The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV (76 page)

La Fare, Charles Auguste, Marquis de

Lafayette, Marie Madeleine de la Vergne, Comtesse de

La Ferté, Henri François, Duc de

La Ferté, Madeleine, Maréchale de

La Ferté, Marie Isabelle, Duchesse de

Lafrasse, Benoist Robin de

La Grange, Magdelaine de: arrested and interrogated; tried and sentenced; acquaintances; hanged; supplies poison to la Bosse and la Voisin; Mme de Dreux requests poison from; warns of plot against Louis; friendship with Demoiselle Robert; probable poisoning of M. Faurye

Lalande, François

Lamoignon, Guillaume

lansguenet
(game)

La Queue, Bernard de Prez, Seigneur de

la Regnault (eau-de-vie seller)

La Reynie, Nicolas-Gabriel de: name; on poisonings by upper-classes; on
hoca
(game); background and career; interrogates Mme de La Grange; role in Affair of the Poisons; and early arrests; on divineresses; takes charge of case of Mmes Vigoreux, Voisin and Bosse; on Mme de Poulaillon’s sentence; on punishment of guilty; on Lesage and la Voisin; and Lesage’s testimony; reports read out to Louis; supposed collaboration on play
The Divineress;
and charges against Comtesse de Soissons; and evidence against Luxembourg; orders Luxembourg moved in Bastille; questions Princesse de Tingry; interrogates Duchesse de Bouillon; questions Mme la Ferté; interrogates Feuquières; interrogates Comtesse du Roure; Louis supports; interrogates la Voisin; Luxembourg denied legal action against; Mme de Sévigné disparages; interest in la Filastre; on Magdelaine Chapelain; and Guibourg; and reported infanticides; suspects Mme de Montespan; on Marie Montvoisin; and la Voisin’s petition to Louis; and la Voisin’s secret source of wealth; questions Marie Montvoisin; interviews Romani; and accusations against Mme de Montespan; and la Filastre’s evidence; memoranda to Louvois on difficulties of evidence; prepares case against poison suspects; and Mlle des Oeillets’ poison plot against Louis; on prisoners’ contacts at Vincennes; and Louis’ orders to end enquiries; Louis seeks advice from; and reported attempt to kill Colbert; and further death plot against Louis; draws up list of prisoners to be freed; and Mlle des Oeillets’ supposed fate; and treatment of untried suspects after dissoluition of
Chambre;
later career and death; believes in widespread poisoning; on child sacrifice; advocates regulations against fortune-tellers

La Rivière, ‘Marquis’ de

La Rochefoucauld, François, Duc de

Latour (stonemason, lover of la Voisin)

La Trappe, Armand Jean Le Bouthillier de Rancé de, Abbot of

Lauzun, Antoine Nompar de Caumont, Duc (
earlier
Comte) de

La Vallière, Jean François Le Blanc de La Baume, Marquis de

La Vallière, Louise de (
later
Duchesse de Vaujour): name; as Louis’ mistress; character and appearance; supposed poison plots against; children by Louis; supplanted by Mme de Montespan; created Duchesse de Vaujours; recalled by Louis; religious faith; joins Carmelite Order; Comtesse de Soissons’ jealousy of; Comtesse de Soissons’ supposed threat to; friendship with Comtesse du Roure; Mme de Montespan plots against; on corrupting effect of court

Le Boultz family

Le Boultz (
Conseiller
in Paris
Parlement
)

Leféron, Jerome

Leféron, Mme Marguerite (
later
de Prade): M. de Prade contrives marriage with; and death of first husband; arrested; and Mme de Poulaillon’s interrogation; la Voisin on; denies arranging Lesage’s release; la Leroux testifies against; tried, fined and banished

Lemaire (Mme Vertemart’s brother)

Lemoine, Jean

Le Nôtre, André

Le Paultre, Antoine

Lepère, Catherine (midwife)

Leroux, Jeanne

Leroy, Catherine

Leroy (miller)

Leroy (official in royal stables)

Lesage (Adam du Coeuret): allegations against Mme de Montespan; relations with la Voisin; background and character; Duchesse de Vivonne applies to for help; tried, sentenced to galleys and freed; professional practices; defends actions; allegations and denunciations against others; accuses Luxembourg; meets Luxembourg and Feuquières; accuses Duchesse de Bouillon; denies having Comtesse du Roure as client; accuses Mme de Vivonne; accuses Blessis; and la Voisin’s petition to Louis; accuses la Filastre; implicates Mlle des Oeillets; La Reynie interrogates; and Mlle des Oeillets’ poison plot against Louis; identifies Mlle des Oeillets; complicity with Marie Montvoisin and Guibourg in Vincennes; Colbert suggests prosecuting for slander; and Louis’ ending of enquiry; imprisoned for life; attempts to make further disclosures from prison; fate unknown

Lescalopier, Mme

Le Tellier, Michel

Levasseur, Mme

Le Vau, Louis

Lewis, W.H.

Lionne, Hugues de

Lira, Don Emmanuel de

Locke, John

London: Great Fire (1666)

Longueville, Charles d’Orléans, Duc de (
earlier
Comte de Saint-Pol)

Lorges, Guy de Durfort, Maréchal de

Lorraine, Charles, Duc de

Lorraine, Philippe, Chevalier de

Louis XIV, King of France: fear of poisoning; arrests Exili; and Mme de Brinvilliers’ arrest and execution; and accusations against Pennautier; Pennautier attends court; court at Versailles; authority and
gloire;
and peace with Holland; develops Versailles; patronage; on court protocol and etiquette; and gambling; character and bearing; distaste for homosexuality; depressions and health problems; kept informed; not superstitious; sycophancy and flattery for; attitude to Paris; security arrangements and assassination fears; marriage relations; relations with women; religious observance; immoral influence; illegitimate children; prejudices against people; and attack on Flanders; travel demands on companions; recalls Louise de La Vallière; and Mme de la Vallière’s retirement to convent; legitimises children by Mme de Montespan; anxieties over M. de Montespan; renounces and resumes with Mme de Montespan; campaigns against Dutch; relations with Mme de Maintenon; travels; fear of devil; and trial of Mme de La Grange; and case of Mmes Bosse and Vigoreux; informed of naming of Mme de Dreux; and sentencing of well-born suspects; and Mlle des Oeillets; urges prosecution of justice; and death of Henriette-Anne; intervenes in arrest of Comtesse de Soissons; relations with Mme de Soissons; orders Alluye to Amboise; consents to marriage of Mme de Polignac’s son; and Mme de Polignac; pardons Cessac; refuses Duchesse de Luxembourg permission to visit husband; on Duchesse de Bouillon’s promiscuity; exasperated by Mme de Bouillon; extends pension to Feuquières’ son; kindness to Comtesse du Roure; authorises persecutions; ostracises then reinstates Luxembourg; la Voisin attempts to petition; murder plot against; and accusations against Mme de Montespan; defers arrest of Mme de Vivonne; considers la Filastre’s testimony; and Mme de Montespan’s participation in black mass; and allegations against Mme de Montespan; consults with advisers over course of action; decides to end enquiries; further death plot reported and investigated; appoints Termes a Valet de Chambre; disbands
Chambre Ardente;
on treatment of untried suspects after dissolution of
Chambre;
and Bachimonts’ attempts to make further disclosures; treatment of Mme de Montespan after affair; marries Mme de Maintenon; reaction to Mme de Montespan’s death; and burning of
Chambre Ardente
records; succession to; and international effect of poison trials; moral reforms; on genuineness of poison threats; supports
Chambre Ardente; Memoirs; Reflections on the calling of a King

Louis XV, King of France

Louis, Dauphin (Louis XIV’s son; ‘Monseigneur’; ‘le Grand Dauphin’): and kingship; upbringing; survives to adulthood; relations with father; betrothal; poison threats against; and Mme de Montespan’s participation in black mass; death

Louvet, Sieur de

Louvigny, Antoine Charles, Comte de

Louvois, François-Michel Le Tellier, Marquis de: on Pennautier; and war with Holland; belief in second-sight; keeps mistress; and Louis XIV’s security; acts against Montespan; background and career; character and behaviour; and interrogation of Mme de La Grange; and Vanens-Cadelan money transfer; and early arrests; Vanens offers alchemical secrets to; and case of Mmes Vigoreux and Bosse; pursues de Broglios; on la Voisin’s confessions; investigates freeing of Lesage from galleys; writes to Louis on Lesage’s testimony; and accusations against Feuquières; Luxembourg’s relations with; and Lesage’s testimony; superstitions; and accusations against Racine; on Louis’ reaction to accusations; reassures Robert; and accusations against Comtesse de Soissons; Luxembourg requests to arrest Bonnard; and accusations against Luxembourg; role in cases deplored; La Reynie supports; and Luxembourg’s return to favour; and accusations against Mme de Montespan; helps with petitions to Louis; and Mme Montvoisin’s testimony; La Reynie reports difficulties of evidence to; questions Mlle des Oeillets; sees dossier on Mme de Montespan; estrangement from Mme de Montespan; on lax security at Vincennes; and Louis’ orders to end enquiries; Louis seeks advice from; and further death plot against Louis; and interrogation of Maillard; commits Vanens to life imprionment; and Mlle des Oeillets’ supposed fate; on confinement of Cadelan; on treatment of sentenced prisoners; and Lesage’s plea from Besançon prison; death and supposed poisoning; dominates inquiry into poisons cases

Louvre, Paris

Ludres, Marie-Isabelle, Mme de

Luxembourg, François-Henri, Maréchal Duc de: imprisonment and trial; Louis’ attitude to; la Bosse accuses of wishing to call up devil; denounces Lesage; Lesage accuses; background and character; Louvois’ hostility to; consults Lesage; superstitions; arrest and interrogation; Comtesse de Soissons requests freedom to travel in Brussels; sells woodland; supposed pact with devil; rumoured misbehaviour; breach with Feuquières; Louis ostracises then reinstates; tried and acquitted; given command of army in Flanders; death; Louis restrains from bringing proceedings against La Reynie

Luxembourg, Madeleine-Charlotte-Bonne-Thérèse, Duchesse de

magic practices
see
fortune-telling

Maillard, Jean

Maine, Louis Auguste, Duc du (Louis/Mme de Montespan’s son)

Maintenon, Chateau de

Maintenon, Françoise, Marquise de (
earlier
Mme Scarron;
née
d’Aubigné): position at court; on Louis’ prejudices; cares for Mme de Montespan’s children by Louis; qualities; on Mme de Montespan’s being refused absolution; relations with Louis; buys Chateau de Maintenon; Mme de Montespan’s jealousy of; cites case of Mlle de Guerchi as example; denies Louis’ flirtation with young woman; Louis marries; reaction to Mme de Montespan’s death; Duchesse d’Orléans believes to be poisoner of Louvois; influence on Louis; and religious observance

Mansart, Jules Hardouin

Mansfeld, Comte de

Marcillac, François VII de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de

Marcilly, Le Roux, Sieur de

Margot (la Voisin’s servant)

Marie-Anne of Bavaria, Dauphine

Marie-Louise, Queen of Charles II of Spain

Marie-Thérèse, Princess

Marie-Thérèse, Queen of Louis XIV: gambling; consults Primi Visconti; marriage relations; children; and Louis’ infidelities; appearance; takes Louise de La Vallière into service; favours Mme de Montespan; coldness to Mme de La Vallière; Mme de La Vallière begs forgiveness of; supports Mme de Montespan after break with Louis; and Louis’ return from campaign; dismisses maids of honour; Mme de Montespan serves; believes Henriette-Anne poisoned; and Comtesse de Soissons; death

Mariette, François

Martin (associate of Sainte-Croix)

Mary Queen of Scots

Mazarin, Armand Charles de La Porte de La Meilleraye, Duc de

Mazarin, Jules, Cardinal

Mecklembourg, Isabelle-Angélique, Duchesse de

Meilleraye, Marie de Cossé, Maréchale Duchesse de La

Meline, Anne

Menars, M. de (lover of Mme de Dreux)

Menesserre, Mme de

Mercoeur, Duchesse de

Millarceaux, Marquis de

Modena, Duchess of

Monaco, Catherine Charlotte, Princesse de

Monaco, Louis Grimaldi, Prince de

money: values

Monsieur
see
Orléans, Philippe I, Duc d’

Montalais, Françoise Charlotte de

Montauban, M. de

Montausier, Charles de Saint-Maur, Duc de

Montausier, Julie, Duchesse de