IMES.^b r ,. I THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES IN MEMORY OF EDWIN CORLE PRESENTED BY JEAN CORLE MADAME DE BRINVILLIERS MADAME DE BRINVILLIERS AND HER TIMES 1630-1676 i i BY HUGH STOKES ! ! WITH A FRONTISPIECE IN PHOTOGRAVURE AND FIFTEEN OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS LONDON JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD NEW YORK JOHN LANE COMPANY MCMXII Tumbull 6f Spears, Printers, Edinburgh College Librarypc / 30 6 PREFACE " tells us that woman is un- utterably more wicked than man." If Madame de Brinvilliers could be taken as a NIETZSCHEnormal type of her sex one might be disposed to agree with the German philosopher. But Marie Marguerite d'Aubray was far from being an ordinary example of womanhood, and it is exactly that which makes her case so engrossing. Amongst the records of famous criminals the trial of this highly-born lady has always taken a prominent place. If criminology be at times a trifle morbid it is often valuable, and in this instance it enables us to follow rather closely a curiously complex society from which was evolved a mighty state. This volume is not intended to be so much a recital of the crimes of the Marquise as a picture of the lively circles in which she lived. One idea will certainly arise before the last page is reached, and the reader must guard his mind against it. It is unfortunate that the wicked people are generally more interesting than the good. There was much vice in the reign of Louis XIV., much hypocrisy, much double- dealing. We, by the way, in the twentieth century are not so virtuous that we need cast stones at the seven- teenth. But France, it must always be remembered, cannot be judged from Paris, and France was not wholly bad. Had it been so, Louis XIV. and his ministers with all their prescience could never have made it the first nation in Europe. At this period it boasted a roll of fame upon which were inscribed the names of Pascal, vi MADAME DE BRINVILLIERS Descartes, Moliere, and Corneille, to mention haphazard but four out of a score of others almost equally as great. A city which could boast of a Saint Vincent de Paul was redeemed of many sins. A country which could raise such a family of saints as the Arnaulds of Port Royal had a moral strength capable of carrying it through many difficulties. These men and women, by their spiritual insight, their fine intelligence, and their wonderful energy, have made such a mark upon the history of the world that their names are as familiar to us as they were in the ears of their contemporaries. They did not stand alone, but were simply the more brilliant members of a large class which exercised considerable authority throughout the land. " France has always been the gay sprightly land of mirth and social ease." It has also been the home of some of the noblest minds and deepest thinkers of which the world can boast. As a nation it has from the earliest ages cherished the purest ideals and aspirations. And its women have been of an essentially courageous type, of which Joan of Arc is a shining example. Madame de Brinvilliers lived in a particularly vicious circle, and, so far as she was led away from the paths of righteousness, she cannot be called representative either of her sex in France, or hi any other country of the globe. The first part of this volume concerns itself chiefly with the conditions under which the Marquise lived. An attempt is made to show the utter heartlessness and complete lack of moral fibre in the Court and the town, for which Louis XIV. and his ministers were largely personally responsible. The second part relates the three crimes which were definitely brought home to the Marquise and Sainte-Croix. It also introduces that strange character the ecclesiastical financier Pennautier and his dealings with Sainte-Croix. They were never probed to the bottom, and Pennautier escaped. Had he PREFACE vii been a poor man he would have undoubtedly suffered. The third part follows the evidence at the trial, un- fortunately with many lacunae, summarises the famous " " factum or defence of Maitre Nivelle, and deals with the ministrations of the Abbe Pirot. The many documents still in existence and the voluminous memoir left by the priest allow the last days of Madame de Brinvilliers to be reconstructed with remarkable accuracy. The Bibliog- raphy shows what an extensive literature has grown up round the subject, whilst the contemporary memoirs and correspondence contain numerous references to the unhappy Marquise, her crimes, and her tribulations. The author has attempted to give a consecutive history of this curious case. But he is conscious that owing to the loss of judicial archives some of the more obscure passages are difficult to unravel, and for this he must ask the indulgence of his readers. CONTENTS ! - . v PREFACE . , .".- PART I THE CAUSE: FRENCH SOCIETY, 1661-1676 CHAPTER I PACK INTRODUCTION ....... 3 CHAPTER II THE KING AS HEAD OF THE STATE GENERAL DECADENCE OF MORALS CHIEFLY OWING TO HIS BAD EXAMPLE EARLY POISONING MYSTERIES ..... 9 CHAPTER III PARIS AND THE COURT CROWDED WITH ADVENTURERS Two TYPICAL EXAMPLES : THE STORIES OF Du CAUSE DE NAZELLE AND DE LAUZUN . .29 CHAPTER IV THE POVERTY OF THE PEOPLE AND THE PROSPERITY OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES . .46 CHAPTER V THE STREETS OF OLD PARIS THE MARAIS AND THE CITE . 55 CHAPTER VI THE HOUSEHOLD OF THE BRINVILLIERS How MARRIAGES WERE ARRANGED GAMBLING AND DISSIPATION A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A WOMAN OF QUALITY . ^t 62 CHAPTER VII AN ADVENTURER FROM GASCONY, GAUDIN DE SAINTE-CROIX His INTRIGUES WITH THE MARQUISE DE BRINVILLIERS " " His ARREST BY LETTRE DE CACHET HE is SENT TO THE BASTILLE . -. .74 x MADAME DE BRINVILLIERS CHAPTER VIII PAGE " LETTRES DE CACHET " WHAT THEY MEANT AND HOW THEY WERE USED . .81 CHAPTER IX DAYS IN THE PRISON OF THE BASTILLE . -93 CHAPTER X THE MYSTERIOUS POISONER EXILI His RAMIFICATIONS ACROSS EUROPE HE is ATTACHED TO THE COURT OF QUEEN CHRISTINA OF SWEDEN 106 PART II THE CRIME CHAPTER XI HOW POISONS WERE MANUFACTURED IN THE SEVEN- TEENTH CENTURY THE EXTRAORDINARY INGREDIENTS METHODS OF POISONING . .117 CHAPTER XII SAINTE-CROIX is LIBERATED FROM THE BASTILLE EXPERI- MENTS IN ALCHEMY THE ELIXIR OF LIFE THE Swiss CHEMIST, CHRISTOPHER GLASER THE H6TEL DIEU DEATH OF DREUX D'AUBRAY . .128 CHAPTER XIII THE FIDELITY OF FRENCH SERVANTS THE ROGUE LA CHAUSSEE THE MARQUISE AND HER BROTHERS THEIR DEATHS A STRANGE HOUSEHOLD . 142 CHAPTER XIV THE MILLIONAIRE PENNAUTIER His RIVALS DIE OF "APOPLEXY" UNEXPECTED DEATH OF SAINTE-CROIX . 151 CHAPTER XV CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS OF SAINTE-CROIX'S END . 159 CONTENTS xi CHAPTER XVI PACK EXAMINATION OF SAINTE-CROIX'S PROPERTY DISCOVERY OF A CASKET OF POISONS AND LETTERS ANXIETY OF PENNAUTIER AND THE MARQUISE DE BRINVILLIERS THE CASKET is OPENED ITS CONTENTS FLIGHT OF THE MARQUISE AND DISAPPEARANCE OF LA CHAUSSEE . 164 PART III THE PUNISHMENT CHAPTER XVII ARREST OF LA CHAUSSEE His TRIAL AND TORTURE CON- FESSION AND DEATH . 181 CHAPTER XVIII THE MARQUISE DE BRINVILLIERS' TRAVELS IN ENGLAND AND HOLLAND THE KING is ANXIOUS FOR HER ARREST, WHICH IS ULTIMATELY EFFECTED AT LlEGE HER CONFESSION AND EFFORTS TO COMMIT SUICIDE . fc . 194 CHAPTER XIX A PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION ARREST OF PENNAUTIER . 206 CHAPTER XX EVIDENCE OF THE TUTOR BRIANCOURT . .221 CHAPTER XXI EXAMINATION OF BRIANCOURT AND OTHER WITNESSES . 246 CHAPTER XXII THE MARQUISE FACES HER JUDGES .... 252 CHAPTER XXIII THE DEFENCE, FIRST PORTION .... 269 CHAPTER XXIV THE DEFENCE, SECOND PORTION ECCLESIASTICAL CON- SIDERATIONS REGARDING HER WRITTEN CONFESSION AND THE SECRECY OF THE CONFESSIONAL . 292 xii MADAME DE BRINVILLIERS CHAPTER XXV pAoa THE ABBE EDME PIROT OF THE SORBONNE . 302 CHAPTER XXVI THURSDAY, i6xn JULY 1676 > ?*-.-. 307 CHAPTER XXVII DURING THE NIGHT ...... 324 CHAPTER XXVIII SEVEN HOURS IN THE TORTURE CHAMBER OF THE CON- CIERGERIE . "'. .328 CHAPTER XXIX PIROT'S LAST CONSOLATIONS IN THE CHAPEL . 340 CHAPTER XXX PUBLIC CONFESSION IN FRONT OF THE CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME ....... 354 CHAPTER XXXI THE EXECUTION ON THE PLACE DE GRKVE THE MARQUISE BECOMES A SAINT ..... 362 CHAPTER XXXII THE EXAMINATION OF PENNAUTIER His RELEASE THE MARQUIS AND HIS FAMILY A CURIOUS DISCOVERY AT OFFMONT ....... 371 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 383 INDEX ........ 385 ILLUSTRATIONS MADAME DE BRINVILLIERS ON HER WAY TO EXECUTION WITH HER CONFESSOR, THE ABBE PIROT. After the drawing by Charles Lebrun in the Louvre . Frontispiece facing p*ft A THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE BEFORE THE FRENCH COURT. After the engraving by Jean Lepautre, dated 1678 . 12 JEAN BAPTISTE COLBERT. After the engraving by R. Nanteuil . 16 NICOLAS FOUQUET. After the engraving by R. Nanteuil . 18 LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE. After the engraving by N'. de Larmessin 22 HENRIETTE D'ANGLETERRE, DUCHESS OF ORLEANS. After the engraving by Grignon ....... 26 ENTRANCE TO THE HOTEL D'AUBRAY, RUE NEUVE SAINT PAUL (NOW No. 12 RUE CHARLES V.), THE RESIDENCE OF THE MARQUISE DE BRINVILLIERS ...... 56 ANTOINE DREUX D'AUBRAY. After the engraving by R. Nanteuil 64 MADAME DE MONTESPAN. After a contemporary engraving . 124 ANTOINE D'AUBRAY, COMTE D'OFFMONT. After the engraving by VaUet 144 PLACE MAUBERT, LOOKING TOWARDS NOTRE DAME. After the etching by Lucien Gautier . .160 VERSAILLES IN 1674. After the engraving by Israel Silvestre . 194 xiv MADAME DE BRINVILLIERS facing jage MICHEL LARCHER, PRESIDENT OF THE COURT OF ACCOUNTS. After the engraving by R. Nanteuil . .250 " " THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE AND TOWERS OF THE PRISON OF THE CONCIERGERIE. After Charles Mtryon's etching, "La Tour " de I'Horloge ........ 308 " " GUILLAUME DE LAMOIGNON, PRESIDENT OF THE PARLEMENT OF PARIS. After the engraving by R.