t the prince should escape and succeed in appearing at the
marriage of his brother made me so uneasy, that I sent off a messenger to
the king to tell him that my casket had been opened, and asking for
instructions. The king sent back word through the cardinal that we were
both to be shut up till further orders, and that the prince was to be
made to understand that the cause of our common misfortune was his absurd
claim. I have since shared his prison, but I believe that a decree of
release has arrived from my heavenly judge, and for my soul's health and
for my ward's sake I make this declaration, that he may know what
measures to take in order to put an end to his ignominious estate should
the king die without children. Can any oath imposed under threats oblige
one to be silent about such incredible events, which it is nevertheless
necessary that posterity should know?'"

Such were the contents of the historical document given by the regent to
the princess, and it suggests a crowd of questions. Who was the prince's
governor? Was he a Burgundian? Was he simply a landed proprietor, with
some property and a country house in Burgundy? How far was his estate
from Dijon? He must have been a man of note, for he enjoyed the most
intimate confidence at the court of Louis XIII, either by virtue of his
office or because he was a favourite of the king, the queen, and Cardinal
Richelieu. Can we learn from the list of the nobles of Burgundy what
member of their body disappeared from public life along with a young ward
whom he had brought up in his own house just after the marriage of Louis
XIV? Why did he not attach his signature to the declaration, which
appears to be a hundred years old? Did he dictate it when so near death
that he had not strength to sign it? How did it find its way out of
prison? And so forth.

There is no answer to all these questions, and I, for my part, cannot
undertake to affirm that the document is genuine. Abbe Soulavie relates
that he one day "pressed the marshal for an answer to some questions on
the matter, asking, amongst other things, if it were not true that the
prisoner was an elder brother of Louis XIV born without the knowledge of
Louis XIII. The marshal appeared very much embarrassed, and although he
did not entirely refuse to answer, what he said was not very explanatory.
He averred that this important personage was neither the illegitimate
brother of Louis XIV, nor the Duke of Mon