FULL TEXT (8 pages): THE CRUEL French Lady, &c. – Never did any Age of Mankind produce such horrid Villanies and Impieties in all Kingdoms, nor ever was the Devil so busie in laying his gins and snares, and in training Man to lewdness as in this, wherein his power of seducing is grown stronger, and his wicked temptations more prevalent than ever, as if his Chains were loos'ned, and he left at liberty like a roaring Lyon to devour whom he pleased; which will best appear by the ensuing Relation, the Horrour of which no Time nor History could ever Parallel.
In the famous City of Paris there was living very lately (and might still have been living, had there not issued from his Loins a Monster in Nature) a very Noble Gentleman, whose Name (because it is not fit all should be blasted for the sin of one) we will conceal under that of Monsieur du Puys, and so call him wherever we shall have occasion to speak of him in the ensuing Relation. This worthy Gentleman had for the whole course of his life preserved a fair Fame and Reputation, sutable to the Nobleness of his extract, and by a Lady no less virtuous than fair, had Issue left him two Sons and two Daughters; the Eldest of all a Daughter, who by her Execreble Impiety has made her self our present subject.
Yet this Lady, as she was the first born, so she was in her Youth the joy and delight of her Father, who seeing her grow up more and more as well in beauty as (in all outward appearance) [p. 4] in virtuous inclinations redoubled his care over her, and as soon as she came to years befitting a married Estate, matched her with a young and Noble Cavalier of a plentiful Estate, which was much augmented and strengthned by the vast Portion which Monsr. du Puys, who well could spare it, bestowed on his beloved Daughter, being no less than 300000 livres or 25000 l. sterling.
This young Cavalier and his fair Lady lived for some years with all possible outward splendour, content and reputation, no persons of Quality in the whole City of Paris having a more proper or better adjusted Retinue than they, or kept a handsomer Port both abroad or at home, no Liveries were nearer and scarce richer than theirs no Coaches more fitted to State with Horses and all appurtenances sutable, no Table better furnished nor with more variety, none of their Rank exceeded them in number of Gentile attendance, nor was there any thing wanting might compleat worldly Pride and Magnificence.
But whether by straining thus to appear great and splendid in the world, they weakned their Estate as great as it was, or whether it proceeded from some secret judgment of God, or rather from some close and sly debauchery in the young Cavalier, who is said to be privately a great haunter of Ladies of pleasure, in which report likewise makes his Lady to cry quits with him, and that in so rank a manner, that (besides others more costly) she submitted to such an intimate familiarity with one of her Lacquey's, that his sauciness and freedom with her was perceived by her Father Monsr. du Puys, who in just anger and disdain caused the said Lacquay to be imprisoned; but whether by the consuming thus on both hands to satisfie their sensual appetites, or by what other means it came to pass, so it was, that they had not been fourteen years married before their vast E∣state became so shattered and broken, that with all the shifts they could possibly make, it was impossible for them long to keep up and maintain that Port and state which they had begun in the world.
[p 5] Pride in the heart of a Woman is as fierce a passion as ambition is in mans; they can with patience endure any thing rather than a suppression of their vain-glory, and nothing sooner hurries them into despair, than a fear to stoop lower than what they have been. This Lady now could not choose but visibly perceive the decay of her glory, and how erelong she must be forced to yield in bravery to Ladies she had hitherto surpassed; this frets her inwardly, and she rends and tears her Spirits to prevent it, and the Devil finding this hole in her Heart open, soon enters, and tells her, that her father had still such vast possessions as would fully content her Ambition, but she had already her share of his Estate, and could reasonably expect no more, unless she would attempt the means to arrive at it, which could be no otherwise compassed, but by taking out of the way those that stood between her and her hopes, though they were her own Brothers and Sisters.
The Devil having thus baited his Hook with such a Golden bait, she easily snaps at, and casting all fear of God behind her, and without having any consideration of the hainousness or unnaturalness of the Murthers she was about to continue, being against her own Flesh and Blood; she resolves no obstacle shall stand between her and the enjoyment of so great an Estate to feed her Lust and Pride, and the Enemy of Mankind who had put this into her heart, would not leave her without means to act it: She had long been acquainted with a certain Apothecaty, a cunning Villain and a notable Chymist; This Acquaintance she now turns into a closer familiarity, and having at length made him share in her closest favours, thought she had now so tyed him to her, that she might disclose her whole mind to him, which in the midst of Embraces she does, and finds him as ready to help forward her divelish designs, as she was to desire it; promising to furnish her with such Artificial and powerful Extracts of Poyson, as should dispatch at any limited time, either of a minute, hour, day, week, month year or more, and never leave any mark of suspition on the Body.
[p. 6] With this sweet promise she is quite overjoyed, and already in her hopes devours all her Fathers Estate, and more than that, flatters her self with the being revenged on any person should dare to enjure her. Well, the Devil and the Apothecary keep touch, and in less than a twelve-months time she sees her two Brothers and several others, whom her hellish Malice had practised upon, linger away in a strange but unsuspected manner, her Lacquay being her Emissary to distribute about her Deaths, which she sent either in Letters or Gloves, or other Presents; the potion being wrought so strong, that by the smelling it infected the whole Blood, and committed Murthers so successfully, that now greedy to have all in her hands, or instigated by this Lacquay in revenge of his Imprisonment, she sends likewise her fatal Spell to her own Father and Sister, for she would not admit a sharer with her.
Oh horred Cruelty! Oh Damnable Woman! worse than a Cannibal, who though he destroy his kind, preserves his kindred. Could'st thou think, because thy Poysons left no symptomes for mans eye to discover them, that the eye of Heaven saw not thy Execrable Villany? and that it would for ever let thee run on in prosperous Murther? No certainly, the times draws nigh, when thy whole Practice shall come to light, and thou shalt reap nothing of all thy hopes, but shame and horrour here, and, without Gods infinite Mercy, Eternal Damnation hereafter.
Whil'st this Young Lady and her damn'd Apothecary were tryumphing in the height of all their Villany, he happened (as he had finished compounding a fresh stock of Potions for this wretched Lady, and was putting the Vialls into a little Cabi∣net wherein he used to send them to her) to let fall one of the Vialls of the strongest preparation, which breaking, the sumes struck so strongly up into his Brain, that not being before prepared of an Antidote, he found all he could apply would now prove in vain, and that he must presently die; but before he expires, such is his kindness to his Co-partner in Wickedness and Murther, that he hastens all he can to make up the Cabinet, [p. 7] and having fast locked and sealed it, Directs it to the Lady; and calling in all haste for his man, bids him run speedily and deliver it to none but the Lady's own hands.
The young Man runs, but as God had in his Providence ordered it, finds not the Lady at home, so returns immediately with it; but for all his haste, such was the strength of the Poysons Operation, that at his return he finds his Mistriss bewailing over her dead Husband, who spying the Cabinet under her mans Arm, demands it of him, and seeing it directed to the Lady, having before had some jealousie of the secret Commerce between her Husband and that Lady, locks it safely up.
Soon after the City Provost coming to take an Inventory of the goods of the deceased, according to Custome, there finds the Cabinet, and seeing it directed to the Lady, would out of respect have immediatly sent it her; but such was the importunity of the Apothecarie's Widdow, and she gave such reasons for her importunity, that he was at length prevailed with to o∣pen it first; but upon opening it, he was amazed to find on the top a contract under the Ladies hand, to pay the Apothecary 12000 Crowns when she should get possession of her Fathers Estate, with several little Billets intimating her intrusting her Lacquay to be her Executioner, and in the bottom of the Cabi∣net was a Case of small Vialls, one having written on it, A strong Extract of Poyson for present dispatch; the others, Poyson for a Week, for a Month, for a Year, &c.
Upon sight of this he immediately sends to the Lieut. Criminal & shews it him, who forthwith speeds away to apprehend the Lady; but whether she had Intelligence from Satan, or by some other means, she had already withdrawn her self, and cannot since be heard of; but he lights on the Lacquay, who being brought before the Judges Criminal, and confronted with the Cabinet and Letters (and a little terrified with the Rack) confesses, he had bin her wicked Emissary to carry death to near 50 persons; whereupon he is condemned to be broken alive upon [p. 8] the Wheel, which was accordingly executed, and the Apo∣thecary's Body was burnt to ashes, and thrown into the Air.
Monsr. Du Puys died about the same time with the Apothecary, having languished long before, and his other Daughter though not yet dead, is blind with the force of the Poyson. The Cavalier her Husband is thought likewise to have had a Cast of her Office, being ever since in a doleful languishing condition: What is become of this infernal Monster, cannot yet be told, though diligent search hath been made for her. Some say, her Relations have shut her up in some Monastery, to prevent the shame which would by her Execution fall upon two Noble Families.
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[THE CRUEL French Lady: OR, A true and perfect Relation of the most execrable Murthers committed by a French Lady upon the persons of her own Father, two Brothers and Sister; with a particular account how she contracted for 12000 Crowns with a French Apothecary to extract Poysons for her; which he (taught by the Devil) had found out an Art to do beyond all humane Imagination, so that they would kill, either to a minute, an hour, a day, a week, a month, or a year.
WITH The manner how they put them in use, by writing of Letters, and otherwise; to the destruction of several of the said Ladies principal Relations, and others, to the number of 50. and upwards, most Persons of Quality. TOGETHER With an Account how their Devilish Practice came to be discovered by the Apothecaries breaking one of his own Vials of Poyson, which poysoned himself; and how the Lacquay, who used to be the hellish con∣veyer of the said Poysons, was broke alive on the Wheel; but the Lady is yet escaped. Faithfully rendred from a Relation sent from Paris. LONDON, Printed for Rog••Vaughan living in Bishops-Court in the Little-Old-Bayly. 1673.]
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