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. I.
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.
THE
EDITOR’S PREFACE.
THE following work must be acknowledged highly interesting to thesetimes; and to posterity will be still more so. These are not the memoirsof a mere woman of pleasure, who has spent her life in a voluptuouscourt, but the history of a reign remarkable for revolutions, wars,intrigues,{iv} alliances, negotiations; the very blunders of which are notbeneath the regard of politicians, as having greatly contributed to givea new turn to the affairs of Europe.
The Lady who drew the picture was known to be an admirable colourist.
They who were personally acquainted with Mademoiselle Poisson, beforeand since her marriage with M. le Normand, know her to have beenpossessed of a great deal of that wit, which, with proper culture,improves into genius.
The King called her to court at a tempestuous season of life, when thepassions reign uncontrouled,{v} and by corrupting the heart, enlarge theunderstanding.
They who are near the persons of Kings, for the most part, surpass thecommon run of mankind, both in natural and acquired talents; forambition is ever attended with a sort of capacity to compass its ends;and all courtiers are ambitious.
No sooner does the Sovereign take a mistress, than the courtiers flockabout her. Their first concern is to give her her cue; for as theyintend to avail themselves of her interest with the King, she must bemade acquainted with a multitude of things: she may be said to receiveher intelligence from the first{vi} hand, and to draw her knowledge at thefountain head.
Lewis XV. intrusted the Marchioness de Pompadour with the greatestconcerns of the nation; so that if she had been without those abilitieswhich distinguished her at Paris, she must still have improved in theschool of Versailles.
Her talents did not clear her in the public eye; never was a favouritemore outrageously pelted with pamphlets, or exposed to more clamorousinvectives. Of this her Memoirs are a full demonstration; her enemiescharged her with many very odious vices, without so much as allowing herone good quality.{vii} The grand subject of murmur was the bad state of thefinances, which they attributed to her amours with the King.
They who brand th