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be living , that it might be burnt * Perhaps had it not been for this singular petition the box would not have been opened ; but on that being done , a great quantity of poisons of every kind was found , with labels on them as to their effects . The casket was of course refused the marchioness , on her demanding it ; and as she failed to bribe the officer of justice , she fled the kingdom . La Chaussee , however , confessed to more acts of villany than were suspected , and was broken
On the wheel in 1673 . Desgrais , a very active officer of justice , was sent in search of the marchioness , who was found in a convent at Liege . To entice her from hence— -it being a sacred sanctuary—Desgrais assumed the dress of an abbe , acted the part of a lover , and , having engaged her to go out on an excursion of pleasure , arrested her . Among her effects was found a full confession of all her crimes . Notwithstanding all her attempts to escape she was brought to Paris , where she amused herself while in prison with playing picquet . When condemned and brought to the place of execution ( 16 th July , 1676 ) , she exclaimed , in a contemptuous manner , to the immense crowd assembled , " Ton have come to see a fine spectacle ! " She was
beheaded , and afterwards burnt . As she had been deceived by hopes of pardon , she cried , on mounting the scaffold , Cest done tout de bon /" By the execution of the Marchioness de Brinvilliers the practice of poisoning was far from suppressed , and therefore for the purpose of preventing its spread , there was established a court called the Chambre Ardente , in 1679 . Besides others , it detected two women ,
named La Vigoureux and La Yoisin , the latter of which was a midwife . Both of them pretended to foretell future events , to call up ghosts , discover hidden treasures , & c , and also distributed philtres , and sold secret poison to those who wished to get rid of troublesome
husbands . Many came , merely to know when a husband , lover , or a mistress would die ; and the two wretches kept a list of dupes , among
whom were found the Countess de Soissons , the Duchess de Bouillon , and the Marshal de Luxembourg . The first fled to Planders , the second was saved by the help of her friends ; and the latter , after being months in the Bastille , was declared innocent . La Vigoureux and La Voisin were burnt alive ( February 22 nd , 1680 ) , after their hands had been burnt through with a red-hot iron and cut off . Several
* This request was as follows : — " I humbly beg that those into whose hands this box may fall will do me the favour to deliver it into the hands only of the Marchioness de Brinvilliers , who resides in the street Neuve St . Paul , as every thing it contains concerns her and belongs to her alone ; and as besides there is nothing in it that can be of use to any person except her ; and in case she shall be dead before me , burn it and every thing it contains , without opening
or altering anything ; and , in order that no one may plead ignorance , I swear by the God whom I adore and by all that is most sacred , that I advance nothing but what is true . A iid if my intentions , just and reasonable as they are , be thwarted on this point , I charge their consciences with it , both in this world and the next , in order that 1 may unload mine , protesting that this is my last will . Done at Paris , this 25 th May , in the afternoon , 1672 . —De Saintjg Croix . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Untitled Article
be living , that it might be burnt * Perhaps had it not been for this singular petition the box would not have been opened ; but on that being done , a great quantity of poisons of every kind was found , with labels on them as to their effects . The casket was of course refused the marchioness , on her demanding it ; and as she failed to bribe the officer of justice , she fled the kingdom . La Chaussee , however , confessed to more acts of villany than were suspected , and was broken
On the wheel in 1673 . Desgrais , a very active officer of justice , was sent in search of the marchioness , who was found in a convent at Liege . To entice her from hence— -it being a sacred sanctuary—Desgrais assumed the dress of an abbe , acted the part of a lover , and , having engaged her to go out on an excursion of pleasure , arrested her . Among her effects was found a full confession of all her crimes . Notwithstanding all her attempts to escape she was brought to Paris , where she amused herself while in prison with playing picquet . When condemned and brought to the place of execution ( 16 th July , 1676 ) , she exclaimed , in a contemptuous manner , to the immense crowd assembled , " Ton have come to see a fine spectacle ! " She was
beheaded , and afterwards burnt . As she had been deceived by hopes of pardon , she cried , on mounting the scaffold , Cest done tout de bon /" By the execution of the Marchioness de Brinvilliers the practice of poisoning was far from suppressed , and therefore for the purpose of preventing its spread , there was established a court called the Chambre Ardente , in 1679 . Besides others , it detected two women ,
named La Vigoureux and La Yoisin , the latter of which was a midwife . Both of them pretended to foretell future events , to call up ghosts , discover hidden treasures , & c , and also distributed philtres , and sold secret poison to those who wished to get rid of troublesome
husbands . Many came , merely to know when a husband , lover , or a mistress would die ; and the two wretches kept a list of dupes , among
whom were found the Countess de Soissons , the Duchess de Bouillon , and the Marshal de Luxembourg . The first fled to Planders , the second was saved by the help of her friends ; and the latter , after being months in the Bastille , was declared innocent . La Vigoureux and La Voisin were burnt alive ( February 22 nd , 1680 ) , after their hands had been burnt through with a red-hot iron and cut off . Several
* This request was as follows : — " I humbly beg that those into whose hands this box may fall will do me the favour to deliver it into the hands only of the Marchioness de Brinvilliers , who resides in the street Neuve St . Paul , as every thing it contains concerns her and belongs to her alone ; and as besides there is nothing in it that can be of use to any person except her ; and in case she shall be dead before me , burn it and every thing it contains , without opening
or altering anything ; and , in order that no one may plead ignorance , I swear by the God whom I adore and by all that is most sacred , that I advance nothing but what is true . A iid if my intentions , just and reasonable as they are , be thwarted on this point , I charge their consciences with it , both in this world and the next , in order that 1 may unload mine , protesting that this is my last will . Done at Paris , this 25 th May , in the afternoon , 1672 . —De Saintjg Croix . "