e tact he might have become ambassador, minister, or even cardinal,
had he wished it, but at the very moment when he fancied he had attained
the object of his ambition, he lost it forever by writing the famous
lines, commencing,--

Pompadour, vous embellisez
La cour, le Parnasse, et Cythere.

These verses, as we know, provoked a little remonstrance from the queen
and her daughters: all was lost for Voltaire, despite the goodwill of
Madame de Pompadour, who, for the rest, seeing that the cause was a bad
one, cared not to risk her own favor by imprudent attempts. Voltaire
never pardoned the marchioness her lukewarm intercession; and like a true
poet, revenged himself by a succession of madrigals, chansons, and
rhymes, without number,--all leveled, though in a playful way, at the
head of the favorite.

Duclos and Rousseau were more severe. Duclos, fully impressed with the
idea that he was a great historian, as impartial as he was passionless,
judged her harshly. He feared passing for a courtier, and he was unjust,
She bad attempted to attach Rousseau to herself; but the proud Genevese
Republican wrote her a letter which cut short all further
negotiations.[D] She always esteemed him, however, in a high degree. One
day, when Marshal de Mirepoix, in the course of conversation, advised her
not to trouble her head about that owl, she replied,--

"It is an owl, certainly, but it is Minerva's owl."

[Footnote D: Madame,--I had fancied for a moment that it was through
error that your messenger had remitted me one hundred louis for copies
which are charged but twelve francs. He has undeceived me. Permit me to
undeceive you in my turn. My savings enable me at present to enjoy a
revenue of about 540 livres, all deductions made. My work brings me in
annually a sum almost equal to this amount; I have then a considerable
superfluity; I employ it to the best of my power, though I scarcely give
any alms. If, contrary to all appearances, age or infirmities should some
day incapacitate me from following my usual occupations, I have a friend.
J. J. ROUSSEAU
PARIS, August 18, 1762.]

Madame de Pompadour, with the design of still further strengthening her
power at court, conceived the idea of calling in the powers of the Church
to her aid. The Prince de Soubise, who was one of her most devoted
courtiers, took upon himself the task of procuring an indulgent Jesuit,
who would consent to confe