Noble Blood – "The Affair of the Poisons"

Host: Dana Schwartz
Date: December 30, 2025
Producer: iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

Overview

This episode of Noble Blood delves into the notorious "Affair of the Poisons," a web of scandal, murder, magic, and intrigue in the court of Louis XIV. Host Dana Schwartz traces the rise of poison as both tool and symbol among 17th-century France’s nobility, unearthing the stories of criminal fortune tellers, manipulative noblewomen, and infamous mistresses. The narrative exposes how an underworld of black magic, apothecaries, and personal vendettas threatened even the King himself, culminating in a witch hunt that entangled the most powerful people in the country.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

[01:34] The Marquise de Brinvilliers: The Catalyst

• Schwartz revisits the case of Marie Madeleine d’Aubray, the Marquise de Brinvilliers, whose experiments with poison set the stage for mass hysteria in Paris.
• Motives: Mix of revenge and desperation, stemming from inheritance laws favoring male heirs.
• Notable quote:

  “Out of so many guilty people, must I be the only one put to death? Half the well born people are involved and I could ruin them if I were to talk.”
  (Marquise de Brinvilliers, before execution – 05:10)

[04:40] Fashionable Crime and Noble Fears

• Poisoning becomes "à la mode"; a social phenomenon.
• French police chief Gabriel Nicolas de La Reynie is appointed to uncover the extent of poisoning rings.
• Quote from St. Simon:

  “It seems that there are, at certain moments, crimes which become the fashion, like clothes.”
  (04:45)

[06:15] The Emergence of the Poison Network

• The arrest of Madeleine de la Grange in 1677 marks the true beginning of the "Affair."
• Lagrange, a fortune teller, is implicated in forgery, murder, and later suggests an espionage ring and assassination plot targeting the King.
• Police uncover networks of poisoners, often operating under the guise of fortune tellers and midwives.

[12:50] Fortune Tellers: The Women Behind the Veil

• Fortune tellers (divineresses) serve as pharmacists, confidantes, and "weapons" for women with little recourse.
• Motivations of clients run from desperate domestic situations to ruthless ambition.
• Quote:

  “The fortune teller was at once a woman's pharmacist, healthcare provider, emotional support therapist, soothsayer and sometimes best weapon.”
  (16:10)

[17:30] Poison and Gendered Power

• Poison seen as a woman's weapon, associated with both empowerment and societal anxiety about gender and agency.
• Witchcraft and magical rituals—often involving biological materials—are intertwined with poison rings.
• Focused investigation into figures like La Bosse and La Vigoreau, both fortune tellers and poisoners.

[23:45] The Rise of La Voisin

• Catherine Monvoisin ("La Voisin") becomes the most infamous fortune teller in Paris, sought after by all layers of Parisian society.
• Her dual existence: pious Catholic, abortionist, poisoner for hire, and party host.
• Anecdote: La Voisin believed baptizing aborted fetuses was a kindness, showing her complex moral world.

[27:30] Interrogations and Rivalries

• La Voisin and her rival, La Bosse, both turn on each other under interrogation, revealing networks, motives, and aristocratic clients.
• Details emerge about spells, preparations with ground diamonds, and failed murder attempts.

[36:00] The "Burning Chamber" and Escalation

• Louis XIV forms a secret commission (the chambre ardente) to discreetly try poisoning cases, fearing embarrassment to nobility.
• Execution methods are brutal, including burning at the stake—witnessed by the condemned’s children as deterrents.
• Memorable moment:

  “Boss was not afforded such a simple death. For the extent of her crimes, the commission sentenced her to be burnt at the stake. It was on their order that Boss’s 14-year-old daughter be brought to watch her mother burn alive.”
  (38:25)

[40:15] Madame de Montespan and Court Scandal

• Investigation points to high-born clients, notably Madame de Montespan, the King’s celebrated mistress.
• Allegations include love potions, black masses, curses, and even plots to murder the King.
• La Voisin maintains silence on Montespan, but her daughter later reveals details after her execution.
• Chilling testimony:

  “Every time she feared the good graces of the King were diminishing, she advised my mother of it so she could bring a remedy… my mother therefore said masses over these powders destined for the King.”
  (44:00)

[46:00] The King’s Dilemma and Aftermath

• The King and La Reynie struggle with balancing truth, justice, and state secrecy.
• Burning of evidence and suppression of investigations to avoid destabilizing court and country.
• Quote from La Reynie:

  “If these crimes are hidden, what other strange and unknown things will befall if one does not dare to penalize crimes on account of their enormity?”
  (47:45)

[48:30] Legacy of Hysteria and Control

• The Burning Chamber commission’s statistics: 442 individuals charged, 36 death sentences, 5 life imprisonments, and 23 banishments.
• Madame de Montespan remains untried and finishes her life in Paris, her legacy forever shadowed by rumor.
• The affair shapes policy and cultural perceptions of women, magic, and power.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Marquise de Brinvilliers on the gallows:

  “Half the well born people are involved and I could ruin them if I were to talk.” (05:10)

• La Fontaine’s poem on fortune tellers:

  “Lost a hanky, lost a lover, your husband living too long for your taste… Off you go to the sorceress to get the news you want to hear.” (15:30)

• Witness description of La Voisin’s household:

  “Before she got up every morning, there were folk waiting to see her... after that, she kept open house in the evening with violins playing and was always making merry.” (26:40)

• Final moments of La Voisin’s execution:

  “She reportedly had to be dragged out of the tumbril and continued to resist… five or six times she pushed aside the straw, but finally the flames leapt up, enveloped her, and she was lost to sight.” (43:35)

• On the cultural legacy:

  “As Medea ultimately escaped judgment thanks to a chariot from the Sun God Helios, Madame de Montespan escaped trial thanks to the intervention of the Sun King.” (53:05)

[53:09+] Cultural Legacy & Mythmaking

• Parisians’ obsession with stories of women poisoners reflected in contemporary plays and ballets, especially those depicting the mythical Medea and Circe.
• These stories reinforce the enduring trope of vengeful, magical women, linking ancient myth to contemporary scandal.

Episode Conclusion

Host Dana Schwartz connects the Affair of the Poisons’ enduring legacy in French culture to the perennial fears and fascinations of power, gender, and the occult. Through the detailed retelling of this scandal, listeners are reminded of the centuries-old anxieties that drive both historical and modern obsessions with crime and conspiracy at the heart of power.

For more stories of the dark and dazzling world of monarchy, subscribe to Noble Blood wherever you get your podcasts.