“The Victim of Magical Delusion”: Nos. 53-95 inclusive, beginning on [pg. 4] in the first file; [pg. 101] in the second file; [pg. 218] in the third file; [pg. 321] in the fourth file. The final installment of the novel is followed by the “Address of the Translator” in two further installments.
The serial began in no. 22 of the New-York Weekly; the first 31 of its 74 segments are in Volume I.
Original: Geschichte eines Geistersehers: Aus den Papieren des Mannes mit der eisernen Larve (i.e. “the man in the iron mask”), 1790, by Cajetan Tschink (1763-1813): 3 vols. octavo
English Translation: Peter Will, published in 1795 as The victim of magical delusion: or, The mystery of the revolution of P--l: a magico-political tale, founded on historical facts. Editions include London (3 vols.) and Dublin (2 vols). Only the London edition includes the final “Address of the Translator”.
Volume breaks in both editions come at the middle of New-York Weekly installments (coincidentally at page breaks):
Dublin, Vol. 2 begins: As soon as the Countess was gone to bed...
London, Vol. 3 begins: I felt like one who is suddenly roused...
Background: The dramatic date is 1640-41, around the break-up of the Iberian Union, formed in 1580. The main character is the historical Miguel Luís de Menezes (1614-1641), Duke of Caminha or Camiña, who was executed for treason for supporting a Spanish claimant to the Portuguese throne. He outranks his father because the title was inherited from his maternal uncle, also Miguel Luís de Menezes (1565-1637); the title later passed to Miguel’s sister.
The “Queen of Fr**ce” was Anne of Austria who, as her name indicates, was Spanish. During most of 1640—when she appears in this novel—she would have been pregnant with her second child.
Links (Dublin edition):
Vol. 1: http://www.archive.org/details/victimmagicalde02tschgoog
Vol. 2: http://www.archive.org/details/victimmagicalde01tschgoog
Link (London edition):
http://www.archive.org/details/victimmagicalde00tschgoog