The Iron Mask [pp. 754-757]

754 The Iron Mask.
that we have that is highest and holi- into the regions of the heavenly, and
est, which lifts the soul above the fri- before the throne of the majesty of
volities and sensualities of this world the Eternal.
and of time, and transports it in spirit
THE IRON MASK.
THIS subject, so inexhaustible, so would rather such might have been
interesting on account of the un- the case. A real ~~a fide, two-hunfathomable mystery that surrounds dred-year-old mystery must not sucit, has again been brought to our cumb to this practical age of wouldnotice by some recent discoveries. be common sense We could never
Whether they amount to any thing find such another, so we must content
or not, remains to be seen; but they ourselves with reviving old facts and
are at least singular, and may stimu- eliciting further researches.
late the curiosity of the erudite, and
even that of simple amateurs. He who was called, under the reign
A young writer, M. Maurice To- of Louis XIV., T/2c ffan wft/t the Iron
pin, so says a contemporary French Mask, was not permitted to wear so
paper, who has obtained a prize of pretty a covering as that whid~ presix hundred dollars from the French served the complexion of the Empress
Academy for his beautiful book, enti- Poppee; and the painters who have
tled, I'Eztroj5e ef les 13o'~rbons sons represented him with a sort of lowerlonis XIY:, has been diving into old ed visor, a rampart of iron on his face,
papers among the public archives, and have made a great mistake.
says he has at last found out the true The unknown prisoner, to whom
name of the unfortunate prisoner of nobody approached, and nobody
the Iron Mask. spoke, wore a mask of velvet.
Following the advice of his uncle, The question is not decided upon
M. Mignet, he has addressed a letter what he wore on his way from the
to the President of the Academy of Isle Ste. Marguerite to the Bastille.
Moral and Political Science, in whid~ Some say his chin was inclosed in a
he incloses his secret-sealed, how- net-work of steel, to permit him to
ever-and says it must not be unseal- eat, while the upper part of his face
ed without his order. was concealed in the mask of iron.
So some day soon, perhaps, we But this is a mystery, and his early
shall solve the enigma that has per- training no less so.
plexed the world for over two centu- He had been incarcerated a long
ries. time at Pignerol, the chateau of which
A monk has lately died, too, some- had served for a prison of state, and
w~~~ere in a French monastery, leaving since 1632 had belonged to France.
papers testifying that he was the true The inhabitants still show a large disIron Mask. Some say he was derang- mantled tower that overlooks the
ed. Perhaps so; and perhaps we town, and give the tradition concern