Poison Affair
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The Affair of the Poisons (, ) was a major murder scandal in France during the reign of King
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
. Between 1677 and 1682, a number of prominent members of the aristocracy were implicated and sentenced on charges of
poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...
ing and
witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...
. The scandal reached into the inner circle of the king. It led to the execution of 36 people.


Context and origin

In 1672, upon the natural death of cavalry officer Godin de Sainte-Croix, an inventory of his papers revealed a box containing nine letters from his mistress, the Marquise de Brinvilliers, as well as the marquise's acknowledgment of a debt amounting to 30,000 livres. This box also contained various vials which, after being analyzed by an apothecary, were found to have contained various poisons that left little trace in the body. The case began in 1675 after the trial of Madame de Brinvilliers, who was accused of having conspired with her lover, army captain , to poison her father Antoine 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 rumours that she had poisoned poor people during her visits to hospitals. After being accused, she fled but was arrested in
Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...
. Madame de Brinvilliers was tortured and confessed, was sentenced to death, and on 17 July was tortured with the water cure (forced to drink sixteen pints of water) and then beheaded, and her body
burned at the stake Death by burning is an list of execution methods, execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a puni ...
. Her alleged accomplice Sainte-Croix did not face charges because he had died of natural causes in 1672. The sensational trial drew attention to other mysterious deaths, starting rumours. Prominent people, including Louis XIV, became alarmed that they might be poisoned.


Implications and investigation

The affair proper opened in February 1677 after the arrest of
Magdelaine de La Grange Magdelaine de La Grange (c. 1641–1679) was a French fortune-teller involved in the '' Affair of the Poisons''. Her arrest in 1677 marked the opening of the official investigation. She appealed to François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de L ...
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 Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie (; 1625 – 14 June 1709) was a French magistrate who served as the first Paris Police Prefecture, Lieutenant General of Police of Paris from 1667 to 1697. He is considered to be the founder of the first modern Police ...
, 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 led to accusations of witchcraft, murder and more. Authorities rounded up a number of
fortune tellers Fortune telling is the spiritual practice of predicting information about a person's life. Melton, J. Gordon. (2008). ''The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena''. Visible Ink Press. pp. 115–116. The scope of fortune telling is in principle ...
and
alchemists Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...
who were suspected of selling not only
divination Divination () is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a should proceed by reading signs, ...
s,
séance A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French language, French word for "session", from the Old French , "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general and mundane: one ma ...
s and
aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as ...
s, but also "inheritance powders" (a euphemism for poison). Some of them confessed under torture and gave authorities lists of their clients, who had allegedly bought poison to get rid of their spouses or rivals in the royal court. The most famous case was that of the midwife Catherine Deshayes Monvoisin or ''
La Voisin Catherine Monvoisin, or Montvoisin, née ''Deshayes'', known as "La Voisin" (c. 1640 – 22 February 1680), was a French fortune teller, commissioned poisoner, and professional provider of alleged sorcery. She was the head of a network of for ...
'', who was arrested in 1679 after she was incriminated by the poisoner Marie Bosse. La Voisin implicated several important courtiers. These included
Olympia Mancini Olympia Mancini, Countess of Soissons (French: ''Olympe Mancini''; 11 July 1638 – 9 October 1708) was the second-eldest of the five celebrated Mancini sisters, who along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, were known at the court of Kin ...
, the Countess of Soissons, her sister, the Duchess of Bouillon,
François Henri de Montmorency, Duke of Luxembourg François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * François Amoudruz (1926–2020), French resistance fighter * François-Marie Arouet (better known as Voltaire; ...
and, most importantly, the king's mistress,
Madame de Montespan Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise of Montespan (5 October 1640 – 27 May 1707), commonly known as Madame de Montespan (), was a French noblewoman and the most celebrated maîtresse-en-titre, royal mistress of King Lou ...
. Questioned while intoxicated, La Voisin claimed that Montespan had bought aphrodisiacs and performed
black mass A Black Mass is a ceremony celebrated by various Satanic groups. It has allegedly existed for centuries in different forms, and the modern form is intentionally a sacrilegious and blasphemous parody of a Catholic Mass. In the 19th century the ...
es with her in order to gain and keep the king's favour over rival lovers. She had worked with a priest named
Étienne Guibourg The Abbé Étienne Guibourg (c. 1610 – January 1686) was a French Roman Catholic abbé and occultist who was involved in the ''affaire des poisons'', during the reign of Louis XIV. He has been variously described as a "defrocked" or "renegade" ...
. There was no evidence beyond her confessions, but bad reputations followed these people afterwards. Eleanor Herman, in her book ''Sex with Kings'' (2009), claims that the police, given reports of "babies' bones", uncovered the remains of 2,500 infants in La Voisin's garden. However, Anne Somerset disputes this in her book ''The Affair of the Poisons'' (2003) 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 Man in the Iron Mask (; died 19 November 1703) was an unidentified prisoner of state during the reign of Louis XIV of France (1643–1715). The strict measures taken to keep his imprisonment secret resulted in a long-lasting legend about ...
, the eldest living scion of a prominent noble family. Cavoye was disinherited by his family when, in an act of debauchery, he chose to celebrate Good Friday with a black mass. Upon his disinheritance, he opened a lucrative trade in " inheritance powders" and aphrodisiacs. He mysteriously disappeared after the abrupt ending of Louis's official investigation in 1678. Because of this and his name, he was once suspected of being the
Man in the Iron Mask The Man in the Iron Mask (; died 19 November 1703) was an unidentified prisoner of state during the reign of Louis XIV of France (1643–1715). The strict measures taken to keep his imprisonment secret resulted in a long-lasting legend about ...
. However, this theory has fallen out of favour because it is now known that he was imprisoned by his family in 1679 in the
Prison Saint-Lazare Saint-Lazare Prison was a prison in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, France. It existed from 1793 until 1935 and was housed in a former motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians. History in the 12th century a Leper colony, ...
.


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 Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...
helped to hush things up. De La Reynie re-established the special court, the ''
Chambre Ardente ''La chambre ardente'' was the name given to a special court established for the trial of heretics in France during the reign of Francis I in the 16th century. The name has been translated to mean "the fiery chamber." Institution Special cou ...
'' ("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 the publicity of such scandal. To this, Police Chief Reynie said "the enormity of their crimes proved their safeguard."


Aftermath

Perhaps the most important consequence of the scandal and subsequent persecutions was the expulsion from France of the Countess of Soissons and its effect on her son Eugene. He 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. Eugene 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 Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy-Carignano (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736), better known as Prince Eugene, was a distinguished Generalfeldmarschall, field marshal in the Army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty durin ...
, 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's bid for hegemony in Europe.


Suspects and sentences

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 sentenced 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 ''Lettres de cachet'' (; ) were letters signed by the king of France, countersigned by one of his ministers, and closed with the royal seal. They contained orders directly from the king, often to enforce actions and judgments that could not b ...
''. Of the people who were condemned to perpetual imprisonment by ''lettre de cachet'', six women were imprisoned at
Château de Villefranche The Château de Villefranche is a castle and stately home in the ''Communes of France, commune'' of Villeneuve-lès-Bouloc in the Haute-Garonne ''Departments of France, département'' of France. Originally built in the 16th century, it was tran ...
; 18 men at ; 12 women at Belle-Île-en-Mer; ten men at Château de Besançon; 14 women at ; and five women at .


Non-clients

This lists those people of the Poison Affair who were sentenced or punished without verdict for having been professionally involved in criminal activity; as poisoners or occultists or in other ways associated with the organization of la Voisin. Their punishment is mentioned after their name and role.


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.


Similar incidents

In October 1702 Marie-Anne de La Ville was arrested for having created a new organisation similar to the one of la Voisin, but because of Affair of the Poisons, she and her colleagues were never brought to trial, but imprisoned without trial on a
lettre de cachet ''Lettres de cachet'' (; ) were letters signed by the king of France, countersigned by one of his ministers, and closed with the royal seal. They contained orders directly from the king, often to enforce actions and judgments that could not b ...
.


In Popular Culture

In 1907 French writer
Victorien Sardou Victorien Sardou ( , ; 5 September 1831 – 8 November 1908) was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play. He also wrote several plays that were made into popular 19th-c ...
produced a play '' The Affair of the Poisons''. This later provided the basis for a 1955 film adaptation of the same title directed by
Henri Decoin Henri Decoin (18 March 1890 – 4 July 1969) was a French film director and screenwriter, who directed more than 50 films between 1933 and 1964. He was also a swimmer who won the national title in 1911 and held the national record in the 500 ...
.
Marjorie Bowen Margaret Gabrielle Vere Long (née Campbell; 1 November 1885 – 23 December 1952), who used the pseudonyms Marjorie Bowen, George R. Preedy, Joseph Shearing, Robert Paye, John Winch, and Margaret Campbell or Mrs. Vere Campbell,Jessica Amanda Sa ...
's 1936 novel '' The Poisoners'' also revolves around the incident. The organisation of La Voisin and the Affair of the Poisons is portrayed in a novel by
Judith Merkle Riley Judith Merkle Riley (January 14, 1942 – September 12, 2010) was an American writer, teacher and academic who wrote six historical romance novels. Biography Judith Astria Merkle was born in 1942 and grew up in Livermore, California. Her grea ...
: ''The Oracle Glass'' (1994). The Affair of the Poisons is the leading thread throughout the second season of the French-Canadian TV series ''
Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of ÃŽle-de-France, ÃŽle-de-France region in Franc ...
''. The series shows the courtiers being intoxicated with the powders and potions; even Madame de Montespan is portrayed as having a major role in the poisonings. In the fictionalization, La Voisin was altered to the character Agathe. Scottish speed metal artist
Hellripper Hellripper is a one-man black/speed metal band formed by Scottish musician James McBain in 2014. Cited musical influences include black metal bands such as Venom and Darkthrone, thrash metal bands Megadeth, Metallica and Sabbat, and punk-orien ...
's 2020 album titled ''The Affair of The Poisons'' contains lyrical themes based on the scandal. Melissa Bonny wrote "See You in Hell" for Ad Infinitum's 2020 album ''Chapter I: Monarchy'' inspired by this event.


See also

*
Spana Prosecution The Spana Prosecution was a major criminal case which took place in Rome in the Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovere ...
* Angel Makers of Nagyrév


References


Further reading


Text

* * *
Excerpts from Bastille trial records of Guibourg and LaVoisin
(French and English translation)


Fiction

* *


Video

* {{Witch Hunt 1677 in France 1682 in France 1670s in France 1680s in France 17th century in Paris Poison affair Law of the Ancien Régime 1677 murders 1682 murders 1670s murders 1680s murders Poison affair Poison affair Serial murders in France