Eiserne Maske - The search for the man in the iron mask : a historical detective story

The Search for the Man in the Iron Mask

The First Composite of Eustache Dauger

The Search for the Man in the Iron Mask

A Historical Detective Story

Paul Sonnino

Rowman & Littlefield

Lanham Boulder New York London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sonnino, Paul, author.

Title: The search for the Man in the Iron Mask : a historical detective story / Paul Sonnino.

Description: Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015035816| ISBN 9781442253636 (cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781442253643 (electronic)

Subjects: LCSH: Man in the Iron Mask. | FranceHistoryLouis XIV, 16431715. | Political prisonersFrance17th centuryHistory.

Classification: LCC DC130.M25 S66 2015 | DDC 944/.033092dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015035816

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

Principal Characters

(In Order of Appearance)

Eustache Dauger: Man in the iron mask

Nicolas Fouquet: Brilliant and elegant minister of finance, disgraced by Louis XIV, fellow inmate with the iron mask

Saint-Mars: Governor of Pinerolo, Exilles, Sainte-Marguerite, and the Bastille; guardian of Fouquet and the man in the iron mask

Marquis de Louvois: Son of Michel Le Tellier, who succeeded his father as minister of war under Louis XIV

Anne of Austria: Daughter of Philip III of Spain; married at the age of fourteen to Louis XIII of France; mother, according to the legend, of the man in the iron mask

Louis XIII: King of France, cold and distant husband of Anne of Austria

Duchess de Chevreuse: Beautiful and cunning companion of Anne of Austria who survived disgrace, exile, and revolution to become a key participant in the mystery of the iron mask

Cardinal Richelieu: Prime minister of Louis XIII, the nemesis of Anne of Austria

Cardinal Mazarin: Italian adventurer who gained the confidence of Cardinal Richelieu and Louis XIII and, after their death, managed to gain the confidence of Anne of Austria, helping her and her son Louis XIV to emerge victorious over the revolt of the Fronde

Cardinal de Retz: Archbishop of Paris who exploited the revolt of the Fronde in order to become a cardinal and paid the piper after its failure

Claude Roux: Indomitable Protestant from Nmes who became infuriated at Louis XIV and tried to set all Europe against him at the height of his power

Jean-Baptiste Colbert: Ambitious bureaucrat who became Mazarins private secretary and used the position to poison his mind and that of Louis against Fouquet

Henrietta Maria: Sister of Louis XIII, wife of Charles I of England, who had to return to France and live there in extreme poverty

Oliver Cromwell: English gentleman who became a general in the English Civil War and was primarily responsible for the trial and execution of Charles I

The Count de Charost: Captain of the guard of Louis XIV, Governor of Calais, whose son married the daughter of Nicolas Fouquet

Antoine-Hercule Picon, Clerk of Colbert: Treasurer of Cardinal Mazarin, chief clerk of Colbert under Louis XIV

Eustache de La Salle: Guard of Louis XIV in the company of the Count de Charost, who fired his weapon in the vicinity of the king and was suspected of being an accomplice of Claude Roux

Charles II: Eldest son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, restored to the throne of England in 1660, whose restoration helps to explain the arrest of Eustache Dauger in 1669 and solve the mystery of the iron mask

Chronological Table

1601

Birth of Anne of Austria (September 22)

Birth of Louis (XIII) (September 27)

1602

Birth of Giulio Mazzarino (July 14)

1615

Marriage of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria (November 24)

1617

Arrest and killing of Concini (April 24)

1620

Reconciliation of Louis with his mother

1621

Death of Luynes

1623

Bishop of Luon becomes Cardinal Richelieu

1624

France moves against Spanish in Switzerland

1625

Buckinghams flirtation with Anne of Austria

1626

Conspiracy in favor of Louis XIIIs brother Monsieur

1630

Day of Dupes (November 11)

1631

Louis XIIIs mother leaves France

1635

France allies with Dutch and Swedes against Hapsburgs

1638

Birth of Louis (XIV) (September 15)

1641

Mazarin becomes cardinal

1642

Civil war in England; Queen Henrietta Maria, sister of Louis XIII, supports husband Charles I

Death of Richelieu (December 4) succeeded by Mazarin

1643

Death of Louis XIII (May 14)

Anne and Mazarin continue war

1644

Henrietta Maria takes refuge in France

1646

Mazarin pushes his luck, scares Dutch allies

1648

Beginning of Fronde in France

Dutch make peace with Spain

French sign Peace of Westphalia, but not with Spain

1649

Execution of Charles I in England (January 30)

Court of France abandons Paris

Mazarinades in full swing

Return of court to Paris

1650

Anne and Mazarin arrest Prince de Cond and other princes

1651

Frondeurs , friends of Cond, and Monsieur drive Mazarin into exile

Anne sticks with Mazarin

Rebels fall out among themselves

Return of Mazarin

1652

Battle of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine (July 2)

Cond joins Spanish

Failure of Fronde

1653

Mazarin, with help from Colbert and Fouquet, recovers losses

Cromwell turns England into Protectorate

1657

French ally with Cromwell against Spain

1658

French and English take Dunkirk

Death of Cromwell

1659

Peace of Pyrenees with Spain (November 7)

1660

Restoration of Charles II as King of England (May 8)

Marriage of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa (June 9)

1661

Death of Mazarin (March 9)

Personal reign of Louis XIV

Arrest of Fouquet (September 5)

Chamber of Justice (November 15)

16621664

Trial of Fouquet

Arrest of Barbs

Prosecution of Desfontaines and Hoyau

Banishment of Fouquet

1665

Saint-Mars in Pinerolo receives Fouquet

1666

Death of Anne of Austria (January 20)

16671668