The Affair of the Poisons: Louis XIV, Madame De Montespan and One of History's Great Unsolved Mysteries

by Frances Mossiker

Louix XIV, Madame de Montespan, witchcraft, Satanism – the royal court of the Sun King and the weird underworld of seventeenth-century Paris – are linked together by Frances Mossiker, author of The Queen’s Necklace and Napoleon and Josephine, as she reconstructs one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the age: the murky, death-laden Affair of the Poisons.

Here, immediate and authentic, is the incredible world of Versailles – the intrigue, luxury, and harshness of the life, the progression of royal mistresses, the overwhelming personality of the King. And here, rising out of the criminal world of Paris, a miasma of fear and suspicion, is the gradual revelation of occult crimes – covens of witches and warlocks practicing “the old religion,” conducting black masses, arranging murders and abortions, concocting magic potions, aphrodisiacs, and poisons for their masked noble clients – as a poison psychosis strikes Versailles, ultimately threatening the very person of Louis himself.

Most dramatic of all, the role of Montespan: the King’s Favorite, mother of his five “legitimized” children, an arrogant, highborn, voluptuous beauty, who dazzled Saint-Simon with the wit and brilliance of her conversation; whose intellect made her an arbiter of taste in a court embellished by a Molière (her protégé) and a Lully; whose pearls outshone the Queen’s; whose train was borne by a duchess; who by her strength and charm held the restless Louis bound to her for a decade.

In the massive Poisons Affair inquiry that brought the most ancient names of France to trial, the name of Montespan was by royal edict forbidden to be mentioned, and evidence was destroyed. But the day-to-day private journals kept secretly in shorthand by the able and meticulous chief of the Paris police, Nicholas de Lay Reynie, escaped destruction – and they raise the question: To what extent was Montespan, the uncrowned Queen of France, implicated in these grave crimes?

Using – brilliantly – the technique that distinguishes her earlier works, presenting her story through the diaries and letters of the principal actors and their contemporaries, Frances Mossiker illuminates this mystery and brings richly to life the antithetical worlds – the royal heights and the grotesquely sinister depths of seventeenth-century society – that came violently together in one of the greatest dramas of French history. [From the book jacket.]

Genres: History, Nonfiction, France, True Crime, 17th Century

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well researched and written book on a period of French history that not many may know about. The Affair of the Poisons was a time during the reign of King Louis XIV when it was believed that many royals were being poisoned by loved ones, more than their nemeses. It was similar to the Salem witch trials in that people were fascinated with horoscopes, séances, love potions, and aphrodisiac powders and oils that they used on loved ones, or those whose affection they desired. What transpired were actual poisonings and black magic ceremonies. The main focus was gradually, due to evidence and interrogations, pointed to the King's number one Mistress, Madame de Montespan. She bore him 6 children; all legitimized. A rarity in those days, this was a true love affair that lasted for decades. However, when all evidence pointed to her, the King literally could not face having her imprisoned, much less hanged, for her actions against him and the other mistress in his court that he had fond affection for; a woman Mme. de Montespan considered a true rival for his affection. This is not a "light" history lesson. There is a lot of heavy, dark history retold here. It is fascinating. And I cannot imagine having to conduct this investigation, and listening to horrific stories of those who were killed at the hands of these practitioners of the dark arts. I highly recommend this book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book goes into great detail about the relationship between Madame de Montespan and Louis XIV, from their lives before meeting through Montespan's fall from favor and eventual death. However, I would not grant that even a simple majority of the book deals with the actual Poisons Affair, despite what the title might lead one to believe. There were certainly fewer details from trial witnesses and explanations of contemporaneous beliefs regarding magic and witchcraft than I had hoped. There are interesting insights from other sources that lead me to realize that the French court in the time of the Sun King was full of the equivalent of gossiping reality TV contestants. The author's style is also often distractingly circumspect. That said, the book is well-researched and thorough, if not misrepresentationally framed by its title.

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1.... An account (with enough background to put the events into historical context) of the most mysterious and convoluted trials (actually, many trials) of the 17th Century with poison, sex, political intrigue, and devil worship - featuring as cast of figures including defrocked priests, murderous midwives, petty criminals, black widows, and the nobility of the ancien regime (all the way up to Louis XIV). Well done, even if the author doesn't know what drawing and quartering is.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very academic - not a narrative of history for the general reader. Interesting topic and very worthwhile but probably not for the average reader of history who likes books by Weir or Larson.

[Feathzzz · Rating 3 out of 5]

read while in jail. Actual rating: 3.5