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folemnized under the influence of all benign aufpicious conftellations: A fon and daughter, the fruits thereof, were given them by Heaven, as pledges of their tenderness, and feals of their mutual felicity.

This happy feafon could not be of long duration: the exorbitant expences of Madam Tiquet obliged her husband, whom she had taken hitherto for a great fortune, to acquaint her with the fituation of his affairs. This, with the help of a fpruce gallant, the Sieur Montgeorge, a captain of the Guards, foon gave her a difguft to the man he had only fet her heart upon for the fake of his money. Thefe beginnings of diffatisfaction the officer fo artfully improved to his own advantage, that in a little time he infpired her with that flame of love which fhe had at firft kindled in him.

The jealoufy of the hufband, which this paffion awakened, ferved only to encrease the averfion which Madam Tiquet had conceived to him, and rivetted it the ftronger in her mind.

What seems most fingular in the character of this lady, amidst that ardour with which the burned for the Sieur de Montgeorge, she was so far enflaved by her amorous complexion, as to fatisfy her defires with objects the moft vile and bafe. And yet, which is ftill more furprifing, amidst all her diforders, the preferved fuch a decent outfide deportment, and knew fo well to fashion her looks and actions, that he was received into the best companies, whereof fhe was the delight; and, in converfation had a faculty of expreffing fublime and elevated fentiments, with fuch an air of truth and fincerity, that queftioned but the felt what the fpoke, Her heart was a hideous compofition of greatnefs and meannefs, of paffions poble and bafe.

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M. Tiquet, involved in a load of debt, which he had greatly encreafed by the expensive means he had ufed 10 compafs this marriage, was profe

cuted by his creditors. This furnish ed his fpoufe with a handle to obtain a feparation of effects. She had two chief grounds of difcontent against him; one, that he had impofed upon her as to his fortune; the other, that fhe was reftrained in her pleasures by a jealous husband.

Her hatred being thus wrought up to fury, against a man who was the continual plague of her life, fhe formed a defign, for the fake of her own peace, to hire affaffins to dispatch `him.

Neither the horror of fuch an action, the infamy that threatened her, nor the hazard of ruining herfelf, by fatisfying fuch hellifh revenge, were any check to her in this headlong career.

She foon found out a

tool fit for her purpose, a ruffian, na-
med Auguftus Cattelain, an abject
wretch, whofe bufinefs was to wait
upon frangers when they arrived at
Paris: To this fellow fhe gave a large
fum of money, with a promise of
more, provided he would be the mi-
nilter of her revenge, by falling upon
a way to rid her of her husband. By
the fame means he gained her porter,
and affociated him in this execrable
plot with Cattelain. They took their
meafures fo ill, that the villainous de-
fign, by fome means or other, mifcar-
ried, though they had planted feveral
perfons in M. Tiquet's paffage, to
way-lay him one evening when he
was abroad late, This firft attempt
having failed, the lady pretended to
have altered her refolution, and that
he had now come to a better way of
thinking. She enjoined the porter
and Cattelain inviolable fecrecy as to
what was paft, left their indifcretion
might coft them dear; and at the
fame time gave them another fum of
money, M. Tiquet, who fufpected
the porter of favouring the Sieur de
Montgeorge, difmiffed him his fervice,
andtook the keys into his own cuftody.
As foon as night came on, he made
fait the gates, that none might have
accefs to his houfe without his know.

ledge;

ledge; and when he went out in the evening, to come home late, he took the key in his pocket, and when he went to bed, laid it under his pillow. Monfieur and Madame had feparate apartments, and never faw each other but at table; they lived three years in the greateft coldnefs, without ever coming to an explanation, and kept a fullen filence in each others prefence; portending their future difafters by thofe dumb fcenes, which are often more fignificant indications of deadly hate, than others which make the greatest noife. It was during thofe tedious intervals of mutual fpleen and discontent, that the lady, who was till hatching new expedients against the object of her everlasting fpite, bethought her of a more fure and filent method of taking him out of the way, namely, by poison; fhe mixed fome baneful ingredients with a broth defigned for her husband, and ordered a Valet de Chambre to carry it to his mafter. But the fervant, who had difcovered the crime, affected to make a falle step, and let the broth fall to the ground; after which he demanded his difcharge; and when he was gone, failed not to reveal the mystery of iniquity.

affured me, that in two months I fhall get the better of all my enemies, be above the fear of their malice, and be perfectly happy: you fee plainly, madam, added the, how little reafon I have to depend upon the lying Gypfey, fince it is impoffible for me to have any enjoyment of myself while my hufband lives, who is in too good health for me to look for fuch a quick revolution of fortune.

As this was the very day of M. Tiquet's affaffination, this discourse might have been brought as a prefumptive evidence against her; for it is not very probable, that this story was any other but a mere fiction of her own, which her thoughts, being turned that way, had led her to invent, perhaps to give a fpecious reafon for the confufion and diforder the was in, upon the point of executing a crime of so hideous a nature.

She returned home, where the found Madam de Senonville, one of her friends, waiting for her. At the approaches of affalination, the appeared perfectly mistress of herself; whatever emotion or qualms of confcience the felt within, the concealed them from her friend with great care, and crufbed them in the bud; her counThe lady, once more difappointed tenance fhewed no figns that could of her defign, refumed her former betray her; fhe carried on the conproject, however horrid it was, dif- verfation with all the compofure and clofing it only to her proper agents tranquillity imaginable. The vifitant for the execution. She entered was defigned to ftay with her pretty one day, in fearful emotion, into late, in order to rally the husband a the house of the Countefs de little for keeping the key, and have Aunoy, where a large company the pleasure of making him rife out of happened to be convencd. They bed to open the great gate to her afked her what was the matter: I when she was going away. come, fays fae, from paffing two hours with the devil. You have had then but forry company, replied the Countefs. When I fay I have feen the devil, rejoined the other, I mean a famous cunning woman who tells for

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M. Tiquet, who was vifiting a lady in the neighbourhood, happened to ftay out very late; and as he was coming home, feveral fhots of piftols were overheard; upon which, his domefticks running up, found their mafter affaffinated, and offered to convey him to his own house; but he or dered them to carry him back to Madam Villemur's, whence he had come.

Madam

Madame Tiquet, informed of the difafter by her fervants, flew away to this lady's houfe; but her husband not allowing her to enter the chamber where he was, fhe was obliged to return. He had received three wounds, but none of them mortal; the most dangerous was near the heart, which, according to the obfervation of the furgeon who dreffed it, would have been pierced, had that part been then in its natural extenfion; but fear making it shrink up at the approach of the affaffins, it poffeffed not the fame fpace then as at other times. I hall not vouch for the truth of this obfervation, but only mention it as a remark that was made by perfons more fkilled in anatomy.

The commiffary of the quarter, who repaired directly to M. Tiquet, to receive his complaint, interrogated him what enemies he had. I have none, anfwered he, but my own wife. This anfwer confirmed the fufpicions that all the world had thrown upon her. She gave them no handle, however, against her, from any external indications of perplexity and difturbance; whatever agitation reigned in her foul within, nothing of it was perceived without. This is fomewhat ftrange; but we fhall fee her prefently ftand the teft of much greater trials. The next day fhe went to vifit the Countefs de Aunoy: In the midst of the company, who had all their eyes upon her, the poffeffed herfelf with all the eafinefs and prefence of mind as if nothing had happened. The Countess afked her, whether M. Tiquet knew any of the ruffians who had affafinated him? ah! Madam, cried the fufpected lady, though he knew them he would not declare it; 'tis I who am affaffinated to day. The Countefs faid to her, fhe was of opinion that the porter who had been put away ought to be fecured, for that he was ftrongly fufpected. Madam Tiquet, who could read in the eyes of all the company that she was VOL. XII. No. 69.

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charged with the odium and reproach of the crime, was not in the least dif concerted, but feemed to out-brave them with an impofing mask of innocence. As foon as he had returned home, he had notice given her to make her escape; these warnings were renewed every day more and more till the eighth, when one of the Theatins came into her chamber, and told her fhe had no time to lofe; that she would'inftantly be arrested, unless the would quickly take on the robe of his order, which he brought her, and get into a chair which was waiting for her in the court; that the porters had an order to carry her to a certain place, where the would find a poftchaife, with people ready to convey her fafe to Calais, whence the might crofs over to England. She anfwered, it was for thofe who were confcious of guilt to fly, and not the innocent; that her husband was the author of all thofe reports, fo injurious to her honour, having a defign, by fuch false alarms, to engage her to fly the kingdom, that fo he might be left in the quiet poffeffion of her eftate. She thanked the Theatin, and told him he was prepared to meet the worst, having no mind to seek resource but from her defence in a court of juftice. Thus prefuming, from the measures fhe had taken, that there was no poffibility of difcovering that fhe was guilt of the fecond affaffination, fhe gave herfelf no trouble about the firft, which had not come to light.

The next day, Madam de Senonville came to fee her, and as she was going away, the other faid to her, Madam, I beg the favour of you to ftay a little, they are juft coming to apprehend me, and I would not chufe to be alone on fuch an emergency. Scarce had the done fpeaking, when the Sieur Deffita, Lieutenant-Criminal, entered. She faid to him, without any emotion, Sir, you might have faved yourself the trouble of bringing with you fo great a retinue; I was

refolved

refolved to ftand my ground; and fo far from having any mind to fly, I would have followed you though you had been all alone. Then the begged him to feal up her houfe, for the fecurity of her effects; and turning to her fon, a boy of about eight or nine years old, who was greatly affrighted, cheared him up, by giving him money to divert him, and looking upon him with her ufual air of cheerfulness and ferenity. This done, fhe took leave of Madam de Senonville, and stepped into the coach with the Judge. As fhe paffed into the little market-place, the obferved a lady of her acquaintance, and courteously faluted her. Amidst the Archers who guarded her, fhe preferved the fame mien and air which the used to have in the ordinary affairs of life; fo that the looked more like one going upon a party of pleafure than to a prifon. However, as the approached the Petit Chatelet, where he was to be confined, the changed colour; but in a moment after, the recovered all the command of herself fhe had before. From thence he was brought before the Grand Chatelet, or Provoft's Court, where Auguftus Cattelain came of himself, moyed by the infligation of his confcience, to declare, in the face of juftice, that three years before, fhe had given him money to affaffinate her husband, and that the porter was in the plot. Both he and Cattelain were arrested. There was not fuflicient evidence to convict Madam Tiquet of the laft affaflination; but there was enough to prove her guilty of contriving the firft, and to condemn her to capital punishment, according to the laws of the land. Upon this foundation, the Judges condemned this unfortunate wretch, on the third of June 1699, to be beheaded, and, the porter to be hanged.

James Moura, porter to the faid lady, have been duly attained and • convicted of having plotted, meditated, and concerted together, the 'affaffination of the faid Sieur Ti

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quet, and for that effect, furnished Auguftus Cattelain, a fervant to ftrangers, with fums of money at ⚫ different times; the faid Carlier is hereby condemned to have her head 'chopped off, upon a scaffold to be erected for the purpose in the Place ⚫ de Grave; and the faid Moura to be hanged and ftrangled upon a gallows, &c. Their goods, all, and every one, to be confifcated to the king, or to whom the right fhall belong; and in cafe the confiscation does not place, the fum of one hundred thoufand livres to be ap propriated out of the faid effects to the king's ufe; and one hundred thoufare livres to be given, by way of civil eparations and damages, to the faid Sieur Tiquet, whereof he fhall have the ufe during his natural life, and everfion shall belong to the two children of the marriage. • And before the execution, the faid Carlier and Moura fhall be put to the torture crdinary and extraordinary, for discovery of the accomplices. Given the 17th of June 1699.

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Auguftus Catteļain was afterward condemned to the galleys for life. As for the other perfóns accused, fome of them were referred to a more ample information, and the reft dif miffed.

M. Tiquet, being cured of his wounds, went to Verlailles, accom.panied with his two children, and threw himself at the king's feet; Sire, fays he to him, I implore your clemency towards Madam Tiquet; be not more fevere than God himfelf, who is difpofed to pardon her. Is the offence done to your juftice greater than to me? I, her husband, forgive Whereas Dame Angelica Carli-her, my children lift up to you er, fpoufe to the Sieur Tiquet, and their pure and innocent hands in be

The court confirmed the fentence, which in fubftance was as follows:

half

behalf of their mother. The crime is expiated by the qualms and hor rors that the unfortunate lady, as a victim ready to be facrificed to juftice, has already felt. In punishing guilt let not innocence be punished.' The king was inflexible. Then M. Tiquet confined himself to afk his wife's confifcated fortune, which he obtained, and thereby deftroyed the whole merit of his interceffion, because he preferred his laft petition in the fame breath with the firit.

Madam Tiquet's brother, who was a captain in the guards, as well as the Sieur de Mongeorge, did all that lay in their power to procure her pardon; the former employed people of the first rank to folicit for his fifter; and the king would have yielded to their entreaties, but the Archbishop of Paris, M. de Noailles, who was afterwards Cardinal, reprefented to him; that the fecurity of ⚫ husband's lives depended upon the 'punishment of this offender; for

that the pardoning of her, would "embolden others to commit a crime,

which was already but too com'mon, the Grand Penitentiary having ⚫his ears beaten over and over with 'confeffions of women, who accufed * themselves of having attempted the lives of their hufbands.' This remonftrance determined the king to fuffer juftice to take its course on fo notorious an example.

The altars fet up in the streets for the folemnity of the Corpus Chrifti proceffion, on the eve of which feftival Madame Tiquet had been condemned, occafioned the execution to be deferred till Friday. She was conducted on that day to the torture-room, While fhe was going thither, the afked if her caufe was not yet determined. They answered, it would be determined very foon; for they had not hitherto given notice of the fentence. The Sieur de la Chetardie, the Curate of S. Sulpitius, had come

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to fee her, aad endeavoured to inspire her with fentiments of religion the most suitable to the state she was in.. But he refifted all these impreffions, and feemed to be hardened against every fentiment of a fincere peni

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When he was before the Lieutenant-Criminal, the fentence was read to her; during which time she was narrowly obferved, to see what impreffion fuch a terrible judgment would make upon her. She heard it without once moving an eye-brow, or changing colour. The judge then addreffing her, faid: Madam, you have been hearing a sentence which puts you into a itate very different from what you have been in; you was in an honourable station; the pleasures to which you have abandoned yourself, made life very charming to you and agreeable. Lo! you are now in the bofom of ignominy, and on the brink of suffering extreme punishment; what a vaft difference, then, is between those days of mirth and jollity, and this cruel, this doleful day of horror you now fee! You will need, Madam, to fummon all your refolution to fwallow down this bitter, but falutary cup, and to be able to fay, with the royal prophet, I will take this cup of falvation. You ought to throw yourself upon the mercy of God, calling upon him, who alone can enable you to bear 'the weight of your crofs, and mingle fweets with the baleful ingre dients of your cup. If fo, you may be reconciled to the thoughts of that death you are condemned to fuffer, fince you may confider it only as a paffage that leads into a better life."

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