La Constantin: Celebrated Crimes

In Short

This narrative reconstructs the dark activities of Marie Leroux (known as La Constantin) and her associate, Claude Perregaud, two figures who operated a sinister business in Paris under the guise of midwifery and surgery. By facilitating the "disappearance" of unwanted pregnancies and inconvenient social complications for the nobility, they amassed a fortune before finally facing the gallows. While the central criminals are not historical luminaries, the account serves as a grim reflection of the pervasive corruption and moral license that characterized the era, stripping away the polish of the grand roi to reveal the rot underneath.

The Story

The narrative opens in 1658, within a smoky Parisian tavern, where a group of young noblemen—Commander de Jars, a cynical treasurer named Jeannin, and a youthful, effeminate companion known as the Chevalier de Moranges—conspire to manipulate the life of a courtesan named Angelique de Guerchi. The trio’s callous games, built on deception and romantic betrayal, act as a catalyst for a series of escalating misfortunes.

As these aristocrats weave their webs of ego and revenge, a peripheral observer—a notary named Maitre Quennebert—finds himself accidentally embroiled in their affairs. While spying on the group through a hidden partition in a rented room, Quennebert discovers the true nature of the Chevalier de Moranges and witnesses the volatile dynamics between the noblemen and their targets. His curiosity, initially motivated by personal gain and petty intrigue, transforms into a cold, clinical obsession with documenting the crimes of those around him.

The plot deepens as the influence of La Constantin is introduced. She and her partner, Claude Perregaud, operate a house that functions as a sanctuary for those needing to hide the physical consequences of their indiscretions. Angelique de Guerchi, caught in the crossfire of the men who toy with her future, ultimately becomes a victim of this establishment. Her death—murdered and hidden beneath a palace floor in quicklime—is the pivotal event that exposes the machinery of the house.

Quennebert, ever the shadow, tracks these events with relentless precision. He collects written confessions and evidence, using his knowledge to navigate his own social ascent, including a marriage to a wealthy widow, Madame Rapally. As the law finally descends upon the city's hidden sins, the notary’s meticulous record-keeping provides the authorities with the proof needed to dismantle the operation. La Constantin and Perregaud are brought to trial, and their hidden ledgers hint at deeper, more explosive scandals involving the highest levels of society. To prevent a broader political catastrophe, the judicial authorities focus the trial solely on the murders of Angelique and another woman, Charlotte Boullenois. The pair are ultimately sentenced to death, their public execution serving as a final, brutal punctuation mark to a life defined by the lucrative management of other people’s disgrace.

How It Unfolds

The tavern conspiracy The narrative begins in a low-lit tavern, where three noblemen laughingly discuss a scheme to manipulate a woman. This scene establishes the casual cruelty and deep moral apathy that drive the upper-class characters throughout the story.

The witness in the walls Maitre Quennebert inadvertently begins his role as a chronicler of scandal by spying on an intimate meeting through a ruined partition. His discovery of the "Chevalier's" secret identity triggers a shift from mere mischief to a dangerous game of blackmail and observation.

The descent into the underworld The focus moves to the house of La Constantin and Claude Perregaud, a place where professional medical skills are perverted into tools for crime. Here, the consequences of the noblemen’s actions manifest as real, irreversible violence.

The accumulation of evidence Quennebert systematically collects written descriptions and forced confessions from those caught in the web of intrigue. He remains a detached, almost mechanical force, ensuring that when the time is right, he can exert total control over his targets.

The final reckoning The authorities finally move against the house, exhuming bodies and exposing the illicit trade in lives. The story concludes with the execution of the criminals and the strategic suppression of the wider, potentially devastating social scandals contained within their ledgers.

The People

Maitre Quennebert acts as the story’s cold, analytical eye. A notary by trade, he uses his sharp intellect and lack of moral squeamishness to spy on the nobility. He is motivated by curiosity and self-preservation, eventually weaponizing his observations to secure his own social standing.

La Constantin and Claude Perregaud are the architects of the book’s dark professional center. They view the lives and reputations of their noble clients as mere commodities. Their downfall is inevitable, driven by the sheer scale of their greed and the nature of their deadly business.

Angelique de Guerchi is a woman attempting to navigate a society that treats her as a disposable pawn. She tries to leverage her beauty and intellect to survive, but her lack of capital and the manipulative nature of her lovers make her the primary victim of the underworld’s services.

Commander de Jars and the Chevalier de Moranges represent the idle, destructive energy of the aristocracy. They view human lives as playthings, initiating the events of the book out of boredom. By the end, the physical and social trauma of their games leaves them permanently altered, if not reformed.

In Its Own Voice

"It is only an imperfect narrative imperfectly rounded off."

This warning to the reader frames the book as an incomplete history of crimes too revolting for the author to describe in full detail.

"The crimes were so revolting, and so unsuitable for discussion, that it was impossible for us to enter into any details on the subject."

The author justifies his editorial silence regarding the specific surgical and chemical methods used by the criminals.

What It's Really About

The book is a study of the intersection between societal hypocrisy and the mercenary nature of crime. It argues that the "great" scandals of history are often driven by the boredom and moral rot of the privileged, who require the services of a criminal underclass to sanitize their failures. By focusing on the figure of the notary—a man who observes and records rather than participates—the text questions the value of objective truth in a society built on reputation. It posits that the true corruption of the age lies not just in the crimes themselves, but in the desperation of the state to suppress these truths once they threaten the established social order.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy historical true crime will find this a fascinating, if sometimes unsettling, window into the seventeenth-century underworld. The writing is precise and maintains a dry, detached irony that keeps the heavy subject matter from becoming melodramatic. It captures the atmosphere of a city where the opulence of the court and the squalor of the back-alley tavern are only ever a wall apart.

It is helpful to approach the book with the understanding that it is a product of its time. The author’s decision to withhold "revolting" details—a choice he explicitly defends—might frustrate readers looking for a modern, forensic procedural. Furthermore, the period attitudes toward women, who are frequently depicted as either the dupes or the facilitators of the men’s ambitions, are pervasive. The narrative moves at a brisk pace, often jumping through time or perspective to maintain its clinical focus on the retribution of the criminals rather than their specific methods. It stays with you not for its violence, but for its cynical portrayal of a world where secrets are the most valuable currency, and where the only thing more dangerous than committing a crime is knowing too much about who else has done the same.