10 July 2009

The other Man in the Iron Mask

... one evening in 1907 at the National Sporting Club in London, Morgan and Lonsdale were arguing whether a man could walk around the world without being identified. Bensley, a notorious "playboy" and womaniser with a substantial private income, overheard the conversation and offered to test the proposition on their behalf...

Bensley had to satisfy 15 conditions, including:

* Bensley was never to be identified;
* He was to walk around the world but first through specific 169 British cities and towns in a specific order; to prove his visit he would have to collect a signature from a local prominent resident. After that he would begin a tour of 18 countries and would have to visit them, also in pre-specified order.
* Bensley was to finance himself, starting off with just GBP 1 and selling picture cards about himself;
* Only a change of underclothes was allowed as baggage;
* He was to complete the journey wearing an iron mask weighing 2 kg (4.5 lb) from a suit of armour;
* He was to push a perambulator (baby carriage) the entire journey;
* Another man was to accompany him to see that he fulfilled the conditions in all times and
* On the journey he was to find a wife without her seeing his face (note that he was possibly married already).

If that interests you, more details and links are available at Wiki.

Addendum: A most interesting comment by "charlie," who delved into the Wiki link and came up with these observations..."If you follow the links on the Wikipage to his grandsons site, you discover the biggest surprsise of all. Namely that it may not have been a friendly wager. Allegedly he had bet and lost his entire fortune one night and begged for forgiveness. In return they came up with this diabolical punishment for a dilletante playboy: he had to earn his own way, he had to go on foot, he had to conceal his good looks, and he had to marry.

1 comment:

  1. If you follow the links on the Wikipage to his grandsons site, you discover the biggest surprsise of all. Namley that it may not have been a freindly wager. Allegedly he had bet and lost his entire fortune one night and begged for forgiveness. In return they came up with this diabolical punishment for a dilltante playboy: he had to earn his own way, he ahd to go on foot, he had to conceal his good looks, and he had to marry.

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