{{short description|17th century murder scandal in France}} {{Use British English|date=June 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} [[File:Catherine Deshayes (Monvoisin, dite «La Voisin») 1680.jpg|thumb|Catherine Deshayes, "''La Voisin''{{-"}}, 17th-century print of her portrait held by a winged devil]] [[File:Gabriel-Nicolas de la Reynie.jpg|thumb|right|Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie (1625–1709), 17th century print by Mignard]] [[File:MarieMadeleinedAubray.jpg|thumb|right|Marie Madeleine Marguerite d'Aubray, Marquise of Brinvilliers, 1676, after her imprisonment, portrait by Charles LeBrun]] [[File:Madame de Montespan Pierre Mignard Studio.JPG|thumb|right|Madame de Montespan]]
The '''Affair of the Poisons''' ({{langx|fr|affaire des poisons}}, {{IPA|fr|afɛʁ de pwazɔ̃|pron}}) was a major murder scandal in France during the reign of King Louis XIV. Between 1677 and 1682, 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 the execution of 36 people.<ref name="Somerset, Anne">{{Cite book |last=Somerset |first=Anne |title=The affair of the poisons: murder, infanticide, and Satanism at the court of Louis XIV |date=2004 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=978-0-312-33017-0 |location=New York}}</ref>
== 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 de Brinvilliers, who was accused of having conspired with de Sainte-Croix 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. 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. 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 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 led to accusations of witchcraft, murder and more.
Authorities rounded up a number of fortune tellers and alchemists who were suspected of selling not only divinations, séances and aphrodisiacs, 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'', who was arrested in 1679 after she was incriminated by the poisoner Marie Bosse. La Voisin implicated several important courtiers. These included Olympia Mancini, the Countess of Soissons, her sister, the Duchess of Bouillon, François Henri de Montmorency, Duke of Luxembourg and, most importantly, the king's mistress, Madame de Montespan.
Questioned while intoxicated,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ravaisson-Mollien |first=François Nicolas Napoléon |title=Archives de la Bastille |publisher=Paris, A. Durand et Pedone-Lauriel |year=1866}}</ref> La Voisin claimed that Montespan had bought aphrodisiacs and performed black masses with her in order to gain and keep the king's favour over rival lovers. She had worked with a priest named Étienne Guibourg. 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.<ref>{{cite book |first=Eleanor |last=Herman |title=Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GFiou8-zsPYC&pg=PP1 |date=2009 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-006175155-4 |page=113}}</ref> 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 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. 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.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}
== 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 the publicity of such scandal. To this, Police Chief Reynie said "the enormity of their crimes proved their safeguard."<ref name="Somerset, Anne"/>
== 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, 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.<ref name="Somerset, Anne"/> Of the condemned, 36 were executed; five were sentenced to the galleys and 23 to exile.<ref name="Somerset, Anne"/> This excludes those who died in custody by torture or suicide.<ref name="Somerset, Anne"/> Additionally, many accused were never brought to trial, but placed outside of the justice system and imprisoned for life by a ''lettre de cachet''.<ref name="Somerset, Anne"/>
Of the people who were condemned 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 {{ill|St André de Salins|fr|Fort Saint-André (Salins-les-Bains)}}; and five women at {{ill|Fort-les-Bains|fr}}.<ref name="Somerset, Anne"/>
=== 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.
{| class="wikitable" |+ The fate of non-clients in the Poison Affair |- ! Name !! Role !! Punishment/Fate |- | Roger, Siegneur de Bachimont | alchemist, associate of Louis de Vanens | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at St. André de Salins |- | Marie de Bachimont | alchemist, associate of Louis de Vanens, spouse of Roger de Bachimont | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at St. André de Salins. |- | Mathurin Barenton | poisoner | executed in September 1681 |- | La Belliére, Madame | fortune teller | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet |- | François Belot | Member of the royal guard, poisoner, associate of La Bosse | executed in June 1679 |- | Martine Bergerot | fortune teller | |- | Bertrand, Monsieur | poisoner, associate of La Voisin and Romain | 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, poisoner | burned at the stake 8 May 1679 |- | Marie Bouffet | abortion care provider, associate of Marguerite Joly | hanged in December 1681 |- | Pierre Cadelan | associate of Vanens | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet (d. September 1684) |- | Jeanne Chanfrain | lover of Guibourg, provider of child sacrifices for black masses | executed in 1681 |- | Magdelaine Chapelain | fortune teller, associate of Filastre | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer (1658-d. June 1724); the last condemned to die, of those whose date of death is known |- | Anne Cheron (fruit seller) | poisoner, associate of La Bosse | executed in June 1679 |- | Jacques Cotton | priest and officiate at black masses, associate of La Voisin | executed by burning in 1680 |- | P. Dalmas, Monsieur | alchemist and poisoner, associate of La Chaboissiere | sent to a workhouse. |- | Gilles Davot | priest and officiate at black masses, associate of La Voisin | executed in 1681 |- | Etienne Debray | poisoner, 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) | magician and poison producer | executed in 1681 |- | La Deslauriers, Madame | poisoner |- | Louison Desloges | associate of Marguerite Joly | hanged in December 1681 |- | Perrette Dodée, "La Dodée" | poisoner | committed suicide in prison |- | Louise Dusoulcye | poisoner, lover of Dalmas | |- | Françoise Filastre | poisoner | executed in 1680 |- | La Jacob, Madame | fortune teller | associate of La Voisin |- | Philippe Galet | poison producer | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Besançon |- | Anne Guesdon, Mme Guesdon | poisoner, associate of Godin de Sainte-Croix and Madame de Brinvilliers | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Villefranche (1640–d. 15 August 1717) |- | Étienne Guibourg | priest and officiate at the black masses, associate of La Voisin | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Besançon |- | La Hebert, Madame | lotion producer for La Voisin |- | Marguerite Joly | fortune teller, poisoner | executed by burning in December 1681 |- | Latour (stonemason) | magician and poison producer, associate of la Voisin | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Salces |- | Catherine Lepère | abortion care provider | executed in June 1679 |- | Adam Lesage | magician, 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 Chaboissere and Le Vanens | executed in April 1680 |- | Margot (servant of la Voisin) | | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at St. André de Salins |- | François Mariotte (abbe) | priest and officiate and black masses, associate of la Voisin and Lesage | died in prison in 1682 |- | Anne Meline | poisoner, associate of Marguerite Joly | hanged in December 1681 |- | François Boucher, Vicomte de Montemayor | astrologer of the Duke de 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, poisoner and poison producer | executed in September 1681 |- | Romani | poisoner, associate of La Voisin | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Besançon |- | La Pelletier, Madame | fortune teller and love potion producer, provider of child sacrifices, associate of La Voisin | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer |- | Maitre Pierre | poisoner producer | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet |- | Anne Poligny | poisoner | executed in July 1681 |- | La Poignard, Madame | provided a child sacrifice for a black mass | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet |- | La Poulain, Madame | associate of La Voisin | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer |- | Catherine Trianon | astrologer, poisoner, associate of La Voisin | committed suicide in prison in early 1681 |- | La Salomond, Madame | poisoner | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet |- | Denise Sandosme | poisoner | executed by hanging in July 1681 |- | Louis de Vanens | alchemist | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at St. André de Salins, (d. December 1691) |- | Monsieur and Madame Marie Vautier | poison producers of la Voisin | perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet |- | Marie Vigoreaux, née Vaudon | poisoner, associate of La Bosse | died under torture in May 1679 |- | La Voisin | fortune teller, poisoner | burned at the stake 22 February 1680 |- | Jean Bartholominat, La Chaboissiere | poison producer, poisoner, valet of Louis de Vanens | the last executed in the Affair of the Poisons 16 July 1682 |- |}
=== 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. {| class="wikitable" |+ The fate of clients in the Poison Affair |- ! Name !! Appointee !! Punishment/Fate |- | Benigne de Meaux de Fouilloux, Marquise d'Alluye | La Voisin | fled country to avoid trial; was later allowed to return |- | Pierre Bonnard, secretary of duc de Luxembourg | Lesage | condemned to the galleys in May 1680 |- | Marie Brissart | La Voisin and Lesage | fined and exiled |- | Marie de Broglio, Marquise de Canilhac | La Voisin | never brought to trial |- | Anne Carada | Deschault and Debray | executed 25 June 1681 |- | Louis de Guilhem de Castelnau, marquis de Cessac | Lesage | fled country to avoid trial; returned in 1691 |- | Mme Cottard | Lesage | admonished and fined |- | Mme Desmaretz | Lesage | fined |- | Françoise de Dreux | La Voisin | exiled from the capital, but the exile was never enforced |- | Madeleine d’Angennes, Marechale de la Ferté (d. 1720) | La Voisin | discharged |- | Antoine de Pas, Marquis de Feuquieres (d. 1711) | La Voisin | never brought to trial |- | Marie, Madame Ferry | La Voisin | executed in May 1679 |- | Marguerite Leféron | La Voisin | exiled from the capital and fined |- | Mme Lescalopier | Poligny and Sandosme | left country to avoid trial, executed in absentia 16 July 1681 |- | Jean Maillard | Moreau | executed in February 1682 |- | Olympe Mancini, Comtesse de Soissons | La Voisin | exiled |- | Marie Anne Mancini, Duchesse de Bouillon | La Voisin | banishment to the provinces |- | François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg | La Voisin | freed |- | Marquise de Montespan | La Voisin | never tried |- | Catherine Philbert, also known as Madame Brunet | La Voisin | hanged |- | Jacqueline du Roure, vicomtesse de Polignac (d. 1720) | La Voisin and Lesage | fled country to avoid trial; returned 1686 but banished from the capital |- | Marguerite de Poulaillon | Marie Bosse | imprisoned in a convent |- | Claude Marie d'Artigny, comtesse du Roure | La Voisin and Lesage | discharged in March 1680, but banished from the capital |- | Marie Louise Charlotte, Princesse de Tingry | La Voisin | discharged |- | Marie Vertemart | La Voisin | sentenced to a workhouse |- | Antoinette de Mesmes, duchesse de Vivonne | La Voisin and Filastre | never brought to trial |- |}
== 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.<ref name="Somerset, Anne"/>
== In popular culture == In 1907 French writer Victorien Sardou 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. Marjorie Bowen'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: ''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 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'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 * Angel Makers of Nagyrév
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Further reading ==
=== Text === * {{cite book |first=Lynn Wood |last=Mollenauer |title=Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, and Sacrilege in Louis XIV's France |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=97tE0zaZStsC |date=2007 |series=Magic in History Series |publisher=Penn State Press |isbn=978-0-271-02915-3}} * {{cite book |first=Éric |last=Le Nabour |title=La Reynie: Le policier de Louis XIV (Présence de lhistoire) |publisher=Perrin |year=1990 |isbn=978-2-262-00806-2 }} * {{cite book |first=Frances |last=Mossiker |title=The Affair of the Poisons: Louis XIV, Madame de Montespan, and one of History's great Unsolved Mysteries |url=https://archive.org/details/affairofpoisonsl00moss |url-access=registration |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=1969 |isbn=0-7221-6245-6 }} * [https://www.angelfire.com/az3/synagogasatanae/zacharias.htm Excerpts from Bastille trial records of Guibourg and LaVoisin] (French and English translation)
=== Fiction === * {{cite book |first=Judith Merkle |last=Riley |title=The Oracle Glass |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UfXeCgAAQBAJ |date=2012 |type=Fiction |publisher=Sourcebooks |isbn=978-1-4022-7059-8}} * {{cite book |first=Karen |last=Charbonneau |title=The Wolf's Sun: Intrigue in 17th Century Brittany and Paris |publisher=Ship's Cat Books |type=Fiction |year=2010 |isbn=978-0692749111 }}
=== Video === * {{cite video |series=Royal Secrets |volume=2 |title=Madmen / Murderers / Sorcery / Warmongers |year=1996 |publisher=Discovery Channel |asin=B000CNT8MQ}} {{Witch Hunt}}
Category:1677 in France Category:1682 in France Category:1670s in France Category:1680s in France Category:17th century in Paris Category:Affair of the Poisons Category:Politics of the ancien régime Category:Law of the ancien régime Category:1677 murders Category:1682 murders Category:1670s murders Category:1680s murders Poison affair Poison affair Category:Serial murders in France