Originally published in Terrific Register (Sherwood, Jones, and Co.; 1825) vol.2.
In the year 1697, Francis Michel, a blacksmith of Salon, being then about thirty-five years of age, went one evening to the chapel of St. Anne, a little way without the town. While he was alone there, addressing his private devotions to the saint, a spectre, as he affirmed, appeared to him, who ordered him to take a journey to Paris, to say something to the king of very great importance, and only to be communicated by him personally to his majesty. The first time he paid no further attention to this appearance, than talking to the people of the town of having seen it; but at the same thing occurring three evenings successively, and the last time the spectre uttering the most terrible menaces against him if he did not obey his orders, he began to think more seriously about it, and consider what was to be done. The whole neighbourhood rang with nothing but this wonderful story; and at length Michel, having consulted with some of his neighbours, determined on going to Aix to impart the matter to Monsieur Lebret, then Intendant of the
Province. The Intendant treated him as a visionary; but Michel replied, "I am far, Sir, from being what you suppose; the whole town of Salon would testify for me, if you would take the trouble Of ingiry, that I have always been a perfectly sober-minded man, attending diligently to my business, nor given in any degree to fanaticism. It was not till after having been accosted three times in the same way, that I have thought fit to trouble you on the subject; I cannot be mistaken in what I have seen, and can assure you that it is a matter of great importance on which I am charged to speak to the king. I only beg, therefore, that you will write to the court, and obtain permission for me to execute the orders I have received.
Monsieur Lebret thought that there must be something extraordinary in this matter. He saw that the man had no appearance of being insane, or a religious enthusiast; and that he himself firmly believed in having seen the spectre, and received the order to make some communication to his majesty. Since, moreover, he said he was strictly charged not to reveal it to any person, it seemed at least worth while to write to tMe court for instructions how to proceed, that the mystery, whatever it was, might be thoroughly investigated. He accordingly promised Michel to write and obtain him the permission he desired, on which the latter returned peaceably to Salon to wait the event.
Monsieur Lebrat lost no time {n acquitting himself of his promise, and received for answer a commission to authorize Michel to repair teoParis without delay. Michel no sooner received the commission than he hastened to Aix, to make his acknowledgements to the Intendant; when, having received his instructions from him, he set out on his journey. He was followed to a considerable distance from the town by a vast concourse of people, who were all eager to see the man who had seen a spectre, and who were also not a little anxious for the development of a circumstance which appeared so extraordinary. All the way he went he was followed by like crowds, for the rumour of the affair spread from town to town like a contagion, and an universal eagerness pervaded all ranks and degrees, to get a sight of one who now appeared something above the ordinary level of mortals.
His arrival at Paris occasioned no less sensation, and every one was anxious for the event of this moral phenomenon. Michel was in a few days sent for to Versailles, where he actually was admitted to a secret conference of an hour with the king, Louis the Fourteenth. When he had quitted his presence, some of the courtiers remarked to his majesty, that he had just seen a very extraordinary madman. "He is not so mad as you think him," replied the king, with some eagerness. This only increased the public curiosity, and rendered people more than ever anxious to see him. He was presented to Madame de Maintenon, and received considerable presents from her, from the king, and many great people about the court. His picture was taken at the king's desire by one of the painters in Paris, and an engraving made from it, of which several thousands were sold, and it was dispersed all over the kingdom. At length he returned to his native town, the people all the way crowding to see him, even more than in his journey to Paris; and on his arrival, there was no end of the visits made him, and the questions put to him by the people even from a great distance round. After this had continued for some time, he grew so weary with being made the universal object of public curiosity, that he quitted the town without notifying his intention to any one, and calling himself by another name, went to live at Lancon, in hopes of enjoying, under an assumed character, that peace and quiet which he found must not now be expected under his own. Here in effect he remained unknown many years, when the affair being pretty well gone by, he ventured to confess who he was. He did not return Salon, but emabed at Lancon, and died there at the age of sixty-five.
Endless were the conjectures to which this extraordinary affair gave rise; but the real truth was not known till many years after, a priest, who had been a principal agent in the imposture, made a full confession of it. He was himself of Salon, but used to go sometimes to Capentras, where he had connexions, and here he became acquainted with Madame de Rus, who had some property in that neighbourhood, an intimate friend of Madame de Maintenon's, and a woman of great intrigue. It was always a favourite object of Madame de Maintenon, to get the king to declare his marriage with her, and this scheme was projected as the means of accomplishing it. The priest was confessor to Michel; and being won over by Madame de Rus, under the promise of a very great reward, if the scheme should succeed, he fixed upon him as the person upon whom to practise the deceit; because, not being a fanatic, he would be the more likely to obtain credit when he asserted that he had seen a vision. Michel having been guilty of some trifling fault which he confessed to the priest, the latter ordered him as a penance to go alone every evening for a certain time to the chapel, just as the dusk came on, and there address such prayers as he directed to the saint. Here he concealed a man dressed in a white sheet, which hung over his face so that it could not be seen; and who was well instructed in the part he was to act. The pretended spectre ordered Michel to go to the king, and strictly enjoin him, under pain of the severest displeasure of heaven, to declare his marriage with Madame de Maintenon; at the same time giving him a ring, which he said had belonged to the late queen, and which the king would immediately know as such; that it had been miraculously transported from Paris, in order to be delivered to him as a testimony of the truth of his mission, but he must on no account mention the having received it, to any one but the king himself.
The imposture, however, did not succeed with the king, who, though inclining towards dotage, had too much of the native vigour of mind left, not to see through it at once. He chose, notwithstanding, to keep the discovery to himself, probably because the disclosing it would have led to his making in some sort the avowal which he wished to avoid, or else to his asserting a palpable falsehood in disclaiming the marriage. It does not appear whether Michel himself ever knew of the trick that had been passed upon him.