X. THE DEATH OF THE DUCHESS DE CHÂTEAUROUX 84 SECOND PART [1745–1768] I. LOUIS XV. AND THE ROYAL FAMILY IN 1745 97 II. THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MARQUISE DE POMPADOUR 116 III. THE NEW MARQUISE 125 IV. MADAME DE POMPADOUR’S THEATRE 133 V. THE GRANDEURS OF THE MARQUISE DE POMPADOUR 147 VI. THE GRIEFS OF THE MARQUISE DE POMPADOUR 156 VII. MADAME DE POMPADOUR, LADY OF THE QUEEN’S PALACE 168 VIII. MADAME DE POMPADOUR AND THE ATTEMPT OF DAMIENS 180 IX. MADAME DE POMPADOUR AND DOMESTIC POLITICS 193 X. MADAME DE POMPADOUR AND THE SEVEN YEARS’ WAR 201 XI. MADAME DE POMPADOUR AND THE PHILOSOPHERS 214 XII. THE DEATH OF THE MARQUISE DE POMPADOUR 225 XIII. THE OLD AGE OF MARIE LECZINSKA 233 XIV. MARIE LECZINSKA AND HER DAUGHTERS 245 XV. THE DAUPHINESS MARIE JOSÈPHE OF SAXONY 258 XVI. THE DEATH OF MARIE LECZINSKA 269 THE COURT OF LOUIS XV. _INTRODUCTION_ If you want romance, said M. Guizot one day, why not turn to history? The great author was right. The historical novel is out of fashion at present. People are tired of seeing celebrated people misrepresented, and they agree with Boileau that “Nothing is so beautiful as the true, the true alone is lovely.”