The Virginia Gazette

May 7. The surprizing Anecdote related by Voltaire, of a Man who lived in Masque in the Island of St. Margaret's, on the Coast of Provence, has raised a Variety of Speculations, especially as that great Man has thought proper to form no Conjectures about him: Possibly Voltaire's Situation and Connection with the French Court intimidated him from writing his Suppositions on that singular Story. It has been an old Report, that Louis XIVth, was not (as was supposed) the Son of Louis the XIIIth, as his Queen had lived with him twenty Years without a Child; the Interest of the Duke of Orleans, and that of Cardinal Richelieu at that Time clashed, they were confirmed Antagonists, and it was the whole Bent of the Duke's Ambition to shake the Cardinal's Power: In Consequence of this Quarrel, had Louis the XIIIth died without Issue, Orleans naturally succeeded, which would have produced the Disgrace of the Cardinal. To prevent this, it was said that the Cardinal produced a man of some figure, and very remarkable for his personal qualities to hold commerce with the Queen, by which two children soon appeared, the eldest of whom was the famous Louis le Grand. When this scheme was effected, there was no more occasion for employing this personage in his former office; but as he had been privy to one of the boldest attempts in history, his presence at Court was dangerous, as he had it always in his power to defeat Richlieu's ambition. This excited the Cardinal to have him carried out of the way, and this in all probability was the man who suffered the banishment, and was condemned by the Cardinal's orders to wear a mask for life; for his keepers were commanded to kill him if ever he attempted to unmask. The fineness of his person as described by Voltaire, is another circumstance in favour of his conjecture; and the secrecy with which the whole was conducted was much in the character of Richlieu and Mazarine, two of the greatest statesmen that ever appeared in Europe. [The former Story is the more probable.]