The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-01
NEW hooks.
Nine. de pOnpadOur.

the title of Nine. de Pompadour. (Scrib.
ners) For those who read French this
book might he superfuous, for educated
Frenchmen do not derive their conception
of the extraordinary woman who il the
subject of thi. volum" from TN" casual
and depreciatory references to her which
may be found ia the writing of so-call.d
standard historians. Their more adequate
notion Of the part IN" played in IN" history
of eighteenth century Eur pc. and of the
abilities which qualified her TO play it. is
derived from the Trustworthy and "labo-
rate monographs of Canpardon and the
brothers De Goncort MIR Williams is
indebted. and acknowledges his indebted
ness, to those writer's, but his own work
is largely based on an independent study
Of the sources of Information to which
they had recourse. lie recognizes the
absurdity of the current verdict which
envelops Nine. de pompadour in odium
because the Seven Years War happened
10 turn out nfayoraby To France Suisse
quent events have proved that the feminine
ruler Of Versailles was right in thinking
that the time had come for France to re-
nounce her traditional attitude of an
tagonism to Austria. for the reason that
in the changed condition of Europe there
existed a community of interests between
the Bourbon and the HapSburg monarchies.
Unfortunately for her, she did not take
into account two factors, the conioint
operation of which nobody could have
foreseen, to-wit, first. the capacity of
Frederick the Great TO make head against
the combined forces of France, Austria
and Russia, and, secondly. the ability Of
the elder Pit to retain successfully the
confidence of George III. and George Ill,
both of whom detested him, for a period
long enough. at all events. to complete
the dest ructon Of the French colonial
empire. Nine. de POmpadour mi-calcu-
lated. and there IL scarcely any reason to
doubt that she paid for the miecalCula'ion
with a broken heart. ST." could not sur
vive her country's humiliation.
The author SAYS truly in his preface that
in the long rod Of left hand Queens there
il no one whose career affords anythng
approaching the attraction for the stu
dent of history that IL offered by that Of
The subject of the present volume. II is
perfectly true that Nine. de Pompadour
was no ordinary kings mistress: neither
do we render her justice when We say that
she was "A great political force. As "A mat
ter of fact. for some nineteen years she
WAS the virtual ruler of France. or, in other
words. the ruler of the greatest power
In Europe. As Mr.. Williams reminds US
she conferred pensions and places. APP
pointed Generals, selected Ambassadors
made and unmade Prime Ministers. Upon
her rests the responsibility for the sudden
but, as VIZ have said not unreasonable
change in the traditional policy of France
toward the House OF Hapsburg, which
enabled the vindictive Maria Theresa to
fan the ashes of the War of the Austria
Succession into the devouring fame which
ravaged Europe for seven years. To her
influence, also, must be attributed in a
great measure the suppression of the
Jesuts in France.
IL We turn from politics to other aspects
of French civilization, we cannot but
recognize the imprint of her hand IL
il TO her that France is indebted for the
manufacture of Sevres porcelain. while
the establishment of the Ecoic .NRif1ire,
which, in the twenty-seven years of its
existence. gave TO the country SO many
distinguished officers, Napoleon among
the number, was mainly due TO her efforts
In her also men OF letters and artists found
a generous and appreciative friend. She
protected Noltaire and Montcsquieu res
Cued the elder Crtibillon from poverty and
neglect, encouraged Didrrot and dAlom-
bert in their lahors and made the fortune
Of Marmonte' II was She who Introduced
Boucher and his works to the court of
Louis Nv. and promoted in every way
the interests of his fellow painters. I'm a
word. from the day on which she was in
stalled at Versailles az nditressc dtcldTfe
or rnHresse On tire. till her death in 1904 l.,
period Of some nineteen years a, we have
said-the influence of Mime. de Pompacour
was paramount in all matters, from politics
10 porcelain and she was in fact the true
sovereign and the real fountain of honor
in France.
How vas il possible that a woman Of
middle class origin, the daughter Of a man
who had been forced TO fly his country
TO escape being broken on the wheel should
attain to a post which had hitherto been
regarded as the peculiar appanage Of the
daughters of mobiles, and. generally, of
great mobiles? IL l. cert ain that from the
beginning her elevation was the signal
for an outburst of hostility to which a loss
resolute and lass remarkable woman must
have succuInbcd She was called upon to
face at once the enmty Of the royal family.
OF powerful ministers. of ladies Of the court,
Of tho Jcsuits and Of the rabble of Paris.
for even the latter resented their sover-
eign's departure from the custom observed
by his predecessors of selecting mist resses
from the nobicssc Not only did she never
finch for moment from the unequal con-
test. but never till the hour of her death
did she fail TO sustain her position Of pre-
dominance, except for "A brief interval,
when the attempt of Damiens to assas-i-