New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-03-29
A Narrative of courtly Poison and
Mystery,

Saint Simons Revelations OF the ffench Court
is deeply interesting work. full Of interest. crime,
splendid banquets and plquant anecdotes. The iol-
\ lowing horrible narrative Is from its pages
On Monday, the 18th of January, lTl2, after visit
to Versailles, the King went to Marry. mark ex-
pressy this Journey No sooner were we settled there
Than Boudin. chief doctor OF the Dauphine warned
her to take care OF herself as he had received sure
Information that there was plot to poison her and
the Dauphin, 10 whom he made a similar communi-
fcaton. Not content with this he repeated it with
terrified manner TO everybody in the salon and fright
| ened al who listened to him. The King spoke to
him about it in private. Boudin declared that his in
/ formation good, and yet that he did not know
whence Il came and he stuck to this contradiction
For il be did not know where the information came
FROM how could he be assured it was Trustworthy
The most singular thing Isl that twenty-four hours
after Boudn had uttered this warning, the Dauphn
received similar one from the King OF Spain, vague
and without mentioning whence obtained and vel
also declared to be of good source.
In this only the Dauphin was named distinctly
the Dauphne obscurely and by implicaton-atl least
so the Danphin explained the matter, and never
heard that be said otherwise. People pretended to
despise these stories OF origin unknown, but they
were struck by them nevertheless and in the midst
of the amusements and occupations OF the Court Sc
robustness, silence and Considerations were spread.
The King, as have said, went to Marty on Monday,
the 18th of January, l7l2. The Dauphne came
there early with face very much swelied, and went
TO bed at yet she rose at seven o'clock in the
evening, because the King wished her TO preside in
the salon. She played there, in morning dress, with
her head wrapped up, visited the King in the apart
ment Of Madame de Maintenon just before his supper
and then again went to bed, where she supped
On the morrow, the 9Th, she rose only to play in
the salon. and the King, returning to her bed and
supping there On the 10th her swelling diminished
and she was better. She was subject to this com
plant, which was caused by her teeth. She passed
the following day as usual On Monday, the LIST of
February, the Duo de Noailles gave very fine box
full Of excellent Spanish snuff to the Dauphine, who
took and bad -
the morning. Upon entering her cabinet (closed to
everybody else) she put this box upon the table and
left it there. Towards the evening she was seized
with trembling fits of fever. She went to bed, and
could not rise again even to go to the Kings cabinet
after the supper. h@
On Saturday. the 9Th of February, the Dauphn
who had fever all night, did not fail TO rise at her
ordinary hour, and to pass the day usual but in
the evening the fever returned. She was but mid
ding all that night, little worse the next day but
towards 10 o'clock at night she was suddenly seized
by sharp pain under the temple. II did not extend
to the dimensions of a ten sous piece, but was so
violent that she begged the King, who was coming
to see her, not TO enter. This kind of madness Of
suffering lasted without intermission until Monday
the eth, and was proof against tobacco chewed and
smoked quantity OF opium, and two bleedings in
the arms. Fever showed itself more when this pain
was little Gained. Such violent illness filed the
chamber with rumors concerning the snuff box given
to the Dauphine by the Due de Noailles.
In going to bed the day she had received it and
was seized by fever, she spoke Of the snuff to her
ladies, highly praisng it and the box which she told
of them to go and look for upon the table in the
cabinet where, as have said, it had been left The
box could not be found, although looked for high and
low. This disappearance had seemed extraordinary
from the first moment it became known. Now, join
ed TO the grave illness with which the Dauphne was
so crnelly assaed, it aroused the most sombre sus
pcions. Nothing, however, was breathed Of these
suspicious, beyond very restricted circle for the
Princess took snuff with the knowledge Of Madame
de Maintenon, but without that of the King, who
would have made fine scene if he had discovered
it, This was what was feared if the singular loss of
the box became divulged Let me here say that al
though one of my friends, the Archbishop Of Rheims
believed to his dying day that the Due de Noailles
had poisoned the Dauphine by means Of this box of
Spanish snuff never could induce myself to believe
so too.
The Archbishop declared that, in the manner Of
the Due de Noailles, after quitting the chamber of
the Princess, there was something which suggested
both confusion and contentment. He brought for
ward other proofs oil guilt but they made no impress
sion upon me. | endeavored, on the contrary, TO
shake his belief but my labor was in vain. | en-
treated him, however, at least to maintain the most
profound silence upon his horrible thought and he
did so. Those who afterwards knew the history of
the box-and they were in good number-were as
inaccessible to suspicion as /; and nobody thought
of charging the Due de Noailles with the ofense it
was said he had committed. AS for me, / believed
in his guilt little that intimacy remained the
same and although that intimacy grew even up to
the death Of the King, never spoke of this fatal
snufFbox. During the night, from Monday to Tues
day, the 9th of February, the ethargy was great.
Daring the day the King approached the bed many
times the fever was strong, the awakenings were
Short the head was confused, and some marks upon
the skin gave tokens Of measles, because they ex
tended quickly, and because many people at Yer
sailles and Paris were known TO be- at this time at
tackled with that disease. The night from Tuesday
to Wednesday passed much the more badly, be-
cause the hope OF measles had already vanished.
Meanwhile the Dauphin had given way. He had
hidden his own illness as long as he conld 80 as not
to leave the pillow of his Dauphne. Now the fever
he had was too strong to be dissimulated and the
doctors, who wished to, spare him the sight of the
horrors they foresaw forgot nothing to induce him
to stay in his chamber, where to sustain him. false
news was, from time to time, brought him of the
state of bis spouse The confession Of the Dauphne
was long Extreme JUNCTION was administered inn
medately afterwards, and the holy vaticum di-
rectly. An hour afterwards the Dauphine desired
the prayers for the dying to be said They told her
she not yet in that state and with words of CON
ISOLATION exhorted her to try and get to sleep.
Seven doctors Of the Court and of Paris were sent
for They consulted together in the presence of the
King and Madame de Manten0n An with one voice
were in favor OF bleeding at the foot and in case it
did not have the effect desired, to give emetic at
the end of the night The bleeding was executed at
o'clock In the evening. The return of the fever
came and was found less violent than the preceding
The night was cruel. The King came early the next
morning to see the Dauphine. The emetic she took
at about o'clock had little effect The day passed
in symptoms each more sad than the other conscious
only at intervals All at once toward even
ing, the whole chamber fell into disnlay number
Of people were allowed 10 enter, although the King
there. Just before she expired he left, mounted
into his coach s the foot of the grand staircase and
with Madame &c Mantenon and Madame de Caylus,
went away to Marty. They were both in the most
bitter grief and had not the courage to go to the Dau
phin.
Upon arriving at Marty the King supped in his own
room aud passed short TING with NJ. Orleans aud
his children NJ. le Due de Berry, entirely occupied
with his affection, which great and real had re-
manned at Versailles with Madame la Duchesse de
Berry, who, transported with joy upon seeing herself
delivered from a powerful rival, to whom, however,
she owed ALL made her face do duty for her heart.
Monsegneur lie Dauphn, i'll and agitated by the most
bitter grief kept his character; but on Saturday
morning, the 18th, being pressed to go to Marty to
avoid the horror OF the noise, overheard where the
Dauphine lying Dead he set out for that place at
O'Clock in the morning. Shortly after arriving he
heard mass in the chapel, and thence was carried in
chair to the window Of one of his rooms. Madame
de Maintenon came TO see him there afterwards the
anguish OF the interview was speedily too much for
her, and she went away.
Early in the morning went unlimited 10 see NJ,
lie Dauphin. He showed me that he perceived thH
with an air OF genteness and of affection which pen
etrated me. But was terrified with his looks, con-
strained, fixed and with something wild about them,
with the change In his face and with some marks
there isid rather than red, that observed in good
number and large marks observed by the others
also. The Dauphin was standing. In a few minutes