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magic and real detectives-第24章

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means of respiting his processe and as he hopes intercession may

bee made for him; but people talk so variously of him that I cannot

tell whether hee ought to bee owned by any Prince; the Suisses have

indeed the greatest ground to reclayme him as being taken in

theirs。  They have all his papers which speake much of the Triple

Alliance; if they have no other pretext of hanging him I know not

whether they can lawfully for this; hee having been naturallised in

Holland and taken in a priviledged Country。 。 。 。





V。  Francis Vernon to 'Mr。 Williamson?'。'1'





'1' State Papers; France; vol。 126。





Paris: June 19/25; 1669。



Honored Sir;



My last of the 26th Currt was soe short and soe abrupt that I fear

you can peck butt little satisfaction out of it。



I did intend to have written something about Marsilly but that I

had noe time then。  In my letter to my Lord Arlington I writt that

Friday 21 Currt hee wounded himself wch he did not because hee was

confronted with Ruvigny as the Gazettes speake。  For he knew before

hee should dye; butt he thought by dismembering himself that the

losse of blood would carry him out of the world before it should

come to bee knowne that he had wounded himselfe。  And when the

Governor of the Bastille spied the blood hee said It was a stone

was come from him which caused that effusion。  However the governor

mistrusted the worst and searcht him to see what wound he had made。

So they seared him and sent word to St。 Germaines which made his

execution be hastened。  Saturday about 1 of the clock he was

brought on the skaffold before the Chastelet and tied to St。

Andrew's Crosse all wch while he acted the Dying man and scarce

stirred; and seemed almost breathless and fainting。  The Lieutenant

General prest him to confesse and there was a doctor of the Sorbon

who was a counsellr of the Castelet there likewise to exhort him to

disburthen his mind of any thing which might be upon it。  Butt he

seemed to take no notice and lay panting。



Then the Lieutenant Criminel bethought himself that the only way to

make him speake would bee to sende for a ministre soe hee did to

Monsr Daillie but hee because the Edicts don't permitt ministres to

come to condemned persons in publique but only to comfort them in

private before they goe out of prison refused to come till hee sent

a huissier who if he had refused the second time would have brought

him by force。  At this second summons hee came butt not without

great expectations to bee affronted in a most notorious manner

beeing the first time a ministre came to appeare on a scaffold and

that upon soe sinister an occasion。  Yet when he came found a great

presse of people。  All made way; none lett fall soe much as a

taunting word。  Hee came up the Scaffold; great silence all about。

Hee found him lying bound stretched on St。 Andrew's Crosse naked

ready for execution。  Hee told him hee was sent for to exhort him

to die patiently and like a Christian。  Then immediately they were

all surprized to see him hold up his head wch he lett hang on one

side before like a drooping calfe and speake as loud and clear as

the ministre; to whom he said with a cheerful air hee was glad to

see him; that hee need not question butt that hee would dye like a

Christian and patiently too。  Then hee went and spoke some places

of Scripture to encourage him which he heard with great attention。

They afterward came to mention some things to move him to

contrition; and there hee tooke an occasion to aggravate the

horrour of a Crime of attempting against the King's person。  Hee

said hee did not know what hee meant。  For his part hee never had

any evill intention against the Person of the King。



The Lieutenant Criminel stood all the while behind Monsieur Daillie

and hearkened to all and prompted Monsr Daillie to aske him if hee

had said there were 10 Ravillacs besides wch would doe the King's

businesse。  Hee protested solemnly hee never said any such words or

if hee did hee never remembered; butt if hee had it was with no

intention of Malice。  Then Monsieur Daillie turned to the people

and made a discourse in vindication of those of the Religion that

it was no Principle of theirs attempts on the persons of King's'

butt only loyalty and obedience。  This ended hee went away; hee

staid about an hour in all; and immediately as soon as he was gone;

they went to their worke and gave him eleven blows with a barre and

laid him on the wheele。  He was two houres dying。  All about Monsr

Daillie I heard from his own mouth for I went to wait on him

because it was reported hee had said something concerning the King

of England butt hee could tell mee nothing of that。  There was a

flying report that he should say going from the ChasteletThe Duke

of York hath done mee a great injury。  The Swisses they say

resented his 'Marsilly's' taking and misst but 1/2 an hour to take

them which betrayed him 'the monk' after whom they sent。  When he

was on the wheele he was heard to say Le Roy est grand tyrant; Le

Roy me traitte d'un facon fort barbare。  All that you read

concerning oaths and dying en enrage is false all the oaths hee

used being only asseverations to Monsr Daillie that he was falsely

accused as to the King's person



Sr I am &c



FRANS。 VERNON。







VI。  The Ambassador Montague to Arlington。'1'





'1' State Papers; France; vol。  126。





Paris: June 22; 1669。



My Lord;



The Lieutenant criminel hath proceeded pretty farre with Le Roux

Marsilly。  The crime they forme their processe on beeing a rape

which he had formerly committed at Nismes soe that he perceiving

but little hopes of his life; sent word to the King if hee would

pardon him he could reveale things to him which would concerne him

more and be of greater consequence to him; than his destruction。







VII。  The same to the same。



Paris: June 26; '69。



My Lord;



I heard that Marsilly was to be broke on the wheel and I gave order

then to one of my servants to write Mr。 Williamson word of it; soe

I suppose you have heard of it already: they hastened his execution

for feare he should have dyed of the hurt he had done himself the

day before; they sent for a minister to him when he was upon the

scaffold to see if he would confesse anything; but he still

persisted that he was guilty of nothing nor did not know why he was

put to death。 。 。 。







PART IITrue Stories of Modern Magic





M。 Robert…Houdin





A Conjurer's Confessions



I



SELF…TRAINING





'Sleight…of…hand theories alone cannot explain the mysteries of

〃magic〃 as practiced by that eminent Frenchman who revolutionized

the entire art; and who was finally called upon to help his

government out of a difficuityRobert…Houdin。  The success of his

most famous performances hung not only on an incredible dexterity;

but also on high ingenuity and moral courage; as the following

pages from his 〃Memoirs〃 will prove to the reader。  The story

begins when the young man of twenty was laboring patiently as

apprentice to a watchmaker。'





In order to aid my progress and afford me relaxation; my master

recommended me to study some treatises on mechanics in general; and

on clockmaking in particular。  As this suited my taste exactly; I

gladly assented; and I was devoting myself passionately to this

attractive study; when a circumstance; apparently most simple;

suddenly decided my future life by revealing to me a vocation whose

mysterious resources must open a vast field for my inventive and

fanciful ideas。



One evening I went into a bookseller's shop to buy Berthoud's

〃Treatise on Clockmaking;〃 which I knew he had。  The tradesman

being engaged at the moment on matters more important; took down

two volumes from the shelves and handed them to me without

ceremony。  On returning home I sat down to peruse my treatise

conscientiously; but judge of my surprise when I read on the back

of one of the volumes 〃SCIENTIFIC AMUSEMENTS。〃  Astonished at

finding such a title on a professional work; I opened it

impatiently; and; on running through the table of contents; my

surprise was doubled on reading these strange phrases:



The way of performing tricks with the cardsHow to guess a

person's thoughtsTo cut off a pigeon's head; to restore it to

life; etc。; etc。



The bookseller had made a mistake。  In his haste; he had given me

two volumes of the Encyclopaedia instead of Berthoud。  Fascinated;

however; by the announcement of such marvels; I devoured the

mysterious pages; and the further my reading advanced; the more I

saw laid bare before me the secrets of an art for which I was

unconsciously predestined。



I fear I shall be accused of exaggeration; or at least not be

understood by many of my readers; when I say that this discovery

caused me the greatest joy I had ever experienced。  At this moment

a secret present
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