The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-11-23
is necessary that velvet masque should

You have seen me-"
Where 2"
In the forest OF Senart."
Them" said the king, "you can
divine that we should like to see YOU
again.
The finale of such an interview can be
easily imagined but Madame d'Etoilles
having paid the price, was determined
to enjoy the substantial fruits of the
perilous Investment. A month or two
later she drove to Versailles and de-
manded a personal audience with the
king. She WAS shown into the abinet
of Louis, and made her point thus:
"Sir, am lost My husband knows
my glory and my misfortune. l come
to demand refuge at your hands. If
you do not shelter me from his anger,
he will kill mel"
So Madame d'Etoiles entered the royal
household as Madame de Pompadour,
and never left 1t again until she went to
her grave.
Yet the task she had undertaken was
q hdlh OhCs lIOulS WAS blOlOuBulJ OtttoCJ
worn out debauchee who. required to
be continually amused, and this amuse-
ment taxed all the ingenuity of his
mistress. But her beauty, her accom-
plishments, and her tact were valuable
auxilaries, and she employed them per-
severingly. Twenty times day she
would change her Dress change even
her style of walking and conversation,
in order to catch the attention of the
tickle prince. Whole mornings she
would pass at her toilette, with the king,
who lounged in an easy chair and sug-
gested the different costumes to be
adopted. But in spite of all Pompa-
dourian devices, Louis became wearied,
and as a last resort she had a little
theatre constructed, and selecting a
choice company of actors and actresses,
began dramatic season at Versailles.
The Duke de Valliere was stage man
ager and director, and able was pro-
NOTED to the prompter's place, and no
one of less rank than marquis was
admitted into the troupe. The audience
was limited to small selection from the
proudest nobility of France, and the first
piece presented was written by the poet
Dufresny, and entitled I" LIE Marriage
fait ct rompu"-in playful allusion to
the marriage of La Pompadour with her
discarded husband, d'Etoilles. She her.
self was the only actress of any real
merit, and in such characters as Coltette
in Rousseau's "Devin de Village" is
said to have been wonderfully effective;
playing with truth and tenderness
which completely captivated all who
saw her.
The histrionic abilities of this marvel
Gus woman completed the conquest of
Louis, and from time forth, she reigned
securely and without rival. Born with
instincts naturally noble and refined,
she endeavored to make the monarch a
patron of art and bellies lettres, but the
degenerate Bourbon was framed of too
coarse material to be susceptible of such
elevation, and she was forced to content
herself with maintaining her position,
and allow him to follow the bent of his
own inclinations. That position was SO
firmly fixed that neither cliques nor
cabals could shake it. Through her
instrumentality the fall of the Jesuits
was decreed; she set up and pulled
down ministers; made and unmade
mobiles, and even shaped the diplomacy
of the kingdom. mot only" said she
one day to her confidante. the Able de
Bernis, mot only have all the nobility
at my feet, but even my lapdog is weary
of their Awnings"
It was through her policy that Corsica
was annexed to France, and thus Napo-
lean Bonaparte owes his birth as a
French citizen to the far seeing genius o:
Pompadour. Loving revenge as only a
woman can, she rarely forgave and
never forgot her enemies. An incautious
word sent Latude to the Bastile an
unlucky couplet caused the exile of the
minister Maurepas and Frederick Of
Prussia's jest about "Je regne de ootiI.
lon," laid the foundation for the Seven
Years. war.
Every Sunday morning she held 9
reception, to which all the most cele
brated artists and literary men at courI
were invited; and while the titled nobil.
ity of France were compelled to dance
attendance in her ante-chambers, thu
two Vanloos, de la Tour, Boucher, Cochin
Duclos and Crebillon, were always
promptly admitted and warmly wei
coined. But La Pompadour grew old
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