In 1698 a man was imprisoned in the Bastille. This man had been a captive of the government since at least 1687 and for all that time his face had been hidden by a mask. He died in 1703, but rumors about his existence continued to circulate. The prisoner was treated very well, but two musketeers stood by him at all times, ready to kill him if he removed his mask. He ate in the mask, slept in the mask, and eventually died in the mask. Even at the royal court his identity remained a mystery.