DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70303#0385
ACCOUNT OF THE MAN WITH THE IRON MASK. 355
and he thought that the dissentions which would cer-
tainly occur between the two brothers, if they were
brought up as such, would certainly occasion one; the
cardinal, also, when he was invested with the superinten-
dence of the prince’s education, did every thing in his
power to keep this apprehension alive.
The king ordered us to examine carefully the poor
child’s body, to see if he had any marks by which he
might hereafter be known, if his brother should die ; for
the king always purposed, in that case, to put the royal
infant in possession of his rights ; for this reason, after
having made us all sign the verbal-process, he sealed it
with the royal seal.
During the infancy of the young prince, Madame Pe-
ronnette, the midwife, treated him as if he were her own
son; but from her great care and manner of living,
every one suspected that lie was the illegitimate son of
some rich nobleman.
As soon as the prince's infancy was over, Cardinal
Mazarin, on whom his education had devolved, con-
signed him to my care, with orders to educate him in a
manner suitable to the dignity of his birth, but in private.
Mad. Peronnette continued to attend him, in my house
in Burgundy, till her death ; and they were warmly at-
tached to each other.
I had frequent conversations with the queen during
the subsequent disturbances in this kingdom; and her
majesty has often said to me, that if the prince’s birth
should be discovered during the life of the young king,
his brother, the mal-contents would, she feared, take
advantage of it to raise a revolt among the people; for,
she added, that it was the opinion of many able physi
cians, that the last-born of twins was the first conceived,
and of course the eldest. This fear did not, however,
prevent the queen from preserving, with the greatest
T X 2 care,
and he thought that the dissentions which would cer-
tainly occur between the two brothers, if they were
brought up as such, would certainly occasion one; the
cardinal, also, when he was invested with the superinten-
dence of the prince’s education, did every thing in his
power to keep this apprehension alive.
The king ordered us to examine carefully the poor
child’s body, to see if he had any marks by which he
might hereafter be known, if his brother should die ; for
the king always purposed, in that case, to put the royal
infant in possession of his rights ; for this reason, after
having made us all sign the verbal-process, he sealed it
with the royal seal.
During the infancy of the young prince, Madame Pe-
ronnette, the midwife, treated him as if he were her own
son; but from her great care and manner of living,
every one suspected that lie was the illegitimate son of
some rich nobleman.
As soon as the prince's infancy was over, Cardinal
Mazarin, on whom his education had devolved, con-
signed him to my care, with orders to educate him in a
manner suitable to the dignity of his birth, but in private.
Mad. Peronnette continued to attend him, in my house
in Burgundy, till her death ; and they were warmly at-
tached to each other.
I had frequent conversations with the queen during
the subsequent disturbances in this kingdom; and her
majesty has often said to me, that if the prince’s birth
should be discovered during the life of the young king,
his brother, the mal-contents would, she feared, take
advantage of it to raise a revolt among the people; for,
she added, that it was the opinion of many able physi
cians, that the last-born of twins was the first conceived,
and of course the eldest. This fear did not, however,
prevent the queen from preserving, with the greatest
T X 2 care,