第章

BothLouisXV。andMadamedePompadourtreatedSaint-Germainasapersonofconsequence。“Heisaquack，forhesayshehasanelixir，“saidDr。Quesnay，withmedicalskepticism。“Moreover，ourmaster，theKing，isobstinate；hesometimesspeaksofSaint-

Germainasapersonofillustriousbirth。“

Theagewasskeptical，unscientific，and，byreaction，credulous。

Thephilosophes，Hume，Voltaire，andothers，wereexposing，likeaningeniousAmericangentleman，“themistakesofMoses。“TheEarlofMarischaltoldHumethatlifehadbeenchemicallyproducedinalaboratory，sowhatbecomesofCreation？PrinceCharles，hiddeninaconvent，wasbeingtutoredbyMlle。LuciinthesensationalphilosophyofLocke，“nothingintheintellectwhichdoesnotcomethroughthesenses“——aqueerthemeforamanoftheswordtostudy。

But，thirtyyearsearlier，theRegentd’Orleanshadmadecrystal-

gazingfashionable，andstoriesofghostsandsecond-sightinthehighestcircleswerepopular。Mesmerhadnotyetappeared，togiveafreshstarttotheoldsavagepracticeofhypnotism；Cagliostrowasnotyetonthescenewithhisfree-masonryoftheancientEgyptianschool。Butpeoplewerealreadyinextremesofdoubtandofbelief；theremightbesomethingintheelixiroflifeandinthephilosopher’sstone；itmightbepossibletomakepreciousstoneschemically，andSaint-Germain，whoseemedtobeoveracenturyoldatleast，mighthaveallthesesecrets。

Whencecamehiswealthinpreciousstones，peopleasked，unlessfromsomemysteriousknowledge，orsomeequallymysteriousandillustriousbirth？

HeshowedMadamedePompadouralittleboxfullofrubies，topazes，anddiamonds。MadamedePompadourcalledMadameduHaussettolookatthem；shewasdazzled，butskeptical，andmadeasigntoshowthatshethoughtthempaste。TheCountthenexhibitedasuperbruby，tossingasidecontemptuouslyacrosscoveredwithgems。

“Thatisnotsocontemptible，“saidMadameduHausset，hangingitroundherneck。TheCountbeggedhertokeepthejewel；sherefused，andMadamedePompadourbackedherrefusal。ButSaint-

Germaininsisted，andMadamedePompadour，thinkingthatthecrossmightbeworthfortylouis，madeasigntoMadameduHaussetthatsheaccept。Shedid，andthejewelwasvaluedat1，500francs——

whichhardlyprovesthattheotherlargejewelsweregenuine，thoughVonGleichenbelievedtheywere，andthoughttheCount’scabinetofoldmastersveryvaluable。

Thefingers，thewatch，thesnuffbox，theshoe-buckles，thegarterstuds，thesolitairesoftheCount，onhighdays，allburnedwithdiamondsandrubies，whichwereestimated，oneday，at200，000

francs。Hiswealthdidnotcomefromcardsorswindling——nosuchchargesareeverhintedat；hedidnotsellelixirs，norprophecies，norinitiations。Hishabitsdonotseemtohavebeenextravagant。Onemightregardhimasaclevereccentricperson，theunacknowledgedchild，perhaps，ofsomenoble，whohadputhiscapitalmainlyintopreciousstones。ButLouisXV。treatedhimasaseriouspersonage，andprobablyknew，orthoughtheknew，thesecretofhisbirth。PeopleheldthathewasabastardofakingofPortugal，saysMadameduHausset。PerhapsthemostingeniousandplausibletheoryofthebirthofSaint-Germainmakeshimthenaturalson，notofakingofPortugal，butofaqueenofSpain。

Theevidenceisnotevidence，butaseriesofsurmises。Saint-

Germain，onthistheory，’wrophisbuthupinamistry’(likethatofCharlesJamesFitzjamesdelaPluche)，outofregardforthecharacterofhisroyalmamma。IbelievethisaboutasmuchasI

believethatacertainRev。Mr。Douglas，anobstreperousCovenantingminister，wasadescendantofthecaptiveMaryStuart。

However，Saint-Germainissaid，likeKasparHauser，tohavemurmuredofdimmemoriesofhisinfancy，ofdiversionsonmagnificentterraces，andofpalacesglowingbeneathanazuresky。

ThisisreportedbyVonGleichen，whoknewhimverywell，butthoughthimratheraquack。PossiblyhemeanttoconveytheideathathewasMoses，andthathehaddweltinthepalacesoftheRamessids。Thegraveoftheprophetwasneverknown，andSaint-

GermainmayhaveinsinuatedthathebegananewavatarinacleftofMountPisgah；hewascapableofit。

However，alesswildsurmiseaversthat，in1763，thesecretsofhisbirthandthesourceofhisopulencewereknowninHolland。

TheauthorityistheMemoirsofGrosley(1813)。GrosleywasanarchaeologistofTroyes；hehadtraveledinItaly，andwrittenanaccountofhistravels；healsovisitedHollandandEngland，andlater，fromaDutchman，hepickeduphisinformationaboutSaint-

Germain。GrosleywasaFellowofourRoyalSociety，andIgreatlyreveretheauthorityofaF。R。S。HislateryearswereoccupiedinthecompilationofhisMemoirs，includinganaccountofwhathedidandheardinHolland，andhediedin1785。AccordingtoGrosley’saccountofwhattheDutchmanknew，Saint-Germainwasthesonofaprincesswhofled(obviouslyfromSpain)toBayonne，andofaPortugueseJewdwellinginBordeaux。

Whatfairyandfugitiveprincesscanthisbe，whomnotinvaintheardentHebrewwooed？Shewas，shemusthavebeen，asGrosleysaw，theheroineofVictorHugo’sRuyBlas。TheunhappyCharlesII。ofSpain，akindof“mammet“(astheEnglishcalledtheRichardII。

whoappearedupinIslay，havingescapedfromPomfretCastle)，hadforhisfirstwifeadaughterofHenrietta，thefavoritesisterofourCharlesII。Thischildlessbride，aftersomeghostlyyearsofmatrimony，afterbeingexorcisedindisgustingcircumstances，diedinFebruary，1689。InMay，1690anewbride，MariedeNeuborg，wasbroughttothegrislysideofthecrownedmammetofSpain。She，too，failedtopreventthewarsoftheSpanishSuccessionbygivinganheirtotheCrownofSpain。ScandalouschroniclesaverthatMariewaschosenasQueenofSpainforthelevityofhercharacter，andthattheCrownwasexpected，asinthePictishmonarchy，todescendonthefemaleside；thefatheroftheprincemightbeanybody。WhatwasneededwassimplyasonoftheQUEENofSpain。

Shehad，whileQueen，noson，asfarasisascertained，butshehadafavorite，aCountAndanero，whomshemadeministeroffinance。

“HewasnotabornCount，“hewasafinancier，thisfavoriteoftheQueenofSpain。ThatladydidgotoliveinBayonnein1706，sixyearsafterthedeathofCharlesII。，herhusband。Thehypothesisis，then，thatSaint-Germainwasthesonofthisex-QueenofSpain，andofthefinancialCount，Andanero，aman，“notborninthesphereofCounts，“andeasilytransformedbytraditionintoaJewishbankerofBordeaux。TheDucdeChoiseul，whodislikedtheintimacyofLouisXV。andoftheCourtwithSaint-Germain，saidthattheCountwas“thesonofaPortugueseJew，WHODECEIVESTHE

COURT。ItisstrangethattheKingissooftenallowedtobealmostalonewiththisman，though，whenhegoesout，heissurroundedbyguards，asifhefearedassassinseverywhere。“ThisanecdoteisfromtheMemoirsofGleichen，whohadseenagreatdealoftheworld。Hediedin1807。

ItseemsafairinferencethattheDucdeChoiseulknewwhattheDutchbankersknew，thestoryoftheCount’sbeingachildofaprincessretiredtoBayonne——namely，theex-QueenofSpain——andofaPortuguese-Hebrewfinancier。DeChoiseulwasreadytoaccepttheJewishfather，butthoughtthat，inthematteroftheroyalmother，Saint-Germain“deceivedtheCourt。“

AqueenofSpainmighthavecarriedoffanyquantityofthediamondsofBrazil。ThepresentsofdiamondsfromheralmostidioticlordmusthavebeenamongthefewcomfortsofhersituationinaCourtoverriddenbyetiquette。ThereaderofMadamed’Aulnoy’scontemporaryaccountoftheCourtofSpainknowswhatadreadfuldungeonitwas。Again，ifbornatBayonneabout1706，theCountwouldnaturallyseemtobeaboutfiftyin1760。ThepuritywithwhichhespokeGerman，andhisfamiliaritywithGermanprincelyCourts——whereIdonotrememberthatBarryLyndonevermethim——areeasilyaccountedforifhehadaroyalGermantohismother。But，alas!ifhewasthesonofaHebrewfinancier，PortugueseorAlsatian(assomesaid)，hewaslikely，whoeverhismothermayhavebeen，toknowGerman，andtobefondofpreciousstones。ThatOrientaltastenotoriouslyabidesintheheartsoftheChosenPeople。[1]

[1]VoyageenAngleterre，1770。

“Nay，nefershagueyourgorylocksatme，DoucanstnotsayIdidit，“

quotesPinto，theheroofThackeray’sNotchontheAxe。“Hepronouncedit，bytheway，IDITit，bywhichIKNOWthatPintowasaGerman，“saysThackeray。ImakelittledoubtbutthatSaint-

Germain，too，wasaGerman，whetherbythemother’sside，andofprincelyblood，orquitethereverse。

GrosleymixesSaint-Germainupwithaladyasmysteriousashimself，whoalsolivedinHolland，onwealthofanunknownsource，andGrosleyinclinestothinkthattheCountfoundhiswayintoaFrenchprison，wherehewastreatedwithextraordinaryrespect。

VonGleichen，ontheotherhand，showstheCountmakinglovetoadaughterofMadameLambert，andlodginginthehouseofthemother。

HereVonGleichenmetthemanofmysteryandbecameratherintimatewithhim。VonGleichendeemedhimverymucholderthanhelooked，butdidnotbelieveinhiselixir。

Inanycase，hewasnotacardsharper，aswindler，aprofessionalmedium，oraspy。HepassedmanyeveningsalmostalonewithLouisXV。，who，wheremenwereconcerned，likedthemtobeofgoodfamily(aboutladieshewasmuchlessexclusive)。TheCounthadagrandmanner；hetreatedsomegreatpersonagesinacavalierway，asifhewereatleasttheirequal。Onthewhole，ifnotreallythesonofaprincess，heprobablypersuadedLouisXV。thathedidcomeofthatblueblood，andtheKingwouldhaveeveryaccesstoauthenticinformation。HoraceWalpole’sreasonsforthinkingSaint-Germain“notagentleman“scarcelyseemconvincing。

TheDucdeChoiseuldidnotlikethefashionableSaint-Germain。Hethoughthimahumbug，evenwhenthedoingsofthedeathlessonewereperfectlyharmless。Asfarasisknown，hisrecipeforhealthconsistedindrinkingahorriblemixturecalled“sennatea“——whichwasadministeredtosmallboyswhenIwasasmallboy——andinnotdrinkinganythingathismeals。Manypeoplestillobservethisregimen，intheinterest，itissaid，oftheirfigures。Saint-

GermainusedtocometothehouseofdeChoiseul，butoneday，whenVonGleichenwaspresent，theministerlosthistemperwithhiswife。Heobservedthatshetooknowineatdinner，andtoldherthatshehadlearnedthathabitofabstinencefromSaint-Germain；

thatHEmightdoashepleased，“butyou，madame，whosehealthisprecioustome，Iforbidtoimitatetheregimenofsuchadubiouscharacter。“Gleichen，whotellstheanecdote，saysthathewaspresentwhendeChoiseulthuslosthistemperwithhiswife。ThedislikeofdeChoiseulhadamournfuleffectonthecareerofSaint-Germain。

IndiscussingthestrangestoryoftheChevalierd’Eon，onehasseenthatLouisXV。amusedhimselfbycarryingonasecretschemeoffantasticdiplomacythroughsubordinateagents，behindthebacksandwithouttheknowledgeofhisresponsibleministers。TheDucdeChoiseul，asMinisterofForeignAffairs，wasexcluded，itseems，fromallknowledgeofthesedoubleintrigues，andtheMarechaldeBelle-Isle，MinisterofWar，wasobviouslykeptinthedark，aswasMadamedePompadour。NowitisstatedbyVonGleichenthattheMarechaldeBelle-Isle，fromtheWarOffice，startedaNEWsecretdiplomacybehindthebackofdeChoiseul，attheForeignOffice。

TheKingandMadamedePompadour(whowasnotinitiatedintothegeneralschemeoftheKing’ssecret)werebothacquaintedwithwhatdeChoiseulwasnottoknow——namely，Belle-Isle’splanforsecretlymakingpeacethroughthemediation，ormanagement，atallevents，ofHolland。AllthismusthavebeenpriortothedeathoftheMarechaldeBelle-Islein1761；andprobablydeBroglie，whomanagedtheregularoldsecretpolicyofLouisXV。，knewnothingaboutthisnewclandestineadventure；atallevents，thelateDucdeBrogliesaysnothingaboutitinhisbookTheKing’sSecret。[1]

[1]TheDucdeBroglie，Iamprivatelyinformed，couldfindnocluetothemysteryofSaint-Germain。

Thestory，asgivenbyVonGleichen，goesontosaythatSaint-

GermainofferedtoconducttheintrigueattheHague。AsLouisXV。

certainlyallowedthatmaidenlycaptainofdragoons，d’Eon，tomanagehishiddenpolicyinLondon，itisnotatallimprobablethathereallyintrustedthisfreshcabalinHollandtoSaint-