The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-15

self and my relatives. that his friendship
for me may redoube and that he may
leave the Duchess of La Vallere and for
sake her, that the Queen may he divorced
and l married to the King"
Lesage the magician, testified that ear
iy in 1868 he and Alariette went to Yer
sailles and repeated their lamentations in
the apartment of Nine de Montespan's
sister. Nine de Montespan prayed for the
favor of the King and that La Valliere
might die Soon after her prayer was
granted, the new favorite was promoted
and La Vallleres star was forever eclips-
l'cd. If she had previously doubted the eff
ficacy of lamentations the doubt was now
| turned into certainly.
In 1913 the favorte, driven thereto by
jealousy Of the King, again asked her for
tune teller for help and the fortune teller
arranged that the priest, Guibourg. should
say three black masses for her The first
was said in the chapel of the castle of Vil-
leVolsin, near Mouilhery. Guibourg re-
ceived 30 pistols and afterward 1000 livres
| The priest celebra Ted the mass, using the
| body of Nine. de Montespan as an altar
During the ceremony he rected the fol-
towing incarnation: . Ashtaroth and AS
modeus princes of friendship, l pray YOU
to accept the sacrifice of this infant. for
which you will grant that the friendship
OF his hishness, the Dauphin. may be con-
tinued 10 me, as wen as that of the royal
princes and highnesses, and that all
snail ask of the King for my relatives and
servants may be granted" La ReynIe
adds that Guibourg bought a child. that
was sacrificed, for crown-fifteen francs
OF the present daY-and having bled the
infant at the throat with a pocket knife
| caught the blood in the chalice! The sec
ond and third black masses were duly said
| bV ffuibOIrp "a iutar1fa &c Of aI,o tho
weeks at all, Nine, de Moutespan's body
was used as an altar These details are
all set down in Guiboure's testimony.
HoW did Nine. de Montespan manage to
have the powders furnished by the fortune
tellers mixed with the Kings food? This
question is answered by two confessions.
one made by a certain Lemaire who was
imprisoned with the priest Guibourg, and
| the other by the magician Lesage. La
keYnle comments thereon in his own per
sonal notes of the dispositions; from them
IL appears that the end was gained through
one Duchesne, who was employed in Mime
| de Montespans household, and afterward
was made an officer of the Kings buttery.
In 1913 Mile. de Fontanges had succeeded
Nine. de Montespan in the good eraces. Of
the King and had just been made Ouch
ess with an income of 5000 crowns wear.
Margaret MonVoisin testifies: "At this
Montespan had made up her mind TO sion
at nothing and had asked mother 10 do
that which she was very reluctant
to undertake. l was given to under
STAND that the matter concerned
the King The deserted fayorjte
had determined to poison Mile de
Fontanges and the King. The execution Of
her project was conhded to four conspir
ators, the Voisin woman and another nam
ed Irianon, who were 20 poison the King.
ana Romani and Bertrand, artistic poi
soners,' who promised TO kill the Duchess
Louis XIV, was 20 be poisoned FIRST on
certain days he receiver in person an ne
lltions presented and a document which
had been sprinkled with certain powders
passed under chalice was to be handed IN
him. ON receiving this the King would be
struck, dead. The Trianon woman was 10
prepare the deadly document which the
other fortune teller agreed to put into the
Kings hands.
On May s. 1879, the Voisin woman tried
TO give the prepared petition to the King
put was not able to get near enough 10
him, and she returned TO Paris. intending
10 make another attempt On Nav 10 she
became frightened and gave the dozen
ment TO her daughter, who burned n On
May Il her arrest took place. and that OF
her accompdces followed soon after. When
she heard of the arrest of her agents Nine
de Montespan suddenly left Versailles. her
fright and anger Were great Yet at this
very moment she consulted the fortune
teEer named Fllastre. who was NEXT 70
the Voisin woman, the most renowned in
Paris This woman had sacrificed her own
child 10 the devil soon after il was horn
At the eX-favorite's request she went 10
Normandy to consult with a celebrated
dealer in poisons named Galet. On her re-
turn she tried TO obtain admittance into
Mile. de Fontanges' household. but vac
arrested before she could effect her mr.
pose. When first examined she denied
everything, but on the rack admitted that
the above was true. When Louis XIV
heard these things he was dismayed and
instantly stopped The proceedings of ,ha
Lighted Chamber Court Louvois wrote 10
La Reynie: The King has read and eriaH,.
ed over the letters you have written 10
nee"
In judging Louis XIV's final treatment
of Nine. de Montespan, the rank and IA
tion to which he had elevated her must
be considered. His own conduct had hon
selfish, If not cruel and he had been NH
Acly unfathfuf 10 her. She was the motber
of his children, legitimzed princes ana
princesses of France. Louvois. Colbert ana
Nine. de M0intenon united In making me
ex-iavorite's fall as easy as possible Nj
withstanding the Kings esotism harsh
ness, infexibility, and his mental inferior
ity. he possessed comprehension of The
obligations of royal rank and dignity. ana
In this crisis he rose to the occasion. Nine
de Montespan was not driven from court
She exchanged her very large suite of