BRINVILLIERS, bran-ve-ya, Marie Madeleine Marguerite d'Aubray (MAR QUISE DE), French poisoner: b. Paris, about 1630; executed 16 July 1676. She was the daughter of a civil-lieutenant of Paris, and married in 1651 the Marquis of Brinvilliers. About 1659 the Marquis introduced to his house a young cavalry officer, named Godin de Sainte-Croix, for whom his wife conceived a violent passion. The Marquis, occupied with his own pleasures, seemed indifferent, but her brothers remonstrated, and her father, scandal ized at her misconduct, had Sainte-Croix openly arrested in her • carriage and taken to the Bastile in 1665. Sainte-Croix remained in prison about a year, and made there the acquaintance of an Italian, who taught him the art of preparing poisons. On his liberation he imparted his discoveries to Madame de Brin villiers, who had in the meantime assumed an air of piety, visiting the hospitals and minister ing to the sick, and had thus reconciled herself to her family; but the affront offered her by her father remained in her mind, and she had resolved to avenge it. gainte-Croix, apparently from cupidity, seconded her design. He sup plied her with poisons, with which she ex perimented first on the patients in the hospital. She occupied eight months in administering poison to her father, and at last killed him suddenly without being suspected. By the aid of Lachaussee, an old domestic of Sainte-Croix, whom she caused to enter their service, she also succeeded in poisoning her brothers. She is
said to have attempted her husband, with a view to marry Sainte-Croix, but did not suc ceed. Sairite-Croix died suddenly, it is said from the falling off of a mask of glass which he used to protect himself in preparing a subtle poison. A packet addressed to Madame Brin v,illiers, containing poisons labeled with descrip tions of their effects, revealed their conspiracy. Among a number of letters there was one con taining a promise of $6,000; which Sainte-Croix had exacted as the price of his assistance. Madame Brinvilliers fled to Liege, and took refuge in a convent. Her extradition being obtained, she was inveigled from the convent by a pretended lover, brought to Paris, and on the evidence of Lachaussee, together with her own confession, condemned to be beheaded and afterward burned. Her exposure soon led to the discovery of the famous poisoner La Voisin. Consult Pirot, Marquise de Brin villiers' (Paris 1883).
BRION, Friedrike, Elizabeth, Ger man lady: b. Niederrodern, Alsace, 1752; d. 1813. To her Goethe dedicated several lyrics and she is the supposed original of Maria, in von Berlichingen,> as well as of Gretchen in "Faust.) She figures in a well-known epi sode in Goethe's 'Dichtung and Wahrheit,' and is often styled from her 'place of residence, eFriederike von Consult Diintzer, von Sesenheim in Lichte der Wahr belt' (Stuttgart 1893), and Bielchowslcy, A., and Lili) (Munich 1906).