the power and wealth of the _bourgeoisie_ were
turned against her; but the court scandal-mongers and intriguers found
their match in Mme. de Pompadour, who showed herself so superior
in every respect to the court ladies that the hostilities gradually
ceased, but not until the public itself had expended all its efforts
against this upstart.

Her first move was to surround herself with friends, the first of whom
she wisely sought in the queen. Paying her every possible attention,
she persuaded the king to show her more consideration. The Prince
de Conti, the Paris brothers, and others of the great financiers of
France were added to her circle. After this she began her rule as
first minister, in place of the dead Fleury, by giving places and
pensions to her favorites. The reign of economy and domestic morality
came to an end with the accession of Mme. de Pompadour; in fact, it
was soon generally considered that those upon whom she did not shower
favors were her enemies. At this time the nobility of France was too
corrupt to raise any serious objections to the dispensing of favors by
the _maitresse-en-titre_, whether she were of noble birth or not.

As mistress, her duties were many: to manipulate and manage
Versailles, please and captivate the king, make allies, win over the
highest officials and keep control of them, put her own friends in
office, attach to her favor every man of prominence,--princes and
ministers,--keep in touch with the court, appease, humor, and win the
honor of the courtiers, "attach consciences, recompense capitulations,
organize about the mistress an emulation of devotion and servility by
means of prodigality of the favors of the king and the money of the
state; but what was a more burdensome task,--she must occupy the king,
aid and agitate him, fight off constantly, from day to day and hour to
hour, ennui."

This terrible ennui, indifference, enervation, this lazy and splenetic
humor of the king, she succeeded in distracting, in soothing, and
amusing. She understood him perfectly--therein lie the great secret
of the favor of Mme. de Pompadour and the great reason of her long
domination which only death could end. She had the patience and
genius to soothe the many ills of the monarch, possessing an intuitive
understanding of his moral temperament, and a complete comprehension
of his nervous sensibility; these gifts were a science with her and
enabled her to keep alive his taste for and enjoyment