The king himself was indeed a semi-idiot, scarce responsible for his actions, yet his was the era of such striking personalities as the brilliant charlatan Struensee.
But the pupil soon found his teacher to be a charlatan, and taught himself, aided by commentaries, to master logic, geometry andastronomy.
The famous charlatan Cagliostro was also arrested, but it was recognized that he had taken no part in the affair.
A quack is one who pretends to knowledge of which he is ignorant, a charlatan, particularly a medical impostor.
Alexander had remarkable beauty and the striking personality of the successful charlatan, and must have been a man of considerable intellectual abilities and power of organization.