708 



MASINISSA MASK. 



mistress ascended the throne, and, by her assiduity 

 and complaisance, acquired a great degree of influ- 

 ence over her. The high church principles in which 

 she had been educated, contributed to increase her 

 credit with tlie queen, who was secretly attached to 

 the tory party, though obliged, in the beginning of 

 her reign, to favour the whigs. The marriage of 

 Miss Hill with Mr Masliam, in 1707, occasioped an 

 open quarrel with lady Marlborongh, who was, in 

 consequence of it, deprived of her majesty's confi- 

 dence. Harley, afterwards earl of Oxford, connected 

 himself with the new favourite ; a change of minis- 

 try took place, and, in 1711, Mr Mashain was raised 

 to the peerage. He and his wife appear to have 

 been actively engaged in the intrigues of the tories 

 in favour of the exiled house of Stuart. Lady Mas- 

 ham lived a long time in retirement after the death 

 of the queen, and died herself at an advanced age. 

 The title of baron, bestowed on her husband, became 

 extinct on the death of her only son, June 14, 1776. 

 MASINISSA, king of the Massylians, in Numidia, 

 the son of king Gula, was educated at Carthage. 

 While yet young, he defeated Syphax, king of the 

 Massaesylians, an ally of the Romans. He then served 

 in the Carthaginian armies in Spain against the 

 Romans. Fortune at first favoured his enterprises; 

 but, having been totally defeated by Scipio Africanus 

 at Baetula, with Asdrubal and Mago, he capitulated, 

 and became an ally of the Romans. In the mean 

 time, his father died, and Mezetulus, an enemy to 

 his family, usurped the dominion, under the name of 

 a guardian. \Vhen Masinissa was informed of this, 

 he hastened back to Africa, and re-conquered his 

 paternal kingdom. During this period, the enmity 

 between Syphax and Carthage had ceased, and As- 

 drubal had given to Syphax his daughter, Sophonisba, 

 who had already been betrothed to Masinissa. Sy- 

 phax, at the instigation of Asdrubal, attacked Masi- 

 nissa, with such success as to compel him to flee, 

 with only a few horsemen. He then conquered the 

 country of the Massylians, and Bochar, one of his 

 generals, pursued Masinissa so closely that he 

 escaped with a few attendants, and severely wounded. 

 They concealed themselves in a cave, and supported 

 themselves by plunder, till Masinissa recovered from 

 his wounds. He then hastened to the frontiers of 

 Massylia, and, aided by the inhabitants, not only 

 recovered his patrimony, but invaded Massaesylia 

 itself. Syphax, however, again defeated him, and he 

 escaped to the Syrtis Minor, with only seventy horse- 

 men. He awaited there the arrival of his allies, 

 the Romans. Syphax was now persuaded, by the 

 Carthaginians, to restore Masinissa his kingdom ; 

 for they hoped to gain him thus to their interests ; 

 but they were disappointed. The junction of his 

 Numidian cavalry with Asdrubal was only to 

 save appearances ; he kept up a secret connexion 

 with Scipio, and acquainted him with all the plans 

 of the enemy, and at last openly went over to 

 him. He now had it in his power to take vengeance 

 on Syphax. With the assistance of the Romans, he 

 defeated him several times, pursued him into his own 

 territories, and finally made him prisoner, with his 

 son. By the capture of the metropolis, the conquest 

 was completed, and Sophonisba now fell into his 

 power. Although he had resolved to punish her infi- 

 delity, his early love was revived, when, throwing her- 

 self at his feet, she begged for death, as the only deliv- 

 erance from the shame of Roman bondage. He took 

 her for his wife, expecting thus to evade the claims of 

 the Romans; but Scipio demanded her as the prisoner 

 of the Romans. The unhappy prince, who was 

 entirely in their power, found that nothing but death 

 could deliver her from their hands. He therefore sent 

 her a poisoned chalice, which she willingly drank oft', 



declaring that she died with pleasure, since it was by 

 his command, and that he was the first and only 

 object of her love. Scipio strove to soothe the grief 

 of Masinissa by the highest marks of honour. He 

 conferred on him the title of king in the presence of 

 the army, granted him a crown of gold, a curule chair, 

 &c. , and procured from the senate the confirmation 

 of liis regal dignity. Masinissa continued in the 

 Roman army, and gained fresh laurels in the battle 

 of Zama, against Hannibal. At the conclusion of 

 peace with Carthage, he recovered not only all his 

 former possessions, but also a part of the territories 

 of Syphax. His hatred against Carthage remained 

 unabated, and he took from this republic a number 

 of provinces, whicli the Romans confirmed to him. 

 This led to an open rupture between Masinissa and 

 Carthage. The king then eighty years old, was 

 victorious. Towards the close of his life, the third 

 Punic war broke out. When Masinissa felt death 

 approaching, he sent for the young Scipio .ZEmilianus, 

 and gave him full power to take any measures in 

 regard to his kingdom, which he thought would be 

 most conducive to the good of his children. He died 

 at the age of ninety years, and left behind him the 

 name of a valiant and enlightened prince. He intro- 

 duced a higher degree of civilization among his sub- 

 jects, and taught them the advantages of agriculture. 

 MASK, THE IRON, or, THE MAN WITH THE IRON 

 MASK. This is the name by which is designated an 

 unknown prisoner, who has excited ft curiosity so 

 much the more lively as it has appeared improbable 

 that it should ever be completely satisfied. This 

 personage was above the middle size, and of the 

 finest and most noble figure. (See Voltaire's Age of 

 Louis XIF., ch. 25.) He was carried, about the 

 year 1662,* with the greatest secrecy to the castle 

 of Pignerol, of which Saint Mars was governor. He 

 wore, during the journey, a black velvet mask, and 

 orders were given to kill him if he discovered him- 

 self. In 1686, he was carried by Saint Mars to the 

 isle of St Marguerite ; and on the passage, the same 

 precautions were observed as upon his first journey. 

 The marquis of Louvois went to see him, and spoke 

 to him standing, and with deference. The governor 

 himself placed the plates upon the table, and after- 

 wards retired, shutting the door, of which he kept 

 the key. One day, it is said, the prisoner wrote with 

 a knife upon a silver plate, and threw the plate from 

 the window towards a boat, which was moored 

 almost at the foot of the tower. A fisherman picked 

 up the plate, and carried it back to the governor. 

 The latter, astonished, inquired of the fisherman if 

 he had read what was upon the plate, or if any one 

 had seen it in his hands. " I do not know how to 

 read," answered the fisherman ; " I have just found 

 it; no one has seen it." He was, nevertheless, 

 detained for several days ; and the governor, when he 

 dismissed him, said to him, " Go; you are very for- 

 tunate in not knowing how to read."f Saint Mars 



* This date is subject tf> some difficulties. Saint Mars was 

 not appointed governor of Pignerol until Fouquet was brought 

 there, whose arrest took place Dec. 20, 1664. (Saint Foix's 

 Answer to P. Griffet, page 126.) 



f May not the history of the plate be an incorrect version of 

 that of the fine shirt, carelessly folded, upon which the prisoner 

 had written from one end to the other, and which a friar, who 

 saw it floating- under the window of this unknown person, car- 

 ried directly to M. de Saint Mars, who pressed him eagerly to 

 ti-ll him if he had read any thing upon it. In spite of his denial, 

 the friar was found, two days afterwards dead in his bed. 

 These details, and others concerning the abode of the mysterious 

 prisoner at the isle of Saint Marguerite, were given to the 

 abbe. Papon, who visited this prison, Feb. ?, 1778, by an officer 

 of the French company, then about seventy-nine years of age, 

 \vhose father had been, in some particulars, the confidant 01 

 Saint Mars, and had carried away, upon his shoulders, the dea t 

 body of the servant of the prisoner. (Papon's General Bittory 

 of frmence, vol. ii. and Journal of Learned Men, Dec. 17TO. 

 p. 718.) 



