M E M O I R S
O F T H E
Marchioness of Pompadour.
WRITTEN BY HERSELF.
Wherein are Displayed
The Motives of the Wars, Treaties of Peace, Embassies, andNegotiations, in the several Courts of Europe:
The Cabals and Intrigues of Courtiers; the Characters of Generals,and Ministers of State, with the Causes of their Rise and Fall;and, in general, the most remarkable Occurrences at the Court ofFrance, during the last twenty Years of the Reign of Lewis XV.
Translated from the French.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
L O N D O N:
Printed for P. V a i l l a n t, in the Strand; and
W. J o h n s t o n, in Ludgate-Street.
MDCCLXVI.
M E M O I R S
O F T H E
Marchioness of Pompadour.
LEWIS XV. as I have said in another place, visited me habitually. Hecould not dispense with my company, which was become absolutelynecessary to him: but this inclination had not entirely removed a tastefor transitory amours. He yielded to them by constitution; but neverreflected on them without repentance. After an adventure of gallantry,he was more constant than ever. Remorse brought him back to himself andto me. I may venture to say, that I enjoyed his infidelity; and had hebeen entirely divested of it, he would have given{2} way to some otherpassion, that would have separated him from me. I was underapprehensions for some time that his mind would take a warlike turn: Idesired Maurice count Saxe, who regularly paid his court to him, afterthe campaigns in Flanders, not to dwell so much upon battles and sieges:but Lewis assured me, as I have already mentioned, that he hadsacrificed this inclination to the welfare of France.
The king had for some time devoted himself to politics; but this studyno way interfered with his amusements. He applied himself to it throughthat beneficent disposition, which naturally prompts him to solace hispeople. He was desirous of being possessed of the present state ofEurope: M. De Belleisle furnished him with it. The king shewed it to me:it was a system of political-topography. The Marshal entered into aminute detail upon the power of each government.{3} He took a review ofall Europe, and stipulated the state of the forces of the differentpeople.
M. de Noailles, who saw this state of Europe, said, “That there was toomuch geometry in it; that the republic of Christendom was subject to somany revolutions, which derived their origin from so many secondarycauses, wherewith politics had no kind of connexion, that cabinetsfrequently obtained honour from what was the mere effect of fortune.France, said he to me, exerted her influence to acquire Lorrain:Cardinal Richelieu could not succeed in the business, and Mazarinmiscarried; accident threw it into the hands of France under theadministration of cardinal de Fleuri.
“Europe was engaged for near two hundred years in negociation and war,to prevent the crown of Spain devolving to any branch of the house of{4}Bourbon. The will of a weak and languishing prince bequeathed itentirely to F