The Marquis De Sade
by A.S.U

* Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814)*

A man to some, A monster to various others- Donatien Alphonse was a genius with words and even more so in the subject of Sadism. He was granted the title 'The Father of Sadism' over the coarse of History. He was an aristocrat, politician, a philosopher, and of course a writer. He was apart of the Libertine movement through his sexuality and lifestyles choosing. He wrote a vary of novels, short stories, plays and dialogues of course. Known best for his erotic works dealing in violence, criminality and blasphemy. Over his lifetime he had live in various prisons and asylums for thirty-two years of his life, the one he stayed at the longest would have to be Charenton for 13 years. Many of his works were written in this time frame.

Donatien Alphonse was born on June 2, 1740 in Conde Palace in Paris, France. His parents were Comte Jean-Baptiste Francois Joseph de Sade and Marie-Eleonore de Maille de Carman, She were Cousin and Lady in waiting to the Princess of Conde. As he grew, he was taught under guidance of his licentious Uncle, the Abbe de Sade. He attended the Jesuit Louis le Grand College after spending six years with his Uncle. After his education, in 1754, Alphonse enrolled into cavalry training at the Light Horse School, he was appointed to the King's infantry as an unpaid sublieutenant. In 1763, Alphonse was discharged from the Infantry with the rank of cavalry captain, after the end of the seven year war. During his discharge, His parents arranged his marriage to Lady Renee Pelagie de Montreuil. The reasoning being because they were losing funds, becoming poor quickly by the eyes of some. He married Lady Renee on May 15th of 1763, and even though the marriage was force, they were quite fond of each other. Later on, he was imprisoned in Vincennes Fortress for fifteen days upon the charge of excessive behavior committed in a nearby brothel.

In 1764, Donatien Alphonse was made Lieutenant General of four provinces, and became a producer at a small private theater, Lady Renee helped Alphonse in this theater. He held a Mistress for two years by the name of Lady Beauvoisin, not much was held from her after such. In 1767, His first son was born by Lady Renee, Louis Marie De Sade, followed by a younger brother by the name of Donatien Cluade in 1769 and a sister by the name of Madeleine Laure in 1771. In 1768 on April 3rd, he was charged for the rape of Rose Keller, only to be released by the Royal Order for evidence supported him instead of Rose. She states that she were bound and flogged before he raped her. Yet, in 1770 he rejoined the army becoming a Colonel for the King's Infantry. In 1771, he spent a week in Fort l'Eveque prison for debts he owed. After which He and His famil had moved onward to a manor out in the countryside at La Coste. Lady Anne, Lady Renee's sister, had joined them out there. There was evidence of Lady Anne and Alphonse's Uncle (The Abbe De Sade) having sexual relations there.

In 1772, Alphonse had a comedy he had written performed upon the stage. In this same year he engaged four prostitues who, along with himself and his servant Armand, engaged in an orgy with much flogging, including the Marquis. During the event, Alphonse offered the girls many aniseed sweets which had been laced with spanish fly and another substance, anodyne. Instead of the desired effect, these girls became quite ill. He was charged for poisoning and sodomy. Yet, avoiding the law, he skipped off to Italy and spent several months there with Lady Anne whom passed off as his wife. Later, Mare Montreuil held the request he be arrested, she became Alphonse eternal nemesis. After some five months in captivity, Alphonse along with two other had escaped only leaving note for his things to be sent to La Coste, where he demanded his name cleared. There were several attempts to recapture him.

In 1775, he held a series of many orgies with various ladies and his wife Lady Renee at their home in La Coste. Although, in 1777 he was arrested in Paris and taken back to Vincennes Fortress, during this time, His wife petitioned long and hard for his release, yet his place was kept secret from her.In 1778, He was retried for the Marquis Case of 1772 simply because he would not plead insanity, Yet being cleared he was a legal free man.But, he was to remain in prison due to a lettre de cachet in force, he did however escape and return to La Coste, but was arrested again a month later. In 1784, he was removed from Vincennes and taken to Bastille, still under the Lettre de Cachet. In 1785, Alphonse started work upon the 120 Days of Sodom in the form we see it in this very day. Sill in Bastille in 1789, The Marquis had decide to make a nuisance of himself by screaming at the guards from the windows whilst they slaughtered prisoners. For his trouble he was transferred to Charenton Asylum.

Being that he was not happy about the transfer, he wrote. Ten days later, Bastille was stormed and his possessions ransacked and scattered as well as 120 Days lost forever to him. In the year 1790, The Decree of Assembly released the majority of prisoners held under lettre de cachet. After some fourteen years of imprisonment, Alphonse had walked a free man along the streets in the Middle of the French Revolution. In a financial graves, and with Lady Renee demanding a separation, he had spent much time writing plays. Later that year, he would meet his last, greatest and non-sexual love of his life, Marie Constance Quesnet. In the year of 1791, a book was published by an anonymous author, which was proven to Alphonse, The Marquis. The books title was Justine, a vulgar book. Release of course, yet in 1792 he had proved himself a loyal member of the revolution with a series of pamphlets, one which he threw in the King's coach. Alphonse was made Commissioner, whose duties included management of the hospital system. In the year 1793, Aline et Valcour was published under his name, a novel based upon psychological cruelty, and it held it's fairest share of suspense. He was also held in contempt by one of the leaders of the Revolution, Jean Paul Marat. Yet, Alphonse escaped the guillotine only because there was a mix up and The Marquis de la Salle was sent to death instead. Before the error could be corrected, Marat was killed.

The Montreuils, his former parent in laws that kept him prisoner for so long, had come under the Chairman's Sade's judicial power, and he acted to clear them of any charge. Alphonse loathe to apply the death penalty to anyone.He was arrested for the thought of being Emigre, or someone whom escaped the country and betrayed his colleagues because of his lax attitudes to law enforcement. By 1794, Alphonse had escape execution yet again, simply because the number of prisons and confusions of paperwork meant they couldn't find him. Later that year he was finally released from prison.In 1795, a novel was published as a posthumous work to the book Justine, it was titled Philosophy in the Bedroom. In 1801, Alphonse was arrested yet again and refused trial for the uproar it would cause, the reasoning being the fact he was indeed the author of Justine and Juliette. From 1803 to 1814, the year of his death, He spent time in the Charenton Asylum once more. He was over sixty and in very poor health. Marie would live some time with him there, and during which he wrote many plays which were performed by the inmates for the public eye. One of the doctors tried to have him transferred to a proper prison for her was truly insane. Alphonse died December 2, 1814- Most of his will left his money to Marie yet his sons contested this fact. Both sons attended the burnings of his books.