Youmaywellthinkhowhighlythis
realizationofthepredictioninspiredthekingwithconfidence
astothefulfilmentoftheremainder:and，onhispart，henever
faileduponanysaint’sdayorothersolemnfestivaltostickthe
mysteriouspininthetalismanuponwhichsomuchdepended。
“Nevertheless，spiteofalltheseobservances，hisundertakings
didnotinvariablysucceed，whichastonishedhimgreatly；whenone
daythegreatBossuet，happeningtobeatmadamedeMaintenon’s，
theconversationturneduponmagicandsorcery，necromancyand
theirhorribleprofanations；andheexpressedhimselfwithsomuch
forceandenergy，thatthekingandmadamedeMaintenonlooked
ateachotherwithoutknowingwhattosay，andbegan，forthe
firsttime，tofeelcompunctionforwhattheyhaddone，andto
regrettheirimprudence。
Theytalkedofitmuchtogether，andat
lengthresolvedtorevealtheircrimetotheirconfessors。
The
punishmentimposedonthekingbyhisspiritualadviserwas，that
heshouldevincehiscontemptforthetalismanicpropertiesof
theparchmentpacket，byimmediatelyopeningit。
“LouisXIVdidnotbyanymeansadmirethismethodofexpiating
hisfault；andasortofinvoluntarydreadtookpossessionofhim，
as，inobediencetothecommandofhisconfessor，hewentto
procurethemagicparcel，whichhetoreopeninthepresenceof
madamedeMaintenonandfatherlaChaise。
Thepacketcontained
nothingbutaconsecratedwafer，piercedthro’withasmanypins
astherehadbeensaints’dayssincethekinghadreceivedit。
At
thesightofthishorriblesacrilegemygrandfatherwasfilled
withdeepremorseandconsternation，fromwhichitwasalong
timeereherecovered；anditwasnotuntilhehadundergone
manyseverepenances，fastings，andcausednumberlessmassesto
besaid，thathefelthimselfatallrelievedfromtheweightof
hiscrime。
“Butallthiswasonlythecommencementofthedivinevengeance:
andthoseinthesecretofthisunfortunateaffairremarked，that
thisgreatmonarchlostfromthattimeasmanymaledescendants
inadirectlineashehadstuckpinsintotheholywafer。“
LouisXVhereterminatedhissingularhistory，whichstruckmy
mindwithasortofreligiousterror。
Istrovebyeverypossible
efforttodissimulate，concealingfromthekingtheemotionsto
whichhisnarrationhadgivenrise。
Icontentedmyselfwith
observing，“thatafterhearinghismarvelousrecital，Ishould
onlybemoreconfirmedinmydeterminationtoleavemyyoung
prophettothetranquillityhedesired。“
“Itwillbefarbestso，“addedLouis；“Iknowsomany
fatalresultswhichhavefollowedanyindiscreetcuriosity，
thatIampersuadedyouhadmuchbetterleavesuch
mysteriousaffairstoworktheirownsolution。“
Ipromisedtofollowhisadvice，andwethenconversed
uponothersubjects。
Sincethenthisanecdotehasrecurredto
mymemory；andwithoutwishingtoimpeachthesincerityof
LouisXV，Ihaveaskedmyself，whether，bytheopportunerelation
ofthisadventure，probablyinventedbyhimself，hedidnotseek
todestroytheconfidenceIappearedtoentertaininthepredictions
ofmyprophet。
Isayinvented，becausethekinghadapeculiar
readinessandfacilityincomposingthesesortofwonderfultales，
carefullynotingdowneverycircumstancewhichfellunderhis
knowledgedeviatingfromtheordinarycourseofthings。
Hehad
alargecollectionoftheselegends，whichhedelightedinnarrating；
andthishedidwithaneaseandgraceofmannerIhavenever
seenequalled。
AboutthisperiodtheprincedeConde，whosegallantrynever
failed，entreatedthekingtopayasecondvisittoChantilly:and
itwasuponthisoccasionthatLouiserasedfromthelistofcourt
ladiesallthosewhosepresencewouldbedisagreeabletome
duringourstayatChantilly。
Onesceneofpleasurefollowed
another，andonefetesucceededanother。
Iaccompaniedhis
majestywithouteverquittinghim；andifhithertotherehad
existedanydoubtsastothesincerityoftheking’sattachment，
themostscepticalpersonwouldnowhavebeenconvincedofthe
fact。
LouisXVwasneverfrommyside，andappearedsolely
occupiedingratifyingmyslightestwish；theprincesofthe
courtcarefullyfollowedhisexample；andsuchalifeasIthen
ledwasabundantcompensationforallthepainsandanxieties
Ihadenduredfromthemaliceandjealousyofcertainfemales，
aswellasthesarcasticbitternessofmen，whofearedlestmy
influenceshoulddestroytheirs。
Imay，withtruth，affirmthatIreceivedthehonorsandattention
ofaqueen；verses，plays，allwrittentoconveysomepraiseor
complimenttome；andthekingtestifiedthelivelygratification
itaffordedhimtoseemethusanobjectofgeneralsolicitude，
aswellasofthemostflatteringdistinction。
Hisconduct
towardstheprincedeCondebecamemoregraciousthanithad
everbeenobservedtobetotheprincesoftheblood；forthere
existedasingularcoolnessintheroyalfamilytowardsallthe
princesofthisbranch。
Thekinglookeduponitasvastlyinferior
tohisown，becauseithadbeenseparatedfromthethronebefore
theaccessionofHenryIVtothecrown；heevenasserted，that
therewasmuchtobesaiduponthissubject，andprudencecompels
metopassoverthemanyhistoriesandcircumstancesrelatedby
himtomeofthisbrilliantportionofhisnoblerace。
NeithertheprincedeConde，whomIknewwell，northeprincede
laMarche，entertainedmuchregardfortheirrelations；andthey
hadalwayssomespitefulstoryinstorerespectingtheposterity
ofLouisXIII。
Thereisonehistoricalfactwhichhasneverbeen
clearedup。
OnedayIwasconversingwiththecomtedelaMarcheuponthe
disputesconcerningtheparliaments，andexpressingmyfear，that，
ifdriventodesperatemeasures，thepeoplewouldriseinopen
rebellioninfavorofthemagistracy。
“Theywouldbestillmore
clamororous，“repliedhe，“iftheyknewallIcouldtellthem。“
“Andwhatdoyouknowmorethanmyself？’“askedI；“yourhighness
alarmsmebyspeakingthus。“
“Amongsteventsnowpassedandgoneisonethatwouldmaterially
affectthepublicpeace，ifknown。“
“Youmustexplainyourself，mylord，“saidI。
Herefused；butI
persistedinpressingthematterwithsomuchearnestness，that
atlasthesaid，inalowvoice，
“Didyoueverhearofthemanwhoworetheironmask？“
“Yes，certainly，“repliedI，“whowashe？“
“Agreatprince，andamostunfortunateman。“
“Butwhowashereally？“
“IntheeyesofthelawthecrownofFranceshouldhavebeen
his；butintheconscientiousviewofthingshecertainlyhad
noclaim。“
ThecomtedelaMarchestoppedhere；and，asIwasnotvery
deeplyreadinhistory，Ididnotexactlycomprehendthe
distinctionhehadjustmade。
Ihadfrequentlyheardtalkofthe
“IronMask，“whompeoplereportedtobeeitheralliedto，or
sprungfrom，theroyalfamily；butalltheseparticularswere
confusedinmymemory。
However，Iwasmuchstruckwiththe
conversationIhadhadwiththecomtedelaMarche；andwhen
nexttheconversationfellonthismysteriouspersonage，Iasked
theducdeRichelieuwhathethoughtofhim。
“Uponmyhonor，“repliedhe，“Inevercouldfindoutwhohereally
was；notthatIdidnottry，“addedhe，assuminganairofmodest
vanity，whichwellbecamehisgreenoldage。
“Ihadamistress
oftolerablyhighbirth，mademoiselled’Orleans，asindeedIhad
thehonorofhavingtheprincesses，heraugustsisters。
However，
theformer，knownunderthenameofmademoiselledeCharollais，
wasdyingtodosomeactofkindnessthatshouldbeagreeableto
me。
Well，Irequestedshewouldobtainfromtheregent，her
father，thesolutionofthesecretrelativetothe’IronMask。’
Sheusedeverypossibledevice，butnothingcouldsheobtain
fromherfather，whoprotestedthatthemysteryshouldnever
escapehislips；andhekepthisword，heneverdiddivulgeit。
Ievenimaginethatthekinghimselfisignorantofit，unless
indeedthecardinaldeFleuryinformedhimofit。“
Themarechal
toldmeafterwardsthathethoughttheopinionadoptedbyVoltaire
themostprobable，viz:thatthisunknownpersonwasthesonof
thequeenAnneofAustria，motherofLouisXIV。
Theselastwords
helped，inameasure，toresolvetheenigmawhichcomtedela
Marchehadleftmetounravel；and，withaviewtosatisfymyself
morepositivelyonthesubject，Iavailedmyselfofthefirst
timeIwasalonewiththeking，toleadtheconversationto
thisstory。
Atthementionofthe“IronMask，“LouisXVstarted。
“Anddo
youreallycreditsuchafable？“
askedhe。
“Isitthenentirelyuntrue？“
inquiredI。
“Certainlynot，“hereplied；“allthathasbeensaidonthematter
isdestituteofevencommonsense。“
“Well，“criedI，“whatyourmajestysaysonlyconfirmswhatI
heardfromthemarechaldeRichelieu。“
“Andwhathashebeentellingyou？“
“Verylittle，sire；
hetoldmeonly，thatthesecretofwhothe
’IronMask’reallywashadnotbeencommunicatedtoyou。“
’Themarechalisasimpletonifhetellsyouso。
Iknowthe
wholeaffair，andwaswellacquaintedwiththeunhappybusiness。“
“Ah！“
exclaimedI，clappingmyhandsintriumph，“justnowyou
affectedperfectignorance；youknewnothingatallaboutit，
andnow——“