" and addressed to
the 'Journal Enclycopedique'. It was accompanied by a letter translated
from the Italian which appeared in the 'Histoire Abregee de l'Europe'
by Jacques Bernard, published by Claude Jordan, Leyden, 1685-87, in
detached sheets. This letter stated (August 1687, article 'Mantoue')
that the Duke of Mantua being desirous to sell his capital, Casale, to
the King of France, had been dissuaded therefrom by his secretary, and
induced to join the other princes of Italy in their endeavours to
thwart the ambitious schemes of Louis XVI. The Marquis d'Arcy,
French ambassador to the court of Savoy, having been informed of the
secretary's influence, distinguished him by all kinds of civilities,
asked him frequently to table, and at last invited him to join a large
hunting party two or three leagues outside Turin. They set out together,
but at a short distance from the city were surrounded by a dozen
horsemen, who carried off the secretary, 'disguised him, put a mask on
him, and took him to Pignerol.' He was not kept long in this fortress,
as it was 'too near the Italian frontier, and although he was carefully
guarded it was feared that the walls would speak'; so he was transferred
to the Iles Sainte-Marguerite, where he is at present in the custody of
M. de Saint-Mars.

This theory, of which much was heard later, did not at first excite much
attention. What is certain is that the Duke of Mantua's secretary,
by name Matthioli, was arrested in 1679 through the agency of Abbe
d'Estrade and M. de Catinat, and taken with the utmost secrecy to
Pignerol, where he was imprisoned and placed in charge of M. de
Saint-Mars. He must not, however, be confounded with the Man in the Iron
Mask.

Catinat says of Matthioli in a letter to Louvois "No one knows the name
of this knave."

Louvois writes to Saint-Mars: "I admire your patience in waiting for
an order to treat such a rogue as he deserves, when he treats you with
disrespect."

Saint-Mars replies to the minister: "I have charged Blainvilliers to
show him a cudgel and tell him that with its aid we can make the froward
meek."

Again Louvois writes: "The clothes of such people must be made to last
three or four years."

This cannot have been the nameless prisoner who was treated with such
consideration, before whom Louvois stood bare-headed, who was supplied
with fine linen and lace, and so on.

Altogether, we gather from the correspondence of Saint-Mars that the
unhapp