Man in the Iron Mask (essay) | Page 4

de la Valliere), who was visited by Ali-Momajou
(the Duc d'Orleans, the regent) in the fortress of Ispahan (the Bastille),
in which he had been imprisoned for several years. This visit had
probably no other motive than to make sure that this prince was really
alive, he having been reputed dead of the plague for over thirty years,
and his obsequies having been celebrated in presence of an entire army.
"Cha-Abas (Louis XIV) had a legitimate son, Sephi-Mirza (Louis,
Dauphin of France), and a natural son, Giafer. These two princes, as
dissimilar in character as in birth, were always rivals and always at
enmity with each other. One day Giafer so far forgot himself as to
strike Sephi-Mirza. Cha-Abas having heard of the insult offered to the
heir to the throne, assembled his most trusted councillors, and laid the
conduct of the culprit before them--conduct which, according to the law
of the country, was punishable with death, an opinion in which they all
agreed. One of the councillors, however, sympathising more than the
others with the distress of Cha-Abas, suggested that Giafer should be
sent to the army, which was then on the frontiers of Feidrun (Flanders),
and that his death from plague should be given out a few days after his
arrival. Then, while the whole army was celebrating his obsequies, he
should be carried off by night, in the greatest secrecy, to the stronghold

on the isle of Ormus (Sainte- Marguerite), and there imprisoned for life.
"This course was adopted, and carried out by faithful and discreet
agents. The prince, whose premature death was mourned by the army,
being carried by unfrequented roads to the isle of Ormus, was placed in
the custody of the commandant of the island, who, had received orders
beforehand not to allow any person whatever to see the prisoner. A
single servant who was in possession of the secret was killed by the
escort on the journey, and his face so disfigured by dagger thrusts that
he could not be recognised.
"The commandant treated his prisoner with the most profound respect;
he waited on him at meals himself, taking the dishes from the cooks at
the door of the apartment, none of whom ever looked on the face of
Giafer. One day it occurred to the prince to scratch, his name on the
back of a plate with his knife. One of the servants into whose hands the
plate fell ran with it at once to the commandant, hoping he would be
pleased and reward the bearer; but the unfortunate man was greatly
mistaken, for he was at once made away with, that his knowledge of
such an important secret might be buried with himself.
"Giafer remained several years in the castle Ormus, and was then
transported to the fortress of Ispahan; the commandant of Ormus
having received the governorship of Ispahan as a reward for faithful
service.
"At Ispahan, as at Ormus, whenever it was necessary on account of
illness or any other cause to allow anyone to approach the prince, he
was always masked; and several trustworthy persons have asserted that
they had seen the masked prisoner often, and had noticed that he used
the familiar 'tu' when addressing the governor, while the latter showed
his charge the greatest respect. As Giafer survived Cha-Abas and
Sephi-Mirza by many years, it may be asked why he was never set at
liberty; but it must be remembered it would have been impossible to
restore a prince to his rank and dignities whose tomb actually existed,
and of whose burial there were not only living witnesses but
documentary proofs, the authenticity of which it would have been
useless to deny, so firm was the belief, which has lasted down to the
present day, that Giafer died of the plague in camp when with the army
on the frontiers of Flanders. Ali-Homajou died shortly after the visit he
paid to Giafer."

This version of the story, which is the original source of all the
controversy on the subject, was at first generally received as true. On a
critical examination it fitted in very well with certain events which took
place in the reign of Louis XIV.
The Comte de Vermandois had in fact left the court for the camp very
soon after his reappearance there, for he had been banished by the king
from his presence some time before for having, in company with
several young nobles, indulged in the most reprehensible excesses.
"The king," says Mademoiselle de Montpensier ('Memoires de
Mademoiselle de Montpensier', vol. xliii. p. 474., of 'Memoires Relatifs
d'Histoire de France', Second Series, published by Petitot), "had not
been satisfied with his conduct and refused to see him. The young
prince had caused his mother much sorrow, but had been so well
lectured that