Already (February 26, 1694) Barbezieux had informed Saint-Mars that
these prisoners were coming. 'They are of more consequence, one of
them at least, than the prisoners on the island, and must be put in
the safest places.' The 'one' is doubtless Mattioli. In 1681
Louvois had thought Dauger and La Riviere more important than
Mattioli, who, in March 1694, came from Pignerol to Sainte-
Marguerite. Now in April 1694 a prisoner died at the island, a
prisoner who, like Mattioli, HAD A VALET. We hear of no other
prisoner on the island, except Mattioli, who had a valet. A letter
of Saint-Mars (January 6, 1696) proves that no prisoner THEN had a
valet, for each prisoner collected his own dirty plates and dishes,
piled them up, and handed them to the lieutenant

M. Funck-Brentano argues that in this very letter (January 6, 1696)
Saint-Mars speaks of 'les valets de messieurs les prisonniers.' But
in that part of the letter Saint-Mars is not speaking of the actual
state of things at Sainte-Marguerite, but is giving reminiscences of
Fouquet and Lauzun, who, of course, at Pignerol, had valets, and had
money, as he shows. Dauger had no money. M. Funck-Brentano next
argues that early in 1694 one of the preacher prisoners, Melzac,
died, and cites M. Jung ('La Verite sur le Masque de Fer,' p. 91).
This is odd, as M. Jung says that Melzac, or Malzac, 'DIED IN THE
END OF 1692, OR EARLY IN 1693.' Why, then, does M. Funck-Brentano
cite M. Jung for the death of the preacher early in 1694, when M.
Jung (conjecturally) dates his decease at least a year earlier?* It
is not a mere conjecture, as, on March 3, 1693, Barbezieux begs
Saint-Mars to mention his Protestant prisoners under nicknames.
There are three, and Malzac is no longer one of them. Malzac, in
1692, suffered from a horrible disease, discreditable to one of the
godly, and in October 1692 had been allowed medical expenses.