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15. Lettre de cachet, A writ of imprisonment, — a répressive instrument of the French monarchy of the old régime, much used and abused in the century preceding the French Révolution. Under the king's warrant any person could be seized without cause and held indefinitely without explanation. Originally designed as a benevolent auxiliary for supplementing and expediting the course of justice against powerful personages, or to quiet refractory members of a family (cf. the pld Chevalier's wish, 1. 13-17), the lettres de cachet degenerated into a frightful violation of personal rights, being often distributed en blanc as gratuities to royal favorites to be used at pleasure against the personal enemies of the latter. With the lettres de cacliet is indissolubly associated the name of the old fortress and state prison, the Bastille, in which were incarcerated most of their victims.