disguise herself sometimes as a farm-girl,
sometimes as a shepherdess; at one time as a peasant-girl, at another as
a nun, in order to surprise him, or rather, to allow herself to be
surprised by him in some one or other of the many turnings and windings
of the park of Versailles. The king had at first been charmed by the
novelty of the amusement, but by degrees he discovered that it was always
one and the same woman under a thousand different disguises.

Perceiving that the king began to grow tired of this species of comedy,
she had a theater constructed in the medal-room of the palace, she
herself nominating the actors and actresses whom she considered worthy of
performing with her on a stage which was to have but the king and a few
favorite courtiers for audience. The Duc de Valliere was appointed
stage-manager and director; for prompter they took an abbe, most probably
the Abbe de Bernis; the company consisted of the Duc d'Orleans, the Duc
d'Agen, the Duc de Nivernais, the Duc de Duras, the Comte de Maillebois,
the Duc de Coigny, the Marquis d'Entraigues, the Duchesse de Brancas, the
Comtesse d'Estrade, and Madame d'Angevilliers. The theater opened with a
_piece de circonstance_, by Dufresny the poet, entitled _Le Mariage fait
et rompu_, in allusion to the marriage of Madame de Pompadour with M.
d'Etioles. The little troupe commenced with comedy, but soon descended to
opera and ballet. In song and dance, as well as in the representation of
the passions, Madame de Pompadour was the only actress of real talent. In
the characters of peasant-girls she was unsurpassed; but her _chef
d'oeuvre_ was the part of Collette in Rousseau's _Devin de Village_,
which she played with a _naivete_ and tenderness that won all hearts.

Nothing was more difficult than to gain admission to this theater of
dukes and duchesses, the tickets of admission for which were given by the
king alone; and it must be said that Louis showed himself a much more
rigorous janitor of his theater than he was of his palace: consequently
it was no slight favor for Voltaire, who had for a length of time aspired
to the pleasures of Versailles, to see his _Enfant Prodigue_ played on
the boards of the court theater. Voltaire had, like all men the weakness
of wishing to govern the state; intoxicated with literary successes, he
now aspired to political honors. He hoped to become minister or
ambassador through the favor of Madame de Pompadour; and with a little
mor