The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-05-28

against both male and female conspirators
and their jealous contrivances. EnVieu "
all the light women of the Court, desplscd
and set at naught by the ministers In Tue
early part Of her reign, hated by the whoie
nation, and vilified day by day in count
less lampoons and pasquinades which
passed from mouth to mouth, her lie Was
exhausted in continual struggle to main
tain her position. And the smiling sultana,
the mistress of dozen chlteaur, the insa-
table channel of the Kings pro digality,
would retire from public view exhausted
with the efforts which her histrionic posi-
ion renuircd to the privacy Of her apart
mant throw herself down on her seat be-
fore her waiting maid, and let loose tor
rent of complaints on the bitterness OF her
destiny. Her strength failed her under
the severity of the daily ordeal which was
tho necessity Of her position; and when
her life had thus been expended as slave
of roval caprice, she was, as D'Argenson
saws. as much forgotten by the King and
ali Versailles few days after her death as
though she had never existed.
As long as she lived, however, she held
supreme control over home and foreign
politics. Shameful as is the history of the
ascendancy of Madame de Pompadour, her
influence was great in controlling the bigot
party at Court, at the head of which were
the Dauphin and the Kings daughters.
| The memoirs of the Due de Luynes reveal
| the immense part which the latter played
in the life Of the King; their intolerance
| and that of their adhercnts, and the direc
| ton which they attempted to assume in
church matters, might have made the his
| tory Of France still more gloomy at this
period had the party which attached itScll
ut the commencement of her career tc
Madame de Pompadour, which consisted
| indeed of most of the men of merit in
France, such as D'Argenson, Machault, Du-
vernai, Qucsnay, and the Encyclopedias,
not had the advantage of her domination
over the character Of Louis. She made and
unmade Ministers, was all-powertul in in
ternal affairs, held a balance between the
clergy and the Parliament, directed the
foreign policy Of the country, and decided
on war or peace. In addressing ministers
and ambassadors she spoke for herself and
the King as "nouS." She renewed the
traditions Of the etiquette Of the Court OF
Louis XIV. When she received, a single
chair gave notice to all to stand in her
presence. Her carriage had such armorial
bearings and hammercloth as dukes only
were allowed to use, and a gentleman OF
one of the oldest families of Guienne car
ried her mantle on his arm, walked by the
side of her sedan chair, or waited for her
in the ante-chamber when she took an
airing. Her maJtre dhotel, Collin, pre-
scented the mistress her napkin with o
Cross of Saint Louis on his breast.
Louis the NV., monster OF iniquity, as
he was, had nothing Of the courage of the
wicked. lie was Superstitious III high
degree, and when disease hindered him
from enjoying sin, used to shrek at the
thoughts OF future tormcnts. He made
miserable end, for his death-bed became
the scene Of 4 struggle between the highest
dignitary Of the church and painted and
bedizencd harlot.
The following couplet, placed on the pc.
destal of a statue erected in Paris during
his lifetime, is biting but not inapt:
I'll est lei CONNIE a Versailles
Sans cTur ct sans entrailles.