sufficient to induce him to grant her everything she asked; I persuaded
her, therefore, to let him understand that if he would allow her to read
the 'Memoires du Masque' which were in his possession his dearest desires
would be fulfilled.

"The Duc d'Orleans had never been known to reveal any secret of state,
being unspeakably circumspect, and having been trained to keep every
confidence inviolable by his preceptor Dubois, so I felt quite certain
that even the princess would fail in her efforts to get a sight of the
memoranda in his possession relative to the birth and rank of the masked
prisoner; but what cannot love, and such an ardent love, induce a man to
do?

"To reward her goodness the regent gave the documents into her hands, and
she forwarded them to me next day, enclosed in a note written in cipher,
which, according to the laws of historical writing, I reproduce in its
entirety, vouching for its authenticity; for the princess always employed
a cipher when she used the language of gallantry, and this note told me
what treaty she had had to sign in order that she might obtain the
documents, and the duke the desire of his heart. The details are not
admissible in serious history, but, borrowing the modest language of the
patriarchal time, I may say that if Jacob, before he obtained possession
of the best beloved of Laban's daughters, was obliged to pay the price
twice over, the regent drove a better bargain than the patriarch. The
note and the memorandum were as follows:
"'2. 1. 17. 12. 9. 2. 20. 2. 1. 7. 14
20. 10. 3. 21. 1. 11. 14. 1. 15. 16. 12.
17. 14. 2. 1. 21. 11. 20. 17. 12. 9. 14.
9. 2. 8. 20. 5. 20. 2. 2. 17. 8. 1. 2. 20.
9. 21. 21. 1. 5. 12. 17. 15. 00. 14. 1. 15.
14. 12. 9. 21. 5. 12. 9. 21. 16. 20. 14.
8. 3.

"'NARRATIVE OF THE BIRTH AND EDUCATION OF THE UNFORTUNATE PRINCE WHO WAS
SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD BY CARDINALS RICHELIEU AND MAZARIN AND
IMPRISONED BY ORDER OF LOUIS XIV.

"'Drawn up by the Governor of this Prince on his deathbed.

"'The unfortunate prince whom I brought up and had in charge till almost
the end of my life was born on the 5th September 1638 at 8.30 o'clock in
the evening, while the king was at supper. His brother, who is now on
the throne, was born at noon while the king was at dinner, but whereas
his birth was splendid and public, that of his brother was sad and
secret; for the king being informed by the mid