e of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748): in
this, she completely played her role of a youthful favourite, fond of
peace, the arts, the pleasures of the mind, and advising and protecting
all things happily. There was a second period, greatly checkered, but
more frequently disastrous and fatal; this was the whole period of the
Seven Years' War, the attempted assassination by Damiens, the defeat of
Rosbach, and the insults of the victorious Frederick. These were harsh
years which prematurely aged this weak and graceful woman, who was drawn
into a struggle beyond her strength.... However, my impression is that
things might have been worse, and that, with the aid of M. de Choiseul,
by means of the Family Compact she again covered her own mistakes and
the humiliation of the French monarchy with a certain amount of
prestige.

It seems that the nation itself felt this and felt more especially that
after this brilliant favourite there would be a greater fall; for when
she died at Versailles, April 15, 1764, the regret of the Parisian
populace, which some years before would have stoned her, was
universal....

The one who seemed to regret her the least was Louis XV.; it is related
that seeing from a window the hearse on its way from Versailles to
Paris, the weather being dreadful, he only said:

"The Marquise will not have very fine weather for her journey."

All the masters of the French school of her time painted a portrait of
Madame de Pompadour: we have one by Boucher, and another by Drouais
which Grimm preferred to all others; but the most admirable of all is
certainly La Tour's pastel owned by the Louvre. To this we go in order
to see _la marquise_ before we allow ourselves to judge of her, or to
form the least idea of her personality.

She is represented as seated in an arm-chair, holding in one hand a book
of music, and with her left arm resting on a marble table on which are
placed a globe and several volumes. The largest one of these books,
which is next to the globe, is Volume IV. of the _Encyclopedie_; next to
it in a row are the volumes of _L'Esprit des Lois_, _La Henriade_, and
_Pastor Fido_, indicative of the tastes at once serious and sentimental
of the queen of this spot. Upon the table also and at the base of the
globe is seen a blue book upside down, its cover is inscribed: _Pierres
gravees_; this is her work. Underneath it and hanging down over the
table is a print representing an engraver of precious stones at work