ministers.

I suppose you think as I did, that Madame _Pompadour_ governed by her
own powerful charms; but that was not the case; she governed as many
other women do, by borrowed charms; she had a correspondence all over
the kingdom, and offices of intelligence, where _youth_, _beauty_, and
_innocence_, were registered, which were sent to her according to order;
upon the arrival of the _goods_, they were dressed, and trained for
_use_, under her inspection, till they were fit to be _shewn up_. She
had no regard to birth, for a shoe-maker's daughter of great beauty,
belonging to one of the Irish brigades, being introduced to the King,
he asked her whether she knew him? No: she did not: But did you ever see
me before, or any body like me? She had not, but thought him very like
the face on the _gros Eccuis_ of France. Madame _Pompadour_ soon found
out which of these girls proved most agreeable to the King, and such
were retained, the others dismissed.--The expence of this traffick was
immense. I am assured where difficulties of birth or fashion fell in the
way, ten thousand pounds sterling have been given. Had _Lewis_ the XVth
lived a few years longer, he would have ruined his kingdom. _Lewis_ the
XVIth bids fair to aggrandize it.




LETTER XLVI.

POST-HOUSE, ST GEORGE, six leagues from LYONS.


I am particular in dating this letter, in hopes that every English