Episode 24 - The Affair of the Poisons

Poison, black magic, royal mistresses, and murder at the highest levels of French society—welcome to one of the most shocking scandals in French history.

In this episode, we dive into the infamous Affair of the Poisons, the dark conspiracy that gripped Paris and the court of Versailles during the reign of King Louis XIV. What began with the crimes of Marie-Madeleine d'Aubray, the Marquise de Brinvilliers, would unravel a vast network of poisoners, fortune tellers, alchemists, and aristocrats willing to kill for love, money, power, and revenge.

From secret experiments on unsuspecting patients at the Hôtel-Dieu to the calculated murders of family members, Brinvilliers became one of the most notorious serial poisoners of the seventeenth century. Her arrest, trial, and execution exposed a hidden world operating beneath the glittering surface of Parisian society.

But her story was only the beginning.

As investigators followed the trail of poison, they uncovered the activities of the notorious Catherine Monvoisin—better known as La Voisin—a fortune teller whose clientele included some of the most powerful women in France. Accusations of love potions, abortions, occult practices, and the infamous Black Masses soon reached the gates of Versailles itself, threatening to engulf the Sun King's inner circle.

How far did the scandal reach? Was Madame de Montespan, Louis XIV's celebrated mistress, truly involved in dark rituals designed to hold the king's affection? And why were thousands of pages of evidence later destroyed?

Join us as we explore the crimes, trials, and mysteries of the Affair of the Poisons—a tale of ambition, obsession, superstition, and murder that revealed the dangerous underbelly of the Grand Siècle and nearly brought down the court of Versailles.

Transcript

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Bonjour, bonjour, and welcome to episode 24 of Paris in Blue Blanc Rouge. My name is Claudine Hemingway, and I am coming to you from Sweltering Paris. And hopefully, you are not having to also listen to one of my fans running, but I don't think I would get through recording this if I didn't have it on. At least I have it on the floor and it's just basically shooting onto my legs. But it is very hot and very steamy, and we aren't even at the hottest point yet. In the next couple days, it's supposed to be over a hundred degrees. And it's only, I mean, it just literally turned summer this past weekend. So let's hope this isn't a precursor to the rest of what this summer is going to hold for us here in Paris. But if you were coming, you might want to make sure that if you're staying in a hotel that they do also have air conditioning, and make sure you specifically ask if they have it in the rooms, because a lot of times they will just say that the air conditioning in the lobby or in the hallway is their idea of air conditioning. But I always advise a lot of my clients if you are coming, and that's a genuine factor for you, which as of right now it should be for anybody, is you know, if you stay at the ones that are kind of in those American hotel conglomerates like the Hilton and those, they usually do. So those are usually good bets to have. But more and more, and there was actually an article in the paper the other day that the French are turning their changing their tune when it comes to air conditioning, which is if you don't know, they believe that the air conditioning and fans actually make you sick. So I think anybody is would be coming around to it because this is just absolutely crazy. So I wanted to share today the story of a thing that happened here in Paris, and it was called the Affair of the Poisons. And this was something that occurred it this in the 17th century, and it was in the court of Louis XIV as well as in Paris, and it was quite the time to be here. It's almost reads as its own, could be its own movie, and I'll I'll will tell you at the end some uh one one great thing to watch that's kind of dedicated to this whole story. But in the late 17th century, all of Paris and the Court of Versailles were embroiled in the poison affair, and few were immune of its reach, including the Sun King. It all began in 1662 when a gentleman named Gain de Saint-Croix began an affair with Marie Madeleine Drew d'Abray. Marie Madeleine was born on July 22nd, 1630, in Paris to a very influential family. Her father served in the military, and her mother, Marie Olier, was the brother of Jean-Jacques Olier, who created the Society of Saint-Supice. She was the oldest of five children, and her mother died shortly after giving birth to her youngest brother in 1637. She was just seven years old at the time of her passing, and her father expected her to help with her siblings and be in charge of the house. At that same age, she was raped by a neighbor, and at ten, she began having sexual relations with her two younger brothers up to three times a week. Thankfully, she was able to escape the family due to her substantial dowry, and at the old age of 21, on December 20, 1651, in the Église Saint Eustache, Marie Madeleine married Antoine Gobelin, the Marquis de Bonvier, descendant of the family that made their money in fabric, dyeing, and tapestry. The building for the manufacturer still holds their name today at the Gaubelin. The marriage resulted in three children, and Antoine already had four illegitimate ones that she was to care for when he was away as a commander for the regime of Auvergne. They had a high standing in the Marais where they lived and held parties and salons that everyone wanted to attend. Although it all began to quickly slip away due to Antoine's constant gambling, leading him to make a break for it and eventually flee France from his many creditors. In 1662, Mary Madeleine was aware of her husband's infidelity as well as his gambling and began to separate her own family money from him. One evening her husband invited a fellow soldier to their home, Jean-Baptiste Godin de Saint-Croix. Jean-Baptiste and Marie Madeleine began quite the affair shortly after their introduction, around the same time her husband fled in the dark of night. The two lovers did not hide their affair very well. Once her father learned of their relationship, he had Godin locked up in the Bastille for three months in 1663, an action that would later lead to his own death. While there, Godin met Igadie Exali, who was in the Bastille for poisoning the sister-in-law of Pope Innocent X. Godin was already fascinated by chemistry and poisons, and Ex Ali taught him all that he needed to know about creating these tasteless, odorless poisons that could not be detected and would cause a quick death. Exali told him upon his release to visit Christophe Glacer, a master chemist at the Jardin Royal des Plants to get everything he would need. A prison stint couldn't keep these two apart, and as soon as he was released, he was once again at her side and teaching her everything he learned in the bestie. Godin lived at number 5 Rue Hautefoy at the Hotel des Abbesses de Fecamps. They were a short walk to the garden to get their supplies. And a building I once stayed in, and the ceiling leaked in the middle of the night, like poured out water. Maybe it was the ghost. The two would test out their poisons, mixed in with sweet cakes, and take them to the patients at the Hotel d'Eu, where they would track the symptoms, dosage, and length of discomfort before the victim's death. Killing numerous people in their research just for the thrill of it, it is not known just how many were killed, but the list could be quite long. Mary Madeline took what she learned and tried it out on her father on September 10th, 1666, killing him. And a few years later in 1670, her two brothers, Antoine and Francois, and his sister were also victims. Although their fractured relationship after years of abuse left them a bit distrustful of their sister, Mary Madeline was able to place a trusted footman, Jean Amelin de Le Chausse, into the household to slowly poison and kill her brothers. The death of her sister followed later as a way to knock out all obstructions to get her her full inheritance. Saint Croix also became concerned for her own life and began to document and make notes of her actions and even take evidence of her crimes and lock it away in a red leather box. A note was left that if anything was ever to happen to him before she herself died to go look inside this red leather box. Unfortunately for Marie Madeleine, he died of natural causes on July 31, 1672, and it set off the affair of the poisons. Upon his death, he left a long list of creditors seeking payment and demanded that the king intervene. A search was authorized of his property, and the note was discovered a week after his death on August 8th. His trusted valet, Jean Amelin de la Chausse, was brought in for questioning and he corroborated all the mysterious evidence in the red box. His actions led to his own demise when he was sentenced to death and killed on March 24, 1673. Upon the death of Saint Croix and the discovery of his letters, Marie Madeleine quickly left for London and frequently moved throughout northern France, but was finally caught in 1676 in Liège, Belgium. Charged with murder and absentia in 1673, a few determined investigators kept looking for her. One even dressed up as a priest and infiltrated the convent and waited for his moment to arrest her and bring her back to Paris on April 17, 1676. On April 26, the questioning and torture began. At first she pleaded her innocence, although a letter in her own hand was filled with her endless admission to crimes. Although she later told Madame de Sauvigner that she wrote the letter under a high fever. Her torture included water cure, which was pouring gallons of water from a tube into her mouth that could often end in a quick death. Think of a beer bong without an off switch. She admitted to killing her brother and her father. A second trial began on April 29th and culminated on July 14th, with Madame de Sauvigny in the front row taking notes on everything that was said. Sauvigner, the lady of letters, was born in 1626 in the Place des Vosges, spending time at the Court of Versailles. Her daughter Francoise could have been a victim if she had spent any more time under the watchful gaze of Louis XIV. Francoise married Francois de Grignon and left Paris on April 19, 1678, thereby beginning the letters that would document all of Parisian society. It was discovered in 1669 that Marie Madeleine attempted to kill Jean-Baptiste Colbert twice on February 18th and again on May 5th. He was a close member of the court of Louis XIV and the chief minister of state, but this was nothing compared to what the court at Versailles would soon endure. When Henriette of England, wife of Philippe I, Duke d'Orléans, and brother of Louis XIV, died on June 30, 1670, it is believed that the poison came from Mary Madeline. A glass of chicory was given to Henriette by the Knight of Lorraine, who was also the lover of her husband and wanted her out of the way. Later that day, she died at 26 years old. Upon her death, an autopsy revealed that she died from suspicious causes, and that remains to this day. The entire ordeal captured the attention of all of Paris. The day's documenter, Madame de Savnier, gives us the most detailed account. Assassination is the safest. It is a trifle compared to the eight months of killing of her father and receiving all his caresses and sweetness when she always responded with doubling the dose. Alexander Dumas also noted all the details of the trial and used them in his books. On July 16, 1676, Mary Madeleine met her final fate at the Place de Graves, now the Place de Hotel de Ville. Beheaded and burned on a stake, her ashes were tossed into the Paris wind. Sauvignier said that never has a city been so aroused, so intent on a spectacle. She also remarked that the Paris now had inhaled her evil and that it would return in the next seven years. As Mary Madeleine was taken to her short way of death, she said, Out of so many people, must I be the only one to be put to death? Half the people in Paris are involved in this sort of thing, and I could ruin them if I were to talk. When news reached the king, he ordered an investigation. Louis XIV appointed Gabrielle Nicolas de la Reigner, the lieutenant general of the police, to create a group to look into these allegations. He never knew how close to home it would get. Renier first went to every alchemist in and around Paris, which led him to the poisoners, and in no time he was at the door of a woman named Catherine Des Montvoissant. Catherine was born in 1640 and married Antoine Montvoissant, a Paris jeweler. They had one daughter, Marie Marguerite, who would later turn against her own mother. Catherine was first just a palm reader and a fortune teller, but that would quickly lead to potions and poison making and performing abortions. Aphrodisiacs were her gateway drug, providing to the many women of society used to arouse their spouses, made with everything from chocolate to cocaine, clothes, and cannabis, and turned into a paste that could be rubbed on their intended love interest. Madame Monvoisson developed quite a fan base and women of all ranks in society lined up at her door each day. Her practice began to expand into the darker arts. One of the most horrific acts during this time was called the Black Mass, a practice that had been around for centuries, but wasn't given a name until the 17th century. Another woman who loved to dabble in the occult world, Catherine de Medici, was known to hold a Black Mass on May 28, 1574. During the time of the poison affair, a former fallen priest, Etienne Guard, revived the practice in Paris with Montvoissant in 1673. It is not for the faint of heart to hear, and the practice involves killing of a baby, which Montvoissant was never short of. In 1658, Madame de Montespan was a lady in waiting to Henriette d'Angleterre, the wife of the king's brother, Philippe d'Orléans. The beautiful Henriette and Louis XIV had a very close relationship, sharing an affection for music, parties, and the finer things in life. The TV show Versailles depicts these two in a very, very close relationship. However, there hasn't been any proof that the two were sexually involved. It was sending the fox into the hen house, and after the birth of the king's illegitimate child, Louise left the court of Edmontespin moved into her place. Lavoisin and Montespan first met in 1665 when she asked for a love potion to use on the king to attract his attention. The affair between the king and Montespan began in May of 1667. Over the next 11 years, she gave birth to seven children with the king. All but one survived to adulthood. In the final years, Montespan's seven pregnancy took their toll and she became a little bit rounder. And the king turned his eyes to some of the younger members of court. Living in the glowing rays of the Sun King always came to an end for any of his mistresses, and Montespan wasn't going to go quietly. The black mass became well known throughout Paris after Montvoisin's arrest, and everyone would learn the truth about her most famous client. In 1672, Guibor and La Voisson, as she came to be known, found an empty chateau near Orleans, and Madame de Montespan paid them a visit. Montespan lay on a stone slab, completely naked, with her arms out like a cross and holding candles in each hand. Gibor placed a silver chalice on her belly and above her holding a baby that would bleed into the chalice. Montespan had to then chant, Asmodet, Prince of Love, I beg you to accept the sacrifice of this child. In exchange, I would keep the king's affection, the favor of the princess at the court, and the satisfaction of all his desires. The ritual was held three times in 1673, 1677, and 1679. Her sexual relationship with the king ended in 1678, but she remained at court for all of her children until it came to a crashing halt on May 17, 1769. On a sunny afternoon, La Boisson was walking out of the church and was arrested by the Inspector Rainier. Although she was quite adept at the dark art, she was a very devoted member of the church and a high priestess. Believing her powers and actions were bestowed upon her by God, she easily walked away with the lieutenant, thinking she'd done nothing wrong. Her abilities were widely known, and every morning people lined up outside her door to see her for one of many reasons. At the time, women had little to no rights, especially over their own bodies, and were happy to pay her the fortune to alleviate a pregnancy, making her a very wealthy woman. An inspection of her home on the Rue Beauregard in the second, authorized by her daughter, found more than 2,500 babies buried in the backyard. The court of the Chambre d'Attemps was held in the arsenal in front of 13 magistrates interrogating hundreds of prisoners. Experts included doctors who were on hand to help delve into the chemistry, poison terminology, and evidence. The windows were covered with dark cloth as all of Paris watched day and night for the glimpse of the men and women being brought in. The investigation, known as the Chambre d'Arton, lasted over three years and resulted in a significant outcome. 442 people were accused, of which 319 were subpoenaed. 194 people were arrested, and 36 were executed, and twice as many committed suicide. Among these were a few closely associated with La Voisson. Francois Philestre was arrested in 1680 and confirmed the involvement of Etienne Gobord and the black masses. Francoise was sentenced to life in prison and died in 1686, but her testimony would lead to the incrimination of Montespan. After Voisson's arrest, Montespan had contacted Philestre to supply her with a poison to use at court. Francois de Drou was of noble birth and married to a high-ranking member of the Parliament of Paris. However, she was in love with Armand Jean Duplacé, the Duc de Richelieu, and she killed her husband so she could be with her lover. Arrested and brought to trial for another man, Monsieur Pajot, she was accused of also ordering the poison to kill her lover's wife, Anne de Richelieu. She was later acquitted, but another woman would bring it all back to light. Marguerite Jolie was just as skilled and successful as La Voisson. Arrested, she was subject to water torture and gave up the names of many of her clients, including Francois de Drew, who thought she was in the clear. Drew was going to be arrested, but managed to flee France before she could be found. Marguerite LaFerrand was a wife of a judge whom she didn't like very much. She, like Drew, killed her husband so she could marry her lover, de Prade. De Prade was only after her money, and so she needed to kill him as well. She was arrested and exiled. Not everyone went to the stake. Marie Broce was known as the first poisoner arrested in the Roundup and pointed her finger at Voisson. One night at a party, after a bit too much wine, LaBrosse bragged to everyone how much money she had due to selling poison to every woman in Paris who wanted to kill her husband or lover. Someone at the party reported back to Inspector Renier, and Bros was arrested as well as her daughter and sons. Marie LaBrosse met her fate at the Place de Graves on May 8, 1679. Another Marguerite, Marguerite de Poulelon, obtained poison from Marie Brosse to kill her husband, Alexander, but he survived and was able to hand over to the police. Her beauty saved her from the same fate as many of the other women, and when Renier heard of her lenient sentence of exile, he stepped in and had her sent to work at a holding house for former prostitutes in Angers, where she would spend the rest of her life. In 1678, the investigation was pointing in many directions to Louis XIV and the court of Versailles. The evidence had mounted, and it was discovered that Louis XIV had been poisoned for 13 years. The Sun King ordered Rainier to only make notes on an unattached paper so it could be destroyed. On July 13, 1709, 29 volumes of evidence were destroyed in a fire, much of it all against Montespan. But we now have the notes of Madame de Semigner, and the files of Rainier are still in the prefecture of Paris. The British TV show Versailles, season two, is all about the poison affair, and it's loosely based on the facts, but it's fun nonetheless. The character Madame Agas serves the role that would have been closer to Madame Lavoisson. In episode 9, they actually perform a black mass, and it's not for the faint of heart. It is right now, currently, you could stream it for free on the Tubi channel, and they have all three seasons, and they're all three seasons are great. You know, you kind of you don't want to use it for exact historical accuracy, but you know, it's it is loosely based on it and it is fun, and a lot of it is filmed at Versailles, at Volivicamp, and around different places around Paris. So it is really great, and you can see it on Tubi for actually free. But anyway, that was the story of the crazy affair of the poisons um that just rocked Paris. But it is interesting that once they it gets close to Louis the 14th, it all kind of stops, and all of the files and anything that were related to it disappear. Things that still happen in 2026. Anyway, thank you guys for joining me. I am going to continue sweating to death and sit in between two fans and hope that this is over soon, but next week should be much better. And I have another one, another episode that I'm working on that'll be either out next week or the week after. That's about one very significant event that happened in tied to France and is depicted in a painting that is held inside the Louvre. Until then, I will see you later. And if you're coming to Paris, reach out to get assistance in planning your trip or book a walking tour. And you can find it all at ClaudineHemingway.com.