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The fingers； the watch； the snuffbox； the shoe…buckles； the garter
studs； the solitaires of the Count； on high days； all burned with
diamonds and rubies； which were estimated； one day； at 200；000
francs。 His wealth did not come from cards or swindlingno such
charges are ever hinted at； he did not sell elixirs； nor
prophecies； nor initiations。 His habits do not seem to have been
extravagant。 One might regard him as a clever eccentric person；
the unacknowledged child； perhaps； of some noble； who had put his
capital mainly into precious stones。 But Louis XV。 treated him as
a serious personage； and probably knew； or thought he knew； the
secret of his birth。 People held that he was a bastard of a king
of Portugal； says Madame du Hausset。 Perhaps the most ingenious
and plausible theory of the birth of Saint…Germain makes him the
natural son； not of a king of Portugal； but of a queen of Spain。
The evidence is not evidence； but a series of surmises。 Saint…
Germain； on this theory； 'wrop his buth up in a mistry' （like that
of Charles James Fitzjames de la Pluche）； out of regard for the
character of his royal mamma。 I believe this about as much as I
believe that a certain Rev。 Mr。 Douglas； an obstreperous
Covenanting minister； was a descendant of the captive Mary Stuart。
However； Saint…Germain is said； like Kaspar Hauser； to have
murmured of dim memories of his infancy； of diversions on
magnificent terraces； and of palaces glowing beneath an azure sky。
This is reported by Von Gleichen； who knew him very well； but
thought him rather a quack。 Possibly he meant to convey the idea
that he was Moses； and that he had dwelt in the palaces of the
Ramessids。 The grave of the prophet was never known； and Saint…
Germain may have insinuated that he began a new avatar in a cleft
of Mount Pisgah； he was capable of it。
However； a less wild surmise avers that； in 1763； the secrets of
his birth and the source of his opulence were known in Holland。
The authority is the Memoirs of Grosley （1813）。 Grosley was an
archaeologist of Troyes； he had traveled in Italy； and written an
account of his travels； he also visited Holland and England； and
later； from a Dutchman； he picked up his information about Saint…
Germain。 Grosley was a Fellow of our Royal Society； and I greatly
revere the authority of a F。R。S。 His later years were occupied in
the compilation of his Memoirs； including an account of what he did
and heard in Holland； and he died in 1785。 According to Grosley's
account of what the Dutchman knew； Saint…Germain was the son of a
princess who fled （obviously from Spain） to Bayonne； and of a
Portuguese Jew dwelling in Bordeaux。
What fairy and fugitive princess can this be； whom not in vain the
ardent Hebrew wooed？ She was； she must have been； as Grosley saw；
the heroine of Victor Hugo's Ruy Blas。 The unhappy Charles II。 of
Spain； a kind of 〃mammet〃 （as the English called the Richard II。
who appeared up in Islay； having escaped from Pomfret Castle）； had
for his first wife a daughter of Henrietta； the favorite sister of
our Charles II。 This childless bride； after some ghostly years of
matrimony； after being exorcised in disgusting circumstances； died
in February； 1689。 In May； 1690 a new bride； Marie de Neuborg； was
brought to the grisly side of the crowned mammet of Spain。 She；
too； failed to prevent the wars of the Spanish Succession by giving
an heir to the Crown of Spain。 Scandalous chronicles aver that
Marie was chosen as Queen of Spain for the levity of her character；
and that the Crown was expected； as in the Pictish monarchy； to
descend on the female side； the father of the prince might be
anybody。 What was needed was simply a son of the QUEEN of Spain。
She had； while Queen； no son； as far as is ascertained； but she had
a favorite； a Count Andanero； whom she made minister of finance。
〃He was not a born Count；〃 he was a financier； this favorite of the
Queen of Spain。 That lady did go to live in Bayonne in 1706； six
years after the death of Charles II。； her husband。 The hypothesis
is； then； that Saint…Germain was the son of this ex…Queen of Spain；
and of the financial Count； Andanero； a man； 〃not born in the
sphere of Counts；〃 and easily transformed by tradition into a
Jewish banker of Bordeaux。 The Duc de Choiseul； who disliked the
intimacy of Louis XV。 and of the Court with Saint…Germain； said
that the Count was 〃the son of a Portuguese Jew； WHO DECEIVES THE
COURT。 It is strange that the King is so often allowed to be
almost alone with this man； though； when he goes out； he is
surrounded by guards； as if he feared assassins everywhere。〃 This
anecdote is from the Memoirs of Gleichen； who had seen a great deal
of the world。 He died in 1807。
It seems a fair inference that the Duc de Choiseul knew what the
Dutch bankers knew； the story of the Count's being a child of a
princess retired to Bayonnenamely； the ex…Queen of Spainand of
a Portuguese…Hebrew financier。 De Choiseul was ready to accept the
Jewish father； but thought that； in the matter of the royal mother；
Saint…Germain 〃deceived the Court。〃
A queen of Spain might have carried off any quantity of the
diamonds of Brazil。 The presents of diamonds from her almost
idiotic lord must have been among the few comforts of her situation
in a Court overridden by etiquette。 The reader of Madame
d'Aulnoy's contemporary account of the Court of Spain knows what a
dreadful dungeon it was。 Again； if born at Bayonne about 1706； the
Count would naturally seem to be about fifty in 1760。 The purity
with which he spoke German； and his familiarity with German
princely Courtswhere I do not remember that Barry Lyndon ever met
himare easily accounted for if he had a royal German to his
mother。 But； alas！ if he was the son of a Hebrew financier；
Portuguese or Alsatian （as some said）； he was likely； whoever his
mother may have been； to know German； and to be fond of precious
stones。 That Oriental taste notoriously abides in the hearts of
the Chosen People。＇1＇
＇1＇ Voyage en Angleterre； 1770。
〃Nay； nefer shague your gory locks at me；
Dou canst not say I did it；〃
quotes Pinto； the hero of Thackeray's Notch on the Axe。 〃He
pronounced it； by the way； I DIT it； by which I KNOW that Pinto was
a German；〃 says Thackeray。 I make little doubt but that Saint…
Germain； too； was a German； whether by the mother's side； and of
princely blood； or quite the reverse。
Grosley mixes Saint…Germain up with a lady as mysterious as
himself； who also lived in Holland； on wealth of an unknown source；
and Grosley inclines to think that the Count found his way into a
French prison； where he was treated with extraordinary respect。
Von Gleichen； on the other hand； shows the Count making love to a
daughter of Madame Lambert； and lodging in the house of the mother。
Here Von Gleichen met the man of mystery and became rather intimate
with him。 Von Gleichen deemed him very much older than he looked；
but did not believe in his elixir。
In any case； he was not a cardsharper； a swindler； a professional
medium； or a spy。 He passed many evenings almost alone with Louis
XV。； who； where men were concerned； liked them to be of good family
（about ladies he was much less exclusive）。 The Count had a grand
manner； he treated some great personages in a cavalier way； as if
he were at least their equal。 On the whole； if not really the son
of a princess； he probably persuaded Louis XV。 that he did come of
that blue blood； and the King would have every access to authentic
information。 Horace Walpole's reasons for thinking Saint…Germain
〃not a gentleman〃 scarcely seem convincing。
The Duc de Choiseul did not like the fashionable Saint…Germain。 He
thought him a humbug； even when the doings of the deathless one
were perfectly harmless。 As far as is known； his recipe for health
consisted in drinking a horrible mixture called 〃senna tea〃which
was administered to small boys when I was a small boyand in not
drinking anything at his meals。 Many people still observe this
regimen； in the interest； it is said； of their figures。 Saint…
Germain used to come to the house of de Choiseul； but one day； when
Von Gleichen was present； the minister lost his temper with his
wife。 He observed that she took no wine at dinner； and told her
that she had learned that habit of abstinence from Saint…Germain；
that HE might do as he pleased； 〃but you； madame； whose health is
precious to me； I forbid to imitate the regimen of such a dubious
character。〃 Gleichen； who tells the anecdote； says that he was
present when de Choiseul thus lost his temper with his wife。 The
dislike of de Choiseul had a mournful effect on the career of
Saint…Germain。
In discussing the strange story of the Chevalier d'Eon； one has
seen that Louis XV。 amused himself by carrying on a secret scheme
of fantastic dip