The Man Behind the Iron Mask (48 page)

1690

Du Junca becomes King's Lieutenant at the Bastille. Death of Seigneley.

1691

Siege of Cuneo. Arrest of Bulonde. Athénais de Montespan enters convent. Death of Louvois; Barbezieux succeeds as Minister of War. Death of Madame Saint-Mars.

1692

Publication at Cologne of
Les Amours d'Anne d'Autriche avec C.D.R..

1693

Death of Mademoiselle and of eldest son of Saint-Mars.

1694

Prisoners of Pignerol transferred to Sainte-Marguerite. Death of Mary II. Birth of Voltaire.

1695

The Mooress of Moret takes the veil. Imprisonment of Fillibert in the Bastille.

1696

Barclay's conspiracy. French abandon Pignerol. Death of Croissy. Torcy becomes Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Birth of Maréchal Richelieu.

1697

Treaty of Ryswick: Louis XIV recognizes William III. La Reynie retires as Lieutenant of Police and is replaced by d'Argenson. Death of Besmaux.

1698

Saint-Mars moves to the Bastille with one prisoner wearing a mask of velvet. Portland's embassy to Versailles. Disappearance of Barclay. Death of Brienne. Birth of Griffet.

1699

Fériol becomes ambassador to Constantinople. Pontchartrain becomes Chancellor; Chamillart succeeds as Controller of Finance. Death of Pomponne.

1700

Publication of
Mémoires de M. d'Artagnan
. Marriage of youngest son of Saint-Mars.

1701

Death of Barbezieux; Chamillart succeeds as Minister of War, while continuing to be Controller of Finance. Death of Monsieur, of James II and of Montespan.

1702

Beginning of War of Spanish Succession. Renneville imprisoned in the Bastille. Avedik becomes Patriarch of Constantinople. Death of William III. Succession of Anne.

1703

Death of masked prisoner and of youngest son of Saint-Mars. Avedik imprisoned in Syria.

1704

Publication of Grimarest's
Vie de M. de Moli re
. Avedik returns to Constantinople.

1705

Death of Rosarges.

1706

Destruction of Nice castle by the French. Avedik kidnapped and confined at Mont-Saint-Michel. Death of Du Junca.

1707

Death of Athénais de Montespan.

1708

Death of Saint-Mars. Desmarets becomes Controller of Finance.

1709

Chamillart retires. Voysin becomes Minister of War. Avedik transferred to the Bastille. Louis XIV destroys records of Chambre Ardente. Death of Bulonde and of La Reynie.

1710

Avedik abjures his faith. Death of Louise de La Vallière. Birth of Louis XV.

1711

Madame, Princess Palatine, learns story of masked prisoner. Richelieu imprisoned in Bastille for short time. Death of Dauphin and Avedik.

1712

Death of Richard Cromwell. Birth of Palteau.

1713

Renneville released. Death of Ru and of Marguerite de Carteret.

1714

Pontchartrain retires. Death of Anne. Succession of George I.

1715

Publication of Renneville's
L'Inquisition Fran aise ou L'Histoire de la Bastille
. Death of Louis XIV and of Laprade.

1716

Richelieu again in the Bastille. Regent's daughter becomes Richelieu's mistress. Death of Louis de Cavoye.

1717

Voltaire imprisoned in the Bastille.

1718

Voltaire released.

1719

Death of Françoise de Maintenon. Richelieu again in the Bastille.

1720

Lagrange-Chancel imprisoned on Sainte-Marguerite.

1721

Death of Chamillart, of Desmarets and of d'Argenson.

1723

Death of Lauzun, of Renneville and of the Regent. Succession of Louis XV.

1727

Death of Pontchartrain.

1740

Death of Corbé.

1664

Dec
: Saint-Mars becomes governor of Pignerol prison with Fouquet as his sole prisoner lodged in the Angle Tower.

1665

Jun
: Angle Tower damaged by explosion of powder-magazine. Fouquet transferred to La Pérouse.

1666

Aug
: Angle Tower repaired. Fouquet returned with two valets: La Rivière and Champagne.

1669

Jul
: Saint-Mars ordered to prepare a high-security cell for Eustache Danger who is to be furnished with nothing more than simple necessities because he is only a valet, is to be threatened with death if he tries to speak of anything but his basic needs and is to have contact with no one except Saint-Mars himself.

Aug
: Danger is imprisoned at Pignerol, lodged as securely as possible until a special cell can be prepared.

Dec
: Saint-Mars discovers plot to liberate Fouquet. Valcroissant detained. La Fôret hanged.

1670

Mar
: Louvois learns that Valcroissant, La Fôret, Champagne or La Rivière contacted Danger, but were unable to get him to talk.

Apr
: Danger moved to a special cell.

Jun
: Valcroissant sentenced to the galleys for five year.

Aug
: Louvois visits Pignerol.

Oct
: Garrison of town and citadel of Pignerol changed.

1671

Dec
: Lauzun imprisoned at Pignerol.

1672

Feb
: Saint-Mars asks permission to have Danger serve as valet to Lauzun. Permission refused.

Jul
: Saint-Mars discovers plot to liberate Lauzun.

Aug
: Heurtaut commits suicide.

Sep
: Plassot, Mathonnet and Madame Carrière detained.

Oct
: Mathonnet and Madame Carrière released.

1673

Jan
: Laprade becomes lieutenant.

Jul
: Plassot released. Saint-Mars discovers supply of poisons among Plassot's abandoned belongings.

1674

Apr
: The Dominican monk imprisoned at Pignerol.

Sep
: Champagne dies.

1675

Jan
: Saint-Mars receives permission to have Danger serve as valet to Fouquet, but only when La Rivière is absent.

Mar
: Louvois reiterates his concern that Danger should not serve as valet to Lauzun and should have contact with no one but Fouquet.

1676

Feb
: Lauzun attempts to escape.

May
: Dubreuil imprisoned at Pignerol, lodged with the Dominican monk who has become insane.

Nov
: Louvois advises Saint-Mars to cure the monk's insanity by flogging him and chaining him to the wall.

1677

Nov
: Lauzun allowed visit from brother and sister.

Dec
: Fouquet and Lauzun allowed to walk together for two hours every day.

1678

Nov
: Louvois asks Fouquet for a confidential report on what Danger may have said of his past life to La Rivière.

Dec
: Saint-Mars also provides a report.

1679

Jan
: Fouquet and Lauzun allowed to visit each other and receive visitors, but precautions taken to avoid Danger meeting Lauzun or having contact with anyone except Fouquet and La Riviére. Villebois becomes lieutenant.

May
: Matthioli and his valet imprisoned at Pignerol. Matthioli called ‘Lestang'. Fouquet allowed to take charge of his family affairs and to have his wife live with him. Lauzun allowed the use of four horses for exercise within the citadel.

Dec
: Authorization given to prepare a room above Fouquet's apartment where his daughter can stay. Fouquet discovers her relationship with Lauzun, sends her away and breaks contact with Lauzun.

1680

Jan
: Lauzun persuades Louvois that he has a confidential message of personal significance to transmit to him and can only entrust it to his friend Barrail. ‘Lestang' and Dubreuil both reported to be insane.

Feb
: ‘Lestang' claims to be a close relative of the King.

Mar
: Barrail visits Pignerol. Fouquet dies. Saint-Mars discovers a communicating-hole between the apartments of Fouquet and Lauzun.

Apr
: Danger and La Rivière become secret prisoners, Lauzun and everyone else being told that they have been liberated. Fouquet's body is given to his family.

Jun
: Lauzun's valet is liberated.

Jul
: Louvois receives from Saint-Mars a parcel containing something found in Fouquet's clothes and asks how Danger acquired the drugs he needed to do it.

Sep
: The name ‘Lestang' is dropped and Matthioli is referred to by his proper name. He is put with the monk and threatened with the bastinado. Saint-Mars takes posssession of his diamond ring.

1681

Apr
: Lauzun is released.

May
: Saint-Mars is notified of his transfer to Exiles with the two prisoners of the Lower Tower.

Jun
: Saint-Mars is told to take Matthioli's baggage with him to Exiles.

Sep
: Catinat and his valet pose as prisoners at Pignerol before leaving for Casale. Saint-Mars moves to Exiles transporting his two prisoners in a litter. Villebois takes charge of the four remaining prisoners at Pignerol. Blainvilliers is transferred to Metz and replaced by Boisjoly.

1682

May
: Louvois advises Villebois at Pignerol that the best cure for Dubreuil's insanity would be a flogging.

1684

Apr
: Louvois asks Saint-Mars at Exiles to tell him what he knows ‘of the birth of the man named La Rivière and the circumstances by which he was put in the service of the late M. Fouquet.'

Aug
: Dubreuil is liberated.

1685

Jun
: One of the two prisoners at Exiles wishes to make his last will and testament. (La Rivière?).

1686

Sep
: Saint-Mars reports that one of his two prisoners is suffering from dropsy. (La Rivière?).

1687

Jan
: One of the two prisoners at Exiles dies. (La Rivière?). Saint-Mars is notified of his transfer to Sainte-Marguerite.

Feb
: Saint-Mars visits Sainte-Marguerite.

Mar
: Saint-Mars returns to Exiles.

Apr
: Mauvans and Mazauges visit Sainte-Marguerite.

May
: Saint-Mars arrives at Sainte-Marguerite with one prisoner transported in a sedan-chair covered with oil-cloth.

Aug
: Herse imprisoned at Pignerol.

Sep
: It is reported in Paris that the prisoner in the sedan-chair was wearing a mask of steel.

1689

Jan
: Herse at Pignerol attempts suicide.

Apr
: Protestant minister Cardel imprisoned on Sainte-Marguerite.

1690

Jan
: Protestant ministers Salves and Valsac imprisoned on Sainte-Marguerite.

1691

Aug
: Louvois dies and is succeeded by Barbezieux who tells Saint-Mars to continue the same security procedure for the prisoner who has been in his custody for twenty years.

1692

May
: Protestant minister Malzac imprisoned on Sainte-Marguerite.

Jul
: Villebois dies. Laprade replaces him at Pignerol. Lamotte-Guérin becomes Deputy King's Lieutenant on Sainte-Marguerite.

Dec
: Herse at Pignerol attempts escape.

1693

Aug
: Protestant minister Gardien imprisoned on Sainte-Marguerite.

Dec
: Boisjoly retires. Matthioli and his valet at Pignerol caught hiding messages in the linings of their clothes.

1694

Jan
: Corbé becomes lieutenant. Barbezieux to Saint-Mars: ‘M. Laprade, to whom the King has entrusted the custody of the prisoners who are detained by order of his majesty in the prison of Pignerol, reports that the one who has been in prison there the longest has died, and that he doesn't know his name. Since I have no doubt you will remember it, I beg you to inform me of it in cipher.' (Death of the Dominican monk?).

Apr
: The four prisoners of Pignerol are transferred to Sainte-Marguerite. Laprade becomes governor of Besançon.

May
: Barbezieux to Saint-Mars: ‘The valet of the prisoner who has died, you can put into the vaulted cell as you propose.' (Death of Matthioli?).

1695

Feb
: Fillibert imprisoned in the Bastille.

1697

Oct
: Fillibert released.

Nov
: Barbezieux, annoyed that Pontchartrain has been asking questions about the prisoners on Sainte-Marguerite, informs Saint-Mars that he has no reason to tell anyone what it was that his longtime prisoner did.

1698

May
: Saint-Mars notified of his transfer to the Bastille.

Aug
: Saint-Mars leaves Sainte-Marguerite with his longtime prisoner and another whom he leaves at Lyon. Lamotte-Guérin becomes deputy governor of Sainte-Marguerite.

Sep
: On his way to Paris, Saint-Mars stops off with his prisoner at the Château de Palteau. The prisoner, who is wearing a mask of black velvet, is transported in a litter with Saint-Mars. On their arrival at the Bastille the masked prisoner is put into the First Chamber of the Basinière Tower until nightfall and then moved to the Third Chamber of the Bertaudière Tower. The King's Lieutenant, Du Junca, is allowed no contact with him. He is looked after by Rosarges, a sergeant from Sainte-Marguerite.

Nov
: Permission is given for the prisoner to make confession and receive communion whenever Saint-Mars thinks fit.

1699

Sep
: The Third Room of the Bertaudière Tower is occupied by a prisoner named Falaiseau.

1702

May
: Renneville imprisoned in the Bastille.

1703

May
: Possible date of Renneville's encounter with the prisoner.

Nov
: The masked prisoner dies in the Bastille and is buried in Saint-Paul's cemetery.