spect. 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 it was
believed that he had at last turned over a new leaf." He only remained
four days at court, reached the camp before Courtrai early in November
1683, was taken ill on the evening of the 12th, and died on the 19th of
the same month of a malignant fever. Mademoiselle de Montpensier says
that the Comte de Vermandois "fell ill from drink."

There are, of course, objections of all kinds to this theory.

For if, during the four days the comte was at court, he had struck the
dauphin, everyone would have heard of the monstrous crime, and yet it is
nowhere spoken of, except in the 'Memoires de Perse'. What renders the
story of the blow still more improbable is the difference in age
between the two princes. The dauphin, who already had a son, the Duc de
Bourgogne, more than a year old, was born the 1st November 1661, and
was therefore six years older than the Comte de Vermandois. But the
most complete answer to the tale is to be found in a letter written by
Barbezieux to Saint-