Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-07-15
MADAME DE POMPADOUR.
Her Beauty Meeting with Louis
Xv-Inhuence- Rivals Court Life
ana Death.
From st. Paul's Magazine.I

From st. Paul's Magazine.l
If one could create an expurgated edi-
ton Of history, one might put Madame
de Pompadour out of sight; but alas |!
the eighteenth century, and even the
French revolution, cannot be understood
without taking her into consideration.
She was possessed of greater power in
Europe than any woman of modern times,
with the exception, perhaps, of Elizabeth
of England, and Catharine of Russia.
She was the Sultana of France for
twenty years, with the Sultan in leading
strings. Therefore, history, with blush,
is obliged to chronicle the doings of the
Pompadour.
Destiny seems to have marked her out
from her cradle and educated her for the
sultana form of existence. She was, as
is we'll known, originally Mademoiselle
Poisson by birth, Jeanne Antoinette
Poisson.
Her mother was beautiful but depraved.
Her nominal father, M. Poisson, was the
SON of a peasant M. Poisson became
chief clerk of the famous spectators
the brothers Paris Daverney-who, as
contractors for the army, had accounts
with the French War Office which were
found fraudulent. NJ. Poisson was fixed
upon as the chief culprit, and condemned
to be hung, fate which he escaped by
flight, and he was hung only in efigy, and
lived to get his pardon by intercession
with the authorities. He was cynical
Incorporate, vulgar person, who would
naturally never have attracted the notice
of posterity but for the notoriety of his
nominal daughter. She took care to keep
him as far away from Versailles as possi-
BILE; where, however. he would come
sometimes. and put her elegance to the
blush. On such occasions, however. she
always treated him with respect, and,
moreover, she paid his debts, gave him
one estate, and got him another.
he took little notice of Jeanne An
toinette, however, till her strange fortune
was made, but left her and his wife, and
a boy who bore his name and became the
Marquis de Marigny, to the charge of M.
lie Normsnt de Tournehem, the veritable
father of Jeanne Antoinette, a rich fer
mier-general, who took every pains and
spared no expense in educating the little
Poissen--for Jeanne Antoinette was one
of the most graceful and charming OF
blonde-haired children, ald already full
of intelligence, wit and vivaoiiy.
How beautiful she was may still be
seen in her portrait by Latour, Boucher
and others. She was tall, voluptuously
and finely made, with the whitest and
smoo.hest of skins; her eyes were brown
and brilliant; nsg 18th were white and
small; her atms round ana Psrfect; her
hands beautiful and 6ne; her blonde
hair, which she wore only half-disguisec |
With powder, rippled beyond her temples |
in the ffeshet Of little waves, and her |
small mouth was closed with delicate lips,
which had an infnitive caerry-like fresh
ness and fullness, till they became pale
and withered with the convulsive billings |
which the never-ending affronts and agl-
tations of her Versailles lie produced. |
Her enemies, male and female, at Yer
sailles, in later days, watched the daily |
withering of these lips. and the gradual
emaciation Of the round lines of her once |
cheek, and found comfort. We
must add 70 these charms Of person her