marquise de brinvilliers-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


x；　and　wanted　her　bill　for　two　or　three　thousand　pistoles。　Other　wise　she　would　have　had　him　assassinated。　　She　often　said　that　she　was　very　anxious　that　no　one　should　see　the　contents　of　the　box；　that　it　was　a　very　important　matter；　but　only　concerned　herself。　After　the　box　was　opened；　the　witness　added；　he　had　told　the　marquise；　that　the　commissary　Picard　said　to　Lachaussee　that　there　were　strange　things　in　it；　but　the　lady　blushed；　and　changed　the　subject。　　He　asked　her　if　she　were　not　an　accomplice。　　She　said；　〃What！　　I？〃　but　then　muttered　to　herself：　〃　Lachaussee　ought　to　be　sent　off　to　Picardy。〃　　The　witness　repeated　that　she　had　been　after　Sainte…Croix　along　time　about　the　box；　and　if　she　had　got　it　she　would　have　had　his　throat　cut。　　The　witness　further　said　that　when　he　told　Briancourt　that　Lachaussee　was　taken　and　would　doubtless　confess　all；　Briancourt；　speaking　of　the　marquise；　remarked；　〃She　is　a　lost　woman。〃　　That　d'Aubray's　daughter　had　called　Briancourt　a　rogue；　but　Briancourt　had　replied　that　she　little　knew　what　obligations　she　was　under　to　him；　that　they　had　wanted　to　poison　both　her　and　the　lieutenant's　widow；　and　he　alone　had　hindered　it。　　He　had　heard　from　Briancourt　that　the　marquise　had　often　said　that　there　are　means　to　get　rid　of　people　one　dislikes；　and　they　can　easily　be　put　an　end　to　in　a　bowl　of　soup。

The　girl　Edme　Huet；　a　woman　of　Brescia；　deposed　that　Sainte…Croix　went　to　see　the　marquise　every　day；　and　that　in　a　box　belonging　to　that　lady　she　had　seen　two　little　packets　containing　sublimate　in　powder　and　in　paste：　she　recognised　these；　because　she　was　an　apothecary's　daughter。　　She　added　that　one　day　Madame　de　Brinvilliers；　after　a　dinner　party；　in　a　merry　mood；　said；　showing　her　a　little　box；　〃Here　is　vengeance　on　one's　enemies：　this　box　is　small；　but　holds　plenty　of　successsions！〃　　That　she　gave　back　the　box　into　her　hands；　but　soon　changing　from　her　sprightly　mood；　she　cried；　〃Good　heavens；　what　have　I　said？　　Tell　nobody。〃　　That　Lambert；　clerk　at　the　palace；　told　her　he　had　brought　the　packets　to　Madame　from　Sainte…Croix；　that　Lachaussee　often　went　to　see　her；　and　that　she　herself；　not　being　paid　ten　pistoles　which　the　marquise　owed　her；　went　to　complain　to　Sainte…Croix；　threatening　to　tell　the　lieutenant　what　she　had　seen；　and　accordingly　the　ten　pistoles　were　paid；　further；　that　the　marquise　and　Sainte…Croix　always　kept　poison　about　them；　to　make　use　of；　in　case　of　being　arrested。

Laurent　Perrette；　living　with　Glazer；　said　that　he　had　often　seen　a　lady　call　on　his　mistress　with　Sainte…Croix；　that　the　footman　told　him　she　was　the　Marquise　de　Brinvilliers；　that　he　would　wager　his　head　on　it　that　they　came　to　Glazer's　to　make　poison；　that　when　they　came　they　used　to　leave　their　carriage　at　the　Foire　Saint…Germain。

Marie　de　Villeray；　maid　to　the　marquise；　deposed　that　after　the　death　of　M。　d'Aubray　the　councillor；　Lachaussee　came　to　see　the　lady　and　spoke　with　her　in　private；　that　Briancourt　said　she　had　caused　the　death　of　a　worthy　men；　that　Briancourt　every　day　took　some　electuary　for　fear　of　being　poisoned；　and　it　was　no　doubt　due　to　this　precaution　that　he　was　still　alive；　but　he　feared　he　would　be　stabbed；　because　she　had　told　him　the　secret　about　the　poisoning；　that　d'Aubray's　daughter　had　to　be　warned；　and　that　there　was　a　similar　design　against　the　tutor　of　M。　de　Brinvillier's　children。　Marie　de　Villeray　added　that　two　days　after　the　death　of　the　councillor；　when　Lachaussee　was　in　Madame's　bedroom；　Couste；　the　late　lieutenant's　secretary；　was　announced；　and　Lachaussee　had　to　be　hidden　in　the　alcove　by　the　bed。　　Lachaussee　brought　the　marquise　a　letter　from　Sainte…Croix。

Francois　Desgrais；　officer；　deposed　that　when　he　was　given　the　king's　orders　he　arrested　the　marquise　at　Liege；　that　he　found　under　her　bed　a　box　which　he　sealed；　that　the　lady　had　demanded　a　paper　which　was　in　it；　containing　her　confession；　but　he　refused　it；　that　on　the　road　to　Paris　the　marquise　had　told　him　that　she　believed　it　was　Glazer　who　made　the　poisons　for　Sainte…Croix；　that　Sainte…Croix；　who　had　made　a　rendezvous　with　her　one　day　at　the　cross　Saint…Honore；　there　showed　her　four　little　bottles；　saying；　〃See　what　Glazer　has　sent　me。〃　　She　asked　him　for　one；　but　Sainte…Croix　said　he　would　rather　die　than　give　it　up。　　He　added　that　the　archer　Antoine　Barbier　had　given　him　three　letters　written　by　the　marquise　to　Theria；　that　in　the　first　she　had　told　him　to　come　at　once　and　snatch　her　from　the　hands　of　the　soldiers；　that　in　the　second　she　said　that　the　escort　was　only　composed　of　eight　persons；　who　could　he　worsted　by　five　men；　that　in　the　third　she　said　that　if　he　could　not　save　her　from　the　men　who　were　taking　her　away；　he　should　at　least　approach　the　commissary；　and　killing　his　valet's　horse　and　two　other　horses　in　his　carriage；　then　take　the　box；　and　burn　it；　otherwise　she　was　lost。

Laviolette；　an　archer；　deposed　that　on　the　evening　of　the　arrest。　the　marquise　had　a　long　pin　and　tried　to　put　it　in　her　mouth；　that　he　stopped　her；　and　told　her　that　she　was　very　wicked；　that　he　perceived　that　people　said　the　truth　and　that　she　had　poisoned　all　her　family；　to　which　she　replied；　that　if　she　had；　it　was　only　through　following　bad　advice；　and　that　one　could　not　always　be　good。

Antoine　Barbier；　an　archer；　said　that　the　marquise　at　table　took　up　a　glass　as　though　to　drink；　and　tried　to　swallow　a　piece　of　it；　that　he　prevented　this；　and　she　promised　to　make　his　fortune　if　only　he　would　save　her；　that　she　wrote　several　letters　to　Theria；　that　during　the　whole　journey　she　tried　all　she　could　to　swallow　pins；　bits　of　glass；　and　earth；　that　she　had　proposed　that　he　should　cut　Desgrais'　throat；　and　kill　the　commissary's　valet；　that　she　had　bidden　him　get　the　box　and　burn　it；　and　bring　a　lighted　torch　to　burn　everything；　that　she　had　written　to　Penautier　from　the　Conciergerie；　that　she　gave　him；　the　letter；　and　he　pretended　to　deliver　it。

Finally；　Francoise　Roussel　deposed　that　she　had　been　in　the　service　of　the　marquise；　and　the　lady　had　one　day　given　her　some　preserved　gooseberries；　that　she　had　eaten　some　on　the　point　of　her　knife；　and　at　once　felt　ill。　　She　also　gave　her　a　slice　of　mutton；　rather　wet；　which　she　ate；　afterwards　suffering　great　pain　in　the　stomach；　feeling　as　though　she　had　been　pricked　in　the　heart；　and　for　three　years　had　felt　the　same；　believing　herself　poisoned。

It　was　difficult　to　continue　a　system　of　absolute　denial　in　face　of　proofs　like　these。　　The　marquise　persisted；　all　the　same；　that　she　was　in　no　way　guilty；　and　Maitre　Nivelle；　one　of　the　best　lawyers　of　the　period；　consented　to　defend　her　cause。

He　combated　one　charge　after　another；　in　a　remarkably　clever　way；　owning　to　the　adulterous　connection　of　the　marquise　with　Sainte…　Croix；　but　denying　her　participation　in　the　murders　of　the　d'Aubrays；　father　and　sons：　these　he　ascribed　entirely　to　the　vengeance　desired　by　Sainte…Croix。　　As　to　the　confession；　the　strongest　and；　he　maintained；　the　only　evidence　against　Madame　de　Brinvilliers；　he　attacked　its　validity　by　bringing　forward　certain　similar　cases；　where　the　evidence　supplied　by　the　accused　against　themselves　had　not　been　admitted　by　reason　of　the　legal　action：　'Non　auditur　perire　volens'。　　He　cited　three　instances；　and　as　they　are　themselves　interesting；　we　copy　them　verbatim　from　his　notes。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FIRST　CASE

Dominicus　Soto；　a　very　famous　canonist　and　theologian；　confessor　to　Charles　V；　present　at　the　first　meetings　of　the　Council　of　Trent　under　Paul　III；　propounds　a　question　about　a　man　who　had　lost　a　paper　on　which　he　had　written　down　his　sins。　　It　happened　that　this　paper　fell　into　the　hands　of　an　ecclesiastical　judge；　who　wished　to　put　in　information　against　the　writer　on　the　strength　of　this　document。　　Now　this　judge　was　justly　punished　by　his　superior；　because　confession　is　so　sacred　that　even　that　which　is　destined　to　constitute　the　confession　should　be　wrapped　in　eternal　silence。　　In　accordance　with　this　precedent；　the　following　judgment；　reported　in　the　'Traite　des　Confesseurs'；　was　given　by　Roderic　Acugno。　　A　Catalonian；　native　of　Barcelona；　who　was　condemned　to　death　for　homicide　and　owned　his　guilt；　refused　to　confess　when　the　hour　of　punishment　arrived。　However　strongly　pressed；　he　resisted；　and　so　violently；　giving　no　reason；　that　all　were　persuaded　that　his　mind　was　unhinged　by　the　fear　of　death。　　Saint…Thomas　of　Villeneuve；　Archbishop　of　Valencia；　heard　of　his　obstinacy。　　Valencia　was　the　place　where　his　sentence　was　given。　　The　worthy　prelate　was　so　charitable　as　to　try　to　persuade　the　criminal　to　make　his　confession；　so　as　not　to　lose　his　soul　as　well　as　his　body。　　Great　was　his　surprise；　when　he　asked　the　reason　of　the　refusal；　to　hear　the　doomed　man　declare　that　he　hated　confessors；　because　he　had　been　condemned　through　the　treachery　of　his　own　priest；　who　was　the　only　person　who　knew　about　the　murder。　In　confession　he　had　admitted　his　crime　and　said　where　the　body　was　buried；　and　all　about　it；　his　confessor　had　revealed　it　all；　and　he　could　not　deny　it；　and　so　he　had　been　condemned。　　He　had　only　just　learned；　what　he　did　not　know　at　the　time　he　confessed；　that　his　confessor　was　the　brother　of　the　man　he　had　killed；　and　that　the　desire　for　vengeance　had　prompted　the　bad　priest　to　betray　his　confession。　　Saint…Thomas；　hearing　this；　thought　that　this　incident　was　of　more　importance　than　the　trial；　which　concerned　the　life　of　only　one　person；　whereas　the　honour　of　religion　was　at　stake；　with　consequences　infinitely　more　important。　　He　felt　he　must　verify　this　statement；　and　summoned　the　confessor。　　When　he　had　admitted　the　breach　of　faith；　the　judges　were　obliged　to　revoke　their　sentence　and　pardon　the　criminal；　much　to　the　gratification　of　the　public　mind。　The　confessor　was　adjudged　a　very　severe　penance；　which　Saint…Thomas　modified　because　of　his　prompt　avowal　of　his　fault；　and　still　more　because　he　had　given　an　opportunity　for　the　public　exhibition　of　that　reverence　which　judges　themselves　are　bound　to　pay　to　confessions。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SECOND　CASE

In　1579　an　innkeeper　at　Toulouse　killed　with　his　own　hand；　unknown　to　the　inmates　of　his　house；　a　stranger　who　had　come　to　lodge　with　him；　and　buried　him　secretly　in　the　cellar。　　The　wretch　then　suffered　from　remorse；　and　confessed　the　crime　with　all　its　circumstances；　telling　his　confessor　where　the　body　was　buried。　　The　relations　of　the　dead　man；　after　making　all　possible　search　to　get　news　of　him；　at　last　proclaimed　through　the　town　a　large　reward　to　be　given　to　anyone　who　would　discover　what　had　happened　to　him。　　The　confessor；　tempted　by　this　bait；　secretly　gave　word　that　they　had　only　to　search　in　the　innkeeper's　cellar　and　they　would　find　the　corpse。　　And　they　found　it　in　the　place　indicated。　　The　innkeeper　was　thrown　into　prison；　was　tortured；　and　confessed　his　crime。　　But　afterwards　he　always　maintained　that　his　confessor　was　the　only　person　who　could　have　betrayed　him。　　Then　the　Parliament；　indignant　with　such　means　of　finding　out　the　truth；　declared　him　innocent；　failing　other　proof　than　what　came　through　his　confessor。　　The　confessor　was　himself　condemned　to　be　hanged；　and　his　body　was　burnt。　　So　fully　did　the　tribunal　in　its　wisdom　recognise　the　importance　of　secur