The Queen was accused by her enemies of having, by the aid of Maître René, "empoisonneur en titre," terminated the life of Queen Jeanne de Navarre, in 1571, by a perfumed ruff (not gloves—Description de la Vie de Catherine de Médicis); and her favourite son, the Duke d'Alençon, was said, cir. 1575, to have tried to suborn a valet to take away the life of his brother Henry by scratching him in the back of his neck with a poisoned pin when fastening his fraise.
Satyre Menippée. Paris, 1593.
Chronologie Novenaire, Vict. P. Cayet.
"S'ils se tournoient, chacun se reculoit, crainte de gater leurs fraizes."—Satyre Menippée.
"Le col ne se tourne à leur aise
Dans le long reply de leur fraise."
—Vertus et Propriétés des Mignons, 1576.