edge. No work, however mediocre, however worthless even, which
has appeared on this subject has ever failed of success, not even, for
example, the strange jumble of Chevalier de Mouhy, a kind of literary
braggart, who was in the pay of Voltaire, and whose work was published
anonymously in 1746 by Pierre de Hondt of The Hague. It is divided
into six short parts, and bears the title, 'Le Masque de Fer, ou les
Aventures admirables du Pere et du Fils'. An absurd romance by Regnault
Warin, and one at least equally absurd by Madame Guenard, met with a
like favourable reception. In writing for the theatre, an author must
choose one view of a dramatic situation to the exclusion of all others,
and in following out this central idea is obliged by the inexorable laws
of logic to push aside everything that interferes with its development.
A book, on the contrary, is written to be discussed; it brings under the
notice of the reader all the evidence produced at a trial which has as
yet not reached a definite conclusion, and which in the case before us
will never reach it, unless, which is most improbable, some lucky chance
should lead to some new discovery.

The first mention of the prisoner is to be found in the 'Memoires
secrets pour servir a l'Histoire de Perse' in one 12mo volume, by an
anonymous author, published by the 'Compagnie des Libraires Associes
d'Amsterdam' in 1745.

"Not having any other purpose," says the author (page 20, 2nd edit.),
"than to relate facts which are not known, or about which no one has
written, or about which it is impossible to be silent, we refer at once
to a fact which has hitherto almost escaped notice concerning Prince
Giafer (Louis de Bourbon, Comte de Vermandois, son of Louis XIV and
Mademoiselle 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