I. 1630-1721. | A friend of Richelieu and Mazarin, | 10 | | A hapless ambassador, | 11 | | A great chief of the Parisian police, | 14 | II. 1694-1724. | A man of the world who can count his conquests, | 23 | | Schooldays: emancipation, | 24 | | Death of Louis XIV.: a retrospect, | 26 | | Entry into public life: relations with his father, | 28 | | Director of the Press, | 30 | | In battle with the Parlement against the schemes of Law, | 31 | | In the Rue Quincampoix, | 33 | | Law arrested by d'Argenson, Intendant of Valenciennes, | 34 | | A dutiful correspondent: Madame de Balleroy, | 35 | | Appearance of "Mon FrÈre": relations of the brothers, | 37 | | The AbbÉ de St. Pierre, | 40 | | The work of an Intendant, | 42 | | Difficulties: a "Partie CarrÉe," | 43 | | D'Argenson's resignation: its consequences, | 45 | | A judgment of his character, | 48 | III. 1724-1744. | Bolingbroke in exile: the "Club de l'Entresol," | 55 | | An active member, | 57 | | "Un cafÉ d'honnÊtes gens," | 58 | | Cardinal Fleury and the Entresol, | 59 | | The society suppressed, | 60 | | A political aspirant, | 61 | | Keen interest in the ecclesiastical quarrels, | 62 | | D'Argenson, and Chauvelin's opinion of him, | 65 | | Disadvantages: an embarrassed patron, | 66 | | Political disappointments, | 70 | | Relations with his wife, | 71 | | D'Argenson and the fall of Chauvelin: a keen regret, | 74 | | Appointed Ambassador to Portugal, | 77 | | Six years of expectancy and intrigue, | 78 | | Fleury and the Portuguese Embassy, | 79 | | D'Argenson joins the Court opposition, | 80 | | At feud with the Cardinal, | 82 | | The weight of his indictment, | 85 | | D'Argenson and Voltaire, | 87 | | Their correspondence: literary quarrels, | 88 | | "The best and most instructive work that I have read for twenty years," | 89 | | The Prince Royal of Prussia, | 91 | IV. November, 1744-January, 1747. | D'Argenson becomes Minister of Foreign Affairs, | 93 | | Accounts of his ministry, | 94 | | His views upon foreign politics, | 97 | | The first two months, | 102 | | Deprecates an offensive campaign in Flanders, | 104 | | His policy both of peace and war overruled by the King, | 106 | | Death of the Emperor, Charles VII. (January 20, 1745), | 107 | | The situation at Paris, and at Vienna, | 107 | | French overtures to the King of Poland, | 110 | | Prussia and the maritime powers, | 113 | | Frederick's view of the position in Germany, | 114 | | Supported by d'Argenson: the Flassan memoir, | 115 | | His vain attempts to second Frederick, | 119 | | Convention of Augsburg, and loss of Bavaria, | 121 | | Fontenoy and the retreat of Conti, | 125 | | Convention of Hanover, between Prussia and England, | 126 | | Election of the Emperor Francis I., | 127 | | D'Argenson's share in these events, | 128 | | Austrian overtures to France: frustrated by d'Argenson, | 130 | | Winter campaign of 1745: Treaty of Dresden, | 134 | | Review, | 136 | | 1746: the Negotiation of Turin, | 138 | | Resistance of Spain, and treachery of Sardinia, | 141 | | Collapse of the scheme, | 142 | | The neutrality of the Empire, | 143 | | The Saxon marriage, | 144 | | Maurice de Saxe and Count BrÜhl, | 145 | | Dismissal of d'Argenson: his position, | 147 | | His conduct of the Italian scheme, | 148 | | His attitude towards Austria and Prussia, | 150 | | D'Argenson and the tradition of French foreign policy, | 152 | V. 1747-1757. | D'Argenson in retirement: review of his Journal, | 154 | | A revolution in politics, | 156 | | Influence of England, | 160 | | Diderot: Buffon: Voltaire: Rousseau, | 162 | | An election to the Academy: a French Inquisition, | 163 | | The revolution in thought, | 165 | | D'Argenson's Journal: his power as a writer, | 166 | | "Le style, c'est l'homme," | 169 | | Private life: Paris and Segrez, | 170 | | Conclusion, | 171 |
VI. 1737 and 1755. | "ConsidÉrations sur le gouvernement de la France," | 173 | | Critical difficulties, | 174 | | The "Plan" of 1737, | 176 | | M. Martin's judgment of it, | 177 | | The judgment of Voltaire, | 179 | | Its prime distinction, | 180 | | D'Argenson's views as to the value of the Monarchy: important change, | 182 | | The "Plan" of 1755, | 184 | | Abstract of the "Plan," | 185 | | The scope and significance of d'Argenson's proposals, | 199 | | D'Argenson and Turgot, | 202 | | The scheme in the aspect of revolution, | 204 | | A master-work of sagacity, | 206 | | APPENDICES | 213 | | NOTES | 227 | | INDEX | 255 |
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