L'affaire des poisons was a
major murder scandal in France which took place in 1677–1682, during the reign
of King Louis XIV. During it, a number of prominent members of the aristocracy
were implicated and sentenced on charges of poisoning and witchcraft. The
scandal reached into the inner circle of the king. It led to execution of 36
people.
Context
and Origin
The origin
of the case began in 1675 after the trial of Madame de Brinvilliers, who had
conspired with her lover, army captain Godin
de Sainte-Croix, to poison her father Antonine Dreux d'Aubray in 1666
and two of her brothers, Antoine d'Aubray and François d'Aubray, in 1670, in
order to inherit their estates. There were also rumors that she had poisoned
poor people during her visits in hospitals. She fled but was arrested in Liège.
She was forced to confess, sentenced to death and on 17 July was tortured with
the water cure (forced to drink sixteen pints of water), beheaded and burned at
the stake. Her accomplice Sainte-Croix had died of natural causes in 1672. The
sensational trial drew attention to a number of other mysterious deaths,
starting a number of rumours. Prominent people, including Louis XIV, became
alarmed that they also might be poisoned. The King forced some of his servants
to become his foretasters.
Implications
and Investigation
The affair
proper opened in February 1677 after the arrest of Magdelaine de La Grange on
charges of forgery and murder. La Grange appealed to François Michel le
Tellier, Marquis of Louvois claiming that she had information about other
crimes of high importance. Louvois reported to the King, who told Gabriel
Nicolas de la Reynie, who, among other things, was the chief of the Paris
police, to root out the poisoners. La Reynie sought to calm the King. The
subsequent investigation of potential poisoners was to lead to accusations of
witchcraft, murder and more. Authorities rounded up a number of fortune-tellers
and alchemists that were suspected of selling not only divinations, séances and
aphrodisiacs, but also "inheritance powders" (a euphemism for
poison). Some of them under torture confessed and gave the authorities lists of
their clients, who had allegedly bought poison to either get rid of their
spouses or rivals in the royal court.
The most
famous case was of the midwife Catherine Deshayes Monvoisin or La Voisin,
who was arrested in 1679 after she was pointed out by the poisoner Marie Bosse.
La Voisin implicated a number of important individuals in the French court.
These included Olympia Mancini, the Comtesse de Soissons, her sister Marie Anne
Mancini Duchesse de Bouillon, François Henri de Montmorency, Duke of Luxembourg
and, most importantly, the King's mistress, Athénaïs de Montespan.
Questioned
while she was kept intoxicated, La Voisin claimed that de Montespan had bought
aphrodisiacs and performed Black Masses with her in order to gain and keep the
King's favor over other rival lovers. She had worked with a priest named
Étienne Guibourg. There was no evidence beyond her confessions, but the bad
reputation followed these people afterwards. Eleanor Herman, on page 113 in her
book “Sex With Kings,” records "Given" claimed the remains of
2,500 infants were found in La Voisin's garden. But Anne Somerset disputes this
in her book “The Affair of the Poisons” and states there is no mention
of the garden being searched for human remains.
Also involved in the scandal was Eustache Dauger de Cavoye, the eldest
living son of a prominent noble family. De Cavoye was disinherited by his
family when, in an act of debauchery he chose to celebrate Good Friday with a
black mass. Upon disinheritance he opened a lucrative trade in
"inheritance powders" and aphrodisiacs. He mysteriously disappeared
after the abrupt ending to Louis' official investigation in 1678. Because of
this and his name, he was once suspected of being the Man in the Iron Mask.
However this theory has fallen out of favor because it is known that he was
imprisoned by his family in 1679 in the Prison Saint-Lazare.
The end
of the trial
La Voisin
was sentenced to death for witchcraft and poisoning, and burned at the stake on
22 February 1680. Marshal Montmorency-Bouteville was briefly jailed in 1680,
but was later released and became a captain of the guard. Minister
Jean-Baptiste Colbert helped to hush things up. De La Reynie re-established the
special court, the Chambre Ardente ("burning court") to judge
cases of poisoning and witchcraft. It investigated a number of cases, including
many connected to nobles and courtiers in the King's court. Over the years the
court sentenced 34 people to death for poisoning or witchcraft. Two died under
torture and several courtiers were exiled. The court was abolished in 1682,
because the King could not risk publicity of such scandal. To this, Police
Chief Reynie said, "the enormity of their crimes proved their safeguard.
Aftermath
Perhaps the
most important effect of the scandal, and subsequent persecutions, was the
expulsion from France of the aforementioned Comtesse de Soissons. Her son
remained in France only to find that his mother's high-profile disgrace
prevented him from realising his personal ambitions, as he was effectively
barred from pursuing a military career. He would eventually leave France
nurturing a profound grudge against Louis XIV and enter the service of France's
sworn enemies the Habsburgs. Prince Eugene of Savoy, or Prinz Eugen, would, in
time, come to be known as one of the greatest generals of the age and one of
the factors behind the failure of Louis' bid for hegemony in Europe.
Condemned
in the Poison Affair
The Poison
Affair implicated 442 suspects: 367 orders of arrests were issued, of which 218
were carried out. Of the condemned, 36 were executed; five were sentences to
the galleys; and 23 to exile. This excludes those who died in custody by
torture or suicide. Additionally, many accused were never brought to trial, but
placed outside of the justice system and imprisoned for life by a lettre de
cachet. Of the people who ere condmened
to perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet, six women were imprisoned at
Château de Villefranche; 18 men at Château de Salces; 12 women at
Belle-Île-en-Mer; ten men at Château de Besançon; 14 women at St Andre de
Salins; and five women at Fort de Bains.
Professionals
This lists
people involved in the Poison Affair by being professionally involved in
criminal activity. Their punishment is mentioned after their name:
- Roger, Siegneur de Bachimont,
alchemist, associate of Louis de Vanens; perpetual imprisonment by lettre
de cachet at St Andre de Salins.
- Marie de Bachimont, alchemist,
associate of Louis de Vanens and spouse of Roger de Bachimont; perpetual
imprisonment by lettre de cachet at St Andre de Salins.
- Mathurin Barenton, poisoner; executed
in September 1681.
- La Belliére, fortune teller; perpetual
imprisonment by lettre de cachet
- François Belot, associate of La
Voisin; executed in June 1679.
- Betrand, poisoner, associate of La
Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Salces.
- Denis Poculot, Sieur de Blessis,
alchemist, lover of La Voisin; condemned to the galleys.
- Marie Bosse, fortune teller and
poisoner; burned at the stake 8 May 1679.
- Marie Bouffet, abortionist, associate
of Marguerite Joly; hanged in December 1681.
- Pierre Cadelan (d. September 1684),
associate of Vanens; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet
- Magdelaine Chapelain (1658- June
1724), fortune teller and assocate of Filastre; perpetual imprisonment by
lettre de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer. The last condemned to die (of those
whos date of death is known).
- Anne Cheron, fruit seller and provider
of objects for magic rituals; executed in June 1679.
- Jacques Cotton, officiate at the black
masses, associate of La Voisin; executed by burning in 1680.
- P. Dalmas, associate of La
Chaboissiere; sent to a workhouse.
- Giles Davot, officiate at the black
masses, associate of La Voisin; executed in 1681.
- Etienne Debray, associate of
Deschault; executed in September 1681.
- Marguerite Delaporte, poisoner,
associate of La Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at
Belle-Île-en-Mer.
- Jacques Deschault, shepherd and
magician; executed in 1681.
- Louison Desloges, associate of
Marguerite Joly; hanged in December 1681.
- La Dodée, poisoner, committed suicide
in prison.
- Louise Duscoulcye, lover of Dalmas,
poisoner
- Françoise Filastre, poisoner; executed
in 1680.
- Louis Galet, poisoner; perpetual
imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Besançon.
- Mme Guesdon (1640 – August 1717),
poisoner; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet
- Étienne Guibourg, officiate at the
black masses, associate of La Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de
cachet at Château de Besançon.
- Marguerite Joly, fortune teller and
poisoner; executed by burning in December 1681.
- Latour, stone mason and associate of
la Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Salces
- Catherine Lepère, abortionist;
executed in June 1679.
- Adam Lesage, magician and officiate at
black masses, associate of La Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de
cachet at Château de Besançon.
- Catherine Leroy, associate of La
Voisin and la Chaboissiere; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at
Belle-Île-en-Mer.
- Jeanne Leroux, associate of la Voisin;
executed in April 1680.
- Margot, servant of la Voisin;
perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at St Andre de Salins.
- François Mariotte, abbe, associate of
la Voisin and Lesage; died in prison in 1682.
- Anne Meline, posioner, associate of
Marguerite Joly; hanged in December 1681.
- François Boucher, Vitomte de
Montmayor, astrologer of Luxembourg; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de
cachet at Château de Salces.
- Marguerite Monvoisin, daughter of La
Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer.
- Christophe Moreau, shepherd, magician
and poisoner; executed in September 1681.
- Romani, poisoner, associate of La
Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Besançon.
- La Pelletière, fortune teller,
provider of children for black masses, associate of La Voisin; perpetual
imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer.
- Maitre Pierre, poisoner; perpetual imprisonment
by lettre de cachet
- Anne Poligny, poisoner; executed in
July 1681.
- La Poignard, participated in arranging
black masses; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet
- La Poulain, associate of La Voisin;
perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer.
- Catherine Trianon, posioner, associate
of La Voisin; committed suicide in prison in early 1681.
- La Salomond, poisoner; perpetual
imprisonment by lettre de cachet
- Denise Sandosme, poisoner; executed by
hanging in July 1681.
- Louis de Vanens (d. December 1691),
alchemist; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Sta Andre de
Salins.
- Vautier, poisoner and associate of la
Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet
- Marie Vigoreaux, associate of La
Bosse; died under torture in May 1679.
- La Voisin, fortune teller and
poisoner; burned at the stake 22 February 1680.
Clients
This lists
people involved in the Poison Affair by being clients of the professionals
above. Their punishment is mentioned after their name and role.
- Benigne, Marquise de Alluye, client of
la Voisin; left country to avoid trial and was later allowed to return.
- Pierre Bonnard, secretary of duc de
Luxembourg, client of Lesage; condemned to the galleys in May 1680.
- Marie Brissart, client of La Voisin
and Lesage; fined and exiled.
- Marie de Broglio, Marquise de
Canilhac, client of la Voisin; never bought to trial.
- Anne Carada, client of Deschault and
Debray; executed 25 June 1681.
- La Chaboissiere, Jean Bartholominat,
valet of Louis de Vanens; the last executed in the Affair of the Poisons
16 July 1682.
- Louis de Guilhem de Castelnau, marguis
de Cessac, client of Lesage; left country to avoid trial. Returned in
1691.
- Mme Cottard, client of Lesage;
admonished and fined.
- Mme Desmaretz, client of Lesage;
fined.
- Françoise de Dreux, client of La
Voisin; exiled from the capital, but the exile was never enforced.
- Madeleine de la Ferte, Marechale (d.
1720), client of la Voisin; discharged.
- Antoine de Pas, Marquis de Feuquieres
(d. 1711), client of la Voisin; never brought to trial.
- Madame Ferry, client of La Voisin;
executed in May 1679.
- Marguerite Leféron, client of La
Voisin; exiled from the capital and fined.
- Mme Lescalopier, client of Poligny and
Sandosme; left country to avoid trial.
- Jean Maillard, client of Moreau;
executed in February 1682.
- Olympe Mancini, Comtesse de Soissons,
client of La Voisin; exiled.
- Marie Anne Mancini, Duchesse de
Bouillon, client of La Voisin; banishment to the provinces.
- François Henri de
Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg, client of La Voisin; freed.
- Marquise de Montespan, client of La
Voisin; never trialed.
- Madame Philbert, earlier Brunet (wife
of Philippe Rebille Philbert), client of La Voisin; executed by hanging.
- Jaqqueline du Roure, vicomtesse de
Polignac (d. 1720), client of la Voisin and Lesage; left country to avoid
trial. Returned 1686 but banished from the capital.
- Marguerite de Poulaillon, client of
Marie Bosse; imprisoned in a convent.
- Claude Marie du Roure, client of la
Voisin and Lesage; discharged in March 1680, but despite of this banished
from the capital.
- Marie Louise Charlotte, Princesse de
Tingry, client of Voisin; discharged.
- Marie Vertemart, client of la Voisin;
sentenced to a workhouse.
- Antoinette, Duchess de Vivonne, client
of La Voisin and Filastre; never brought to trial