[Footnote 72: _E.g._, one which crops up incidentally in a letter of the Marquis de Balleroy, July 26, 1722. "Effectivement tout le monde dit qu'il fait son intendance à merveille, et mieux que bien des gens qui ont l'esprit plus brillant que lui" (Barthélemy, II. p. 270). _Cf._ also a letter of St. Pierre to d'Argenson, quoted p. 41.] [Footnote 73: The father of the famous Controller-General.] [Footnote 74: Journal (Rathery), I. p. 125.] [Footnote 75: The edition here cited is that of Count Édouard de Barthélemy, lately published in two volumes. The edition consists of a series of extracts from certain of the letters, and represents only a fraction of the whole correspondence, which occupies eight volumes. (Bibliothèque Mazarine, MS. 2341).] [Footnote 76: See Lacroix, "xviii. Siècle--Le Libraire."] [Footnote 77: The great "Constitution Unigenitus," which served as a rallying cry for the rival factions for half a century.] [Footnote 78: Martin, "Histoire de France," XV. p. 109.] [Footnote 79: St. Simon speaks of Marc René d'Argenson's efforts to break the weight of the religious persecution; and the modest expression of gratitude which closes Fontenelle's "Éloge" was evoked by the protection d'Argenson had given him in the storm which gathered round the "Histoire des Oracles."] [Footnote 80: Marais, "Journal," I. p. 287. "A la vérité, il disait, et c'est à moi-même qu'il l'a dit, que les jésuites étaient des fripons aussi, et qu'il avait la preuve de l'un et de l'autre."] [Footnote 81: Barthélemy, I. p. 141.] [Footnote 82: Martin, "Histoire de France," XV. p. 40.] [Footnote 83: Barthélemy, I. p. 208.] [Footnote 84: Martin, "Histoire de France," XV. p. 65.] [Footnote 85: _Cf._ Aubertin, "L'esprit public," chap. iii.] [Footnote 86: _Cf._ Journal (Rathery), I. 123.] [Footnote 87: Journal (Rathery), I. 23.] [Footnote 88: See p. 18.] [Footnote 89: See pp. 71-3.] [Footnote 90: November 12, 1719. Barthélemy, II. p. 83.] [Footnote 91: Martin, "Histoire de France," XV. 55.] [Footnote 92: Ibid., XV. p. 56.] [Footnote 93: Buvat, "Journal," II. p. 35.] [Footnote 94: D'Argenson became Master of Requests on his marriage with Mademoiselle Méliand, who brought him the position as part of her dowry. See Journal (Rathery), IV. p. 29.] [Footnote 95: Barthélemy, II. p. 130.] [Footnote 96: St. Simon, "Mémoires," XVI. p. 435. "On n'avait jamais oui parler d'un conseiller d'état et intendant de Hainaut de vingt-quatre ans; ni d'un lieutenant de police encore plus jeune." D'Argenson, as a matter of fact, was twenty-six.] [Footnote 97: D'Argenson's first notice of his Intendancy is dated April (Journal, Rathery, I. p. 35). We have however a letter written by him to Madame de Balleroy from Valenciennes on March 22nd. He says so little as to suggest that he had just arrived, and had little pleasant to say. On April 7th he writes the charming letter, part of which is quoted below.]