Among the numerous admirers of Adrienne was the count Maurice de Saxe (see Notes), who, after various love affairs and scandals, was attracted to this eminent young actress on his second visit to Paris, in 1721. Their love was mutual and the friendship continued for several years. When, in 1725, he wrote to France for money, to enable him to secure the duchy of Courlande, Adrienne sold her jewels and silver plate and thus raised for him the sum of 40,000 francs. Nevertheless, he failed in this enterprise and, after years of absence, he returned to Paris, October 23d, 1728. Differences in taste and especially the infidelity of the count caused an estrangement.

It was at this period that he became an admirer of the intriguing Duchesse de Bouillon (see Notes). This artful coquette now conceived a dangerous jealousy toward Mlle. Lecouvreur, which she concealed under a treacherous semblance of friendship and hospitality.

Although the testimony in the case is somewhat contradictory, it seems nevertheless strongly indicated that the duchess desired to poison her rival. In order to carry out this plot, the duchess is said to have engaged one Simeon Bouret, a young painter of miniatures. He was born at Metz in 1711 and came to Paris in 1727 and again in 1728. According to his sworn testimony, it was while engaged in painting the portrait of the duchess that she tried to persuade him to call upon Mlle. Lecouvreur and to give her a love potion which would turn her from the Comte de Saxe to someone else. He was summoned to a number of secret meetings with two masked men who, as the emissaries of the duchess, continued to urge him to carry out her design. Convinced, however, that the real purpose was to poison Mlle. Lecouvreur, he revealed to her the plot and afterward brought to her some lozenges which had been left for him by the mysterious agents in a secret place. Upon opening the package, Mlle. Lecouvreur and two other persons—Bouret and the Comte de Saxe—who were present were made ill by the emanations of the enclosed chemicals. The lieutenant of police was immediately informed of the affair. That same day (July 29, 1729), Bouret was imprisoned at Saint-Lazare. Meantime, Claire-Joseph Geoffroy, of the Académie des Sciences, analyzed the lozenges but rendered a doubtful report upon them. In the various interrogations to which Bouret was subjected, he continued to repeat the story as above. Liberated, October 23, 1729, he was again thrust into prison, January 23, 1730, at the instigation of the Duke de Bouillon. The duchess, having been advised that public suspicion rested upon her, undoubtedly desired to accomplish the ruin of her tool, the unfortunate Bouret, in order to save herself. Bouret wrote, on August 8, 1730, a touching appeal to M. Hérault, lieutenant of police, in which he reiterated his innocence and attributed his continued imprisonment to his enemies. This letter bears the impress of truth. However, as nothing appeared to be accomplished by it, and he seemed to be destined to spend the rest of his days in prison, Bouret wrote again, August 24, to M. Hérault, this time a totally different letter, calculated to placate his enemies and secure his own liberation, even at the apparent expense of the truth. Having implored the pardon of the duchess, whom he now claimed to have falsely accused, he obtained a tardy release, on the third of June, 1731.

It does not appear that Adrienne was really harmed seriously by the odor of the poison, which in the play causes her death. She had always been delicate in health and had suffered from many illnesses which interrupted her work as an actress. In her last year she had also many discouragements, among which were the death of her former teacher and fellow actor, Michel Baron (1653-1729), of the troupe of Molière, the ingratitude of Piron, the intrigues of her rivals of the stage and in love, especially Mlle. Du Clos and the Duchesse de Bouillon, the infidelity of Maurice de Saxe, and the attempted poisoning.

Among the plays in which she participated toward the close of her career were Phèdre, Horace, Électre, Le Malade imaginaire, and La Surprise de l’Amour. She was taken ill while playing in Le Florentin and Œdipe, on March 15, and died on the following Monday, March 20, 1730, at eleven o’clock in the morning. Voltaire, d’Argental, and a surgeon were present at her bedside.

Christian burial was refused by the clergy, because she had not received the last rites of the church. She had died while the priest for whom she had sent was on the way. She was therefore interred secretly and at night. It was probably near the bank of the Seine that this great actress was buried, though the exact place of her burial is uncertain.

Voltaire urged her fellow actors to resist and to denounce such unworthy treatment of her who had been one of the chief glories of the French stage. However, nothing appears to have been done. M. Grandval, who had just been received into the company of the Comédie-Française, pronounced her eulogy, composed by Voltaire. Numerous other persons also wrote very eulogistic and some even passionate appreciations in prose and in verse of her beauty, charm, grace, abilities, and triumphs.

A collection of letters entitled Lettres de Adrienne Le Couvreur, Réunies pour la première fois et publiées avec notes, étude biographique, documents inédits tirés des archives de la Comédie, des minutiers de notaires et des papiers de la Bastille, Portrait et fac-simile, par Georges Monval, Archiviste de la Comédie française, was published by Plon, Paris, in 1892. Many of these letters are remarkable for their graceful and charming style and give to Mlle. Lecouvreur a high rank as a letter writer.

From the many verses written in her honor by her faithful friend, Voltaire, the following are selected:

Quatrain