12362198 - Prince Charles Edward book (1900) by Andrew La...

Prince Charles Edward book by Andrew Lang. Printed in 1900 only 1,500 copies printed. This image is from copy number 220. The plates were engraved by Manzi Joyant & Co at Asnieres-sur-Seine, near Paris. RenÃ©-Louis de Voyer de Paulmy, Marquis d'Argenson (18 October 1694 â€“ 26 January 1757) was a French statesman. D'Argenson, the eldest son of Marc-RenÃ© de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson, was a lawyer, and held successively the posts of councillor at the parlement (1716), maÃ®tre des requÃªtes (1718), councillor of state (1719), and intendant of justice, police and finance in Hainaut. During his five yearsâ€™ tenure of the last office he was mainly employed in provisioning the troops, who were suffering from the economic confusion resulting from John Lawâ€™s system and the aftermath of the Mississippi Bubble.[1] D'Argenson returned to court in 1724 to exercise his functions as councillor of state. At that time he had the reputation of being a conscientious man, but ill adapted to intrigue, and was nicknamed la bÃªte. He entered into relations with the philosophers, and was won over to the ideas of reform. He was the friend of Voltaire, who had been a fellow-student of his at the Jesuit college Louis-le-Grand, and frequented the Club de l'Entresol, the history of which he wrote in his memoirs. It was then that he prepared his ConsidÃ©rations sur le gouvernement de la France, which was published posthumously by his son.[1] D'Argenson was also the friend and counsellor of the minister Germain Louis Chauvelin. In May 1744 he was appointed member of the council of finance, and in November of the same year King Louis XV chose him as secretary of state for foreign affairs, his brother, Marc-Pierre, Comte d'Argenson, being at the same time secretary of state for war. France was at that time engaged in the War of the Austrian Succession, and the government had been placed by Louis XV virtually in the hands of the two brothers. The marquis dâ€™Argenson endeavoured to reform the system of international relations. He dreamed of a European Republic,[1] and wished to establish arbitration between nations in pursuance of the ideas of his friend the abbÃ© de Saint-Pierre. But he failed to realize any part of his projects. The generals negotiated in opposition to his instructions; his colleagues laid the blame on him; the intrigues of the courtiers passed unnoticed by him; whilst the secret diplomacy of the king neutralized his initiative. He concluded the marriage of the Louis, the Dauphin to Maria, a daughter of King Augustus III of Poland, but was unable to prevent the election of the Francis, Grand-Duke of Tuscany as Holy Roman Emperor in 1745.[1] On 10 January 1747 Louis XV thanked d'Argenson for his services. He then retired into private life, eschewed the court, associated with Voltaire, Condillac and dâ€™Alembert, and spent his declining years in working at the AcadÃ©mie des Inscriptions, of which he was appointed president by the king in 1747, and revising his MÃ©moires. Voltaire, in one of his letters, declared him to be the best citizen that had ever tasted the ministry.[1] He died on 26 January 1757.[1]

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Credit: © John Short / Design Pics

Image Reference: 12362198

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