omes. And yet often the most careful and ingenious precautions were
unavailing.

For the repression of this ever-increasing disorder the King
constituted a fresh tribunal, to which he entrusted the special
investigation and punishment of those secret crimes. This was the
Chambre Ardente, which held its sittings near the Bastille. La Regnie
was its president. For a considerable time La Regnie's efforts,
assiduous as they were, were unsuccessful, and it was the lot of the
much overworked Desgrais to discover the most secret lurking-hole of
the crime. In the Faubourg Saint-Germain there lived an old woman,
named La Voisin, who followed the calling of a teller of fortunes and a
summoner of spirits, and, assisted by her accomplices Le Sage and Le
Vigoureux, managed to alarm and astonish people who were by no means to
be considered weak or superstitious. But she did more than this. She
was a pupil of Exili's, like La Croix, and, like him, prepared the
delicate, traceless poison, which helped wicked sons to speedy
inheritance and unprincipled wives to other, younger husbands. Desgrais
fathomed her secrets; she made full confession; the Chambre Ardente
sentenced her to be burned, and the sentence was carried out on the
Place de Greve. Amongst her effects was found a list of those who had
availed themselves of her services; whence it followed, not only that
execution succeeded execution, but that strong suspicion fell on
persons of high consideration. Thus it was believed that Cardinal Bonzy
had obtained from La Voisin the means of disembarrassing himself of all
the persons to whom, in his capacity of Archbishop of Narbonne, he was
bound to pay pensions. Similarly, the Duchess de Bouillon and the
Countess de Soissons (their names having been found in La Voisin's
list) were accused of having had relations with her; and even Francis
Henri de Montmorency, Boudebelle, Duke of Luxemburg, Peer and Marshal
of the realm, did not escape arraignment before the Chambre Ardente. He
surrendered himself to imprisonment in the Bastille, where the hatred
of Louvois and La Regnie immured him in a cell only six feet long.
Months elapsed before it was proved that his offences did not deserve
so severe a punishment. He had once gone to La Voisin to have his
horoscope drawn.

What is certain is that an excess of inconsiderate zeal led President
La Regnie into violently illegal and barbarous measures. His Court
assumed the character of the Inquisit