Causes Célèbres.
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CAUSES CÉLÈBRES. XII. LOUIS DE LA PIVARDIERE. [1697.] /""NE of the most remarkable cases of the seventeenth century, and one which has seldom found its parallel in the records of criminal jurisprudence, was that in which Louis de la Pivardiere figured as the hero. The youngest of three sons of a gentle man of noble lineage but decayed estate, De la Pivardiere found himself left, at his father's death, absolutely without resources. The easiest method of remedying this unsat isfactory condition of affairs was unquestion ably by marriage with a lady of wealth, and young Louis felt himself in good luck when he succeeded in captivating the affections of a widow named De Menon, who possessed an estate producing an excellent income. She was older than he, to be sure, and the mother of five children by her first marriage; but these were trifles to De la Pivardiere, who found her other attractions more than suffi cient to offset any such encumbrances. The marriage took place between the two in 1687, and for two years all went well, their domestic felicity being interrupted only by passing fits of jealousy on the part of the young husband. In 1689 De la Pivardiere, as Lord of Narbonne, was compelled to take his turn of service, and two years later he obtained a lieutenantcy in the regiment of dragoons at St. Hermine. By this time a certain coolness had been engendered between the pair, and the inevi table absence of Louis was endured by both with an amount of resignation hardly consis tent with real affection. The wife found apparently, consolation in the attentions of the Abb6 of Mizeray, who was a frequent and welcome visitor at the chateau. While travelling from place to place on pretence of military duty, De la Pivardiere,
while at Auxerre on one occasion, met with the daughter of a man who held the office of huissier in the town, and fell desperately in love with her. Concealing the fact that he had a wife living, he married this new object of his attachment. He went through the ceremony under his family name of Bouchet, dropping that of De la Pivardiere. For two years he lived in undisturbed union with his Auxerre wife, paying twice a year a visit to his property at Narbonne, where he drew his rents and then went away, meeting with no opposition to his departure from his first wife, at whose house he generally found the Abbe an inmate on his return. Matters continued in this state for more than four years, until some of those who delight in communicating evil tidings found means to inform Madame de la Pivardiere of her hus band's pretended marriage, but without indi cating name or place. She at once adopted measures for verifying the statement, and had just obtained the required assurance when her husband set out on one of his semi annual visits to the chateau. Though she had ceased to love him, and in all probability had herself for a long time been equally culpable, this discovery in flamed her jealousy, and she only waited for his appearance to upbraid him with his infidelity. It was the evening of the fete of Notre Dame in August, 1697, and a brilliant party had assembled at the chateau to do honor to the day. A magnificent collation had been served, and the neighboring gentry were pres ent with their families. To the astonishment of all the master of the house strode suddenly into the room, and took his seat at the ta ble. His sudden apparition disconcerted the guests, and his wife received him with such
