CHAPTER I.

Mystic and Philosopher

1

The theories of his birth--High connections--The friend of kings and princes--Various titles--Supposed Prince Ragoczy--Historic traces--At the Court at Anspach--Friend of the Orloffs--Moral character given by Prince Charles of Hesse.

CHAPTER II.

His Travels and Knowledge

25

The Comte de St. Germain at Venice in 1710 and the Countess de Georgy--Letter to the British Museum in 1733 from the Hague--From 1737 to 1742 in Persia--In England in 1745--In Vienna in 1746--In 1755 in India--In 1757 comes to Paris--In 1760 at The Hague--In St. Petersburg in 1762--In Brussels in 1763--Starting new experiments in manufactories--In 1760 in Venice--News from an Italian Newspaper for 1770--M. de St. Germain at Leghorn--In Paris again in 1774--At Triesdorf in 1776--At Leipzig in 1777--Testimony of high character by contemporary writers.

p. vi

CHAPTER III.

PAGE

The Coming Danger

53

Madame d’Adhémar and the Comte de St. Germain--His sudden appearance in Paris--Interview with the Countess--Warnings of approaching danger to the Royal Family--Desires to see the King and the Queen--Important note by the Countess d’Adhémar relative to the various times she saw the Comte de St. Germain after his supposed death--Last date 1822.

CHAPTER IV.

Tragical Prophecies

74

Continuation of the Memoirs of Madame d’Adhémar--Marie Antoinette receives M. de St. Germain--He predicts the downfall of Royalty--Louis XVI. desires to see M. de St. Germain--M. de Maurepas arrives--The Comte de St. Germain also--Disappears.

CHAPTER V.

Political Work

94

The political work of the Comte de St. Germain--Remarks by Voltaire--Baron de Gleichen states that the Marshal de Belle Isle drew up the Instructions--Louis XV delivered them himself with a cipher to M. de St. Germain--Anger of the Duc de Choiseul--Attempts to capture M. de St. Germain--Leaves Holland for England.

CHAPTER VI.

In the "Mitchell Papers"

111

Diplomatic correspondence between Lord Holdernesse and General Yorke--From the British Museum--Secret mission of the Comte de St. Germain--Not permitted to remain in England--George III thinks it not unlikely that M. de St. Germain is "an authorised Agent."

p. vii

CHAPTER VII.

PAGE

Masonic Tradition

128

Poem said to be written by M. de St. Germain--Freemasonry and Mystic Societies--Charges against M. de St. Germain--Refuted by Mounier--Documents relative to his death in 1784--Church Records met by the Comte de Châlons in Venice in 1788--Attending Masonic Meetings in 1783--Seen by the Countess d’Adhémar in 1804 and 1822.

CHAPTER VIII.

Masonic Work and Austrian Traditions

138

M. de St. Germain in Vienna--Meeting with Mesmer--Meeting at Fedalhofe--Predicts his retirement from Europe--Recent articles on M. de St. Germain in Vienna--Correspondence with Duke Ferdinand von Braunschweig under name of Comte Welldone.

APPENDIX I.

Documents from the Archives de l’État, Paris, concerning the appartment, in the Castle of Chambord, offered to the Comte de St. Germain by Louis XV. in 1758

163

APPENDIX II.

Correspondence between the Duc de Choiseul and the Comte d’Affry, with regard to the Comte de St. Germain, from the Archives in Paris

167

APPENDIX III.

From the papers of Sieur Bentinck van Rhoon, in the Archives of the Palace of H.M. the Queen of Holland; translated from the Dutch

200

p. viii

APPENDIX IV.

PAGE

Extracts from the "Memoirs of Hardenbrock" (edition of the Historisch Genootschap of Utrecht), vol. I, p. 220; translated from the Dutch original

214

APPENDIX V.

Masonic Documents from the Lodge of the Grand Orient de France

217

APPENDIX VI.

Additional Mitchell Papers

219

APPENDIX VII.

Miscellaneous Papers from English Record Office

230

Bibliography

243