertoattaintheirobject，madamede
Maintenonwascompelledtoconfideherwishestoherfriend，
madamedeMontchevreuil，whoreadilyengagedtofindforherthe
personsherequired；for，spiteoftheseveritywithwhichthelaw
visitedsuchpractices，therewasnoscarcityofdealersinaugury，
whopromisedgoodorbadfortuneaccordinglyastheywerepaidforit。
“Whilstthisladywasmakingdiligentsearchafteroneperfectly
competenttosatisfymadamedeMaintenon，thislatter，in
conjunctionwiththeking，despitethesuperiorityoftheirminds，
wasgreatlydisturbedattheprobableconsequencesofthestep
theymeditated。
Theirdesiretopenetrateintofuturityappeared
tothemasridiculousasitwascriminal，buttheirweakerfeelings
triumphed；andtheresultoftheirdeliberationswasthatfar
fromrelinquishingtheirintentionofsearchingthebookoffate，
theyshouldloseneitherpainsnortroubletoattaintheirobject；
andtoencourageeachother，theyreckonedupontheirfingers
thenamesofeverypersonoftheiracquaintance，orevenbelonging
tothecourt，whohadderivedprofitandadvantagefromthe
predictionsoffortune-tellers。
“Themindsofallatthisperiodwerestillimbuedwiththose
superstitiousfeelings，ofwhichmanyofthemostillustrious
personshadgivenampleproofevenintheprecedingreign。
We
havebecomeeithermorewickedormoresceptical，whichever
youpleasetotermit；butthisiscertain，thatmanyofthe
thingspredictedwereaccomplishedwithanexactpunctuality，
whichmightservetooverthrowthefinestargumentsofthe
greatestphilosophers，andwhichhasindeeddestroyedmany
ingenioustheories。
Doubtlessthehiddenlawsofnaturehave
referencetootherbeingsthanourselves；and，beyonddispute，
maybesaidtogovernthecreaturesofanunknownworldaswell
asexercisingcontroloverpoormortalslikeus。“
Afterthisshort
digression，ofwhichIgiveyoutheprecisewording，theking
continuedasfollows:
“OnthefollowingdaymadamedeMontchevreuilpaidavisitto
madamedeMaintenon，inwhichshedeclared，thatuponmature
reflection，shecouldnotproceedwiththecommissionshehad
undertaken:thatitwastemptingProvidence，andhadbetterbe
abandoned。
Thisremonstrancehadnoeffectuponmadamede
Maintenon，whoshieldedherselffromanynecessityofretracting，
byrepeatingtoherself，thatshehadpledgedherselftojoin
LouisXIVintheundertaking，anditwouldneverdoforherto
forfeithercharacterforfirmnessandgoodsensebynowappearing
triflingandcapricious。
However，shefeignedaseeming
compliancewiththeadviceofmadamedeMontchevreuil，whilst，
inreality，hermindwasresolveduponexecutingherproject。
“Therewasinherhouseholdafemalewhowasnotimmediatelyone
ofherestablishment，altho’generallyrankingassuch；oneof
thoseactive，stirringpersons，whothrustthemselvesintoa
noblefamilyundertheequivocaltitleofhalfservant，halflady。
Thisonehadchargeofallthenecessarypurchasesoflinen，
Engagedtheservants，keptwatchovertheirconduct，procured
forthemarchionesswhateverparticularsshemightrequireupon
anysubject；andtookuponherself，inaword，anypieceofservice
bywhichshecouldmorefirmlyplantherselfinthefamilyofher
employers。
Shereceivednofixedwages，buttheirabsencewas
abundantlycompensatedinthenumerousrichpresentsthatwere
continuallymadeher。
Hersleepingapartmentwasalways
immediatelyadjoiningthatofmadamedeMaintenoninthecastle。
Apersonofthisdescriptionasmaybereadilysupposedknew
theworldtoowelltofindanydifficultyinprocuringamere
fortune-teller；andasherdiscretionmightbeconfidentlyrelied
on，itwasresolvedbyhermistresstointrustherwiththedesign。
“Twodaysafter，shehadremovedalldifficultiesbydiscovering
anItalianpriest，famedasthemostskilfulnecromancerofhis
day，onewhoundertooktorevealthedecreesoffatetoall
thosewhoshouldconsulthim，asclearlyandreadilyastho’its
leaveslayopen，asabookbeforehiseyes。
Butthisgifted
personlivedintheutmostdreadofattractingthenoticeof
parliament，andexercisedhisartonlyunderthestrictest
assurancesofsecrecy，inthemostretiredandsecludedmanner，
witheveryprecautiontopreventthepossibilityofasurprise。
“TheseconditionsweretoogratifyingtomadamedeMaintenonto
causemuchdelayinsubscribingtothem；anditwasfinally
arranged，thattheprophetandhisnewapplicantsshouldmeetata
houseinSevresbelongingtotheroyalfamily，theninthe
occupationofmadameCerfoltheladyofwhommentionhasbeen
alreadymade。
Themarchionesswastorepairthitheratone
o’clockinthemorningwithasinglefriend。
Tohavetakensucha
measureinopendaylightwouldhavebeentoproclaimtheir
secrettoallParis。
OnepersonbesidesmadamedeCerfolwas
necessarilyadmittedintotheirconfidence，andthatwasthe
ducdeNoailles，whowascharged，bytheking’sexpressorders，
totakeeverypossibleprecautiontoensuretheirsafety，asfar
asitcouldbedonewithoutattractingpublicattentiontoso
extraordinaryanaffair。
“AtthehourappointedmadamedeMaintenonandtheducdeNoailles
ascendedacarriagewhichawaitedthematoneoftheparkgates，
andsoonconveyedthemtoSevres，whithertheItalianpriesthad
gonethepreceding
night。
Thiswretchedmanhadcelebratedalone
thesacrificeofthemass，andhadconsecratedseveralwafers。
“Everythingconfirmedtheopinion，thattheconjuror，uptothe
presentmoment，merelysupposedhimselfsentfortosatisfythe
curiosityofsomecountrynoblemanandhislady，whowereboth
anxiousandeagertoreadtheirfuturefortunethro’hisassistance。
Icanonlysuppose，ifhehadbeeninignoranceoftherealrank
ofthosewhoaddressedhim，thesightofthekingmusthave
quicklyundeceivedhim，astheconclusionofthestoryproveshe
wellknewtowhomhespokewhenhedeliveredhisprediction。
Howeverthismayhavebeen，hewasnosooneralonewiththe
marchioness，thanhecommencedthenecessarypreparationsfor
theperformanceofhissorceriesandenchantments；heburned
perfumes，offeredprayers，andwithloudinvocationsadjuredthe
powersofhelltoanswerhim；andinthemidstofawildand
agitatingsoundwhichpervadedthewholebuilding，duringthe
heavyswellofnoisestoodreadfultohavearisenfrommortal
sources，andwhilstathousandvisionswereflittingtoandfro，
hedrewthehoroscopeofthekingandmadamedeMaintenon。
He
promisedLouisXIVthatheshouldsucceedinallhisundertakings；
andthat，ontheverydayonwhichhespokethewordsthe2nd
ofOctoberoneofhischildrenhadbeencalledtotheinheritance
ofanimmensefortune。
Thengivinghimasmallpacket，wrapped
innewparchment，’Thedayinwhichyouformthefatalresolution
ofacquaintingyourselfwiththecontentsofthispacket，’said
he，’willbethelastofyourprosperity；butifyoudesireto
carryyourgoodfortunetothehighestpitch，becarefulupon
everygreatfestival，thatistosay，Easter，Whit-Sunday，the
Assumption，andChristmas，toplungeapininthistalisman，so
thatthepointshallpassdirectlythro’it；observetodothis，
andyouwillliveperfectlyhappy。’
“Thekingacceptedthisfatalpresent，andsworeupontheGospel
nevertoopenthepacket；herichlyrewardedthepriest，whofrom
thatperiodlivedinaretreatsowellconcealedastoevadethe
mostdiligentresearchesofthosewhosoughttodiscoverit。
“Sometimeafternewswasreceived，thatonthevery2ndof
October，1700，namedbythepriest，CharlesII，kingofSpain，
hadappointedinhiswillPhilipofFrance，sonofthedauphin，
hissuccessorandheir，aninheritancetrulyimmense，asthe
astrologerhadforetold。