The Duc De Lauzun and the Court of Louis XV

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. 1755?1762. Lanznn’s education?He joins the Regiment of Guards?Mme. de Gramont?The Comte de Stainville ?Mme. de Stainville? A journey to Cauterets?M. de Jaucourt. On the strength of his father’s immediate intimacies, Lauzun was brought up at Court, as he himself expresses jt, “ On the knees of the King’s mistress.” He took Mme. de Pompadour’s fancy, and she conceived a sincere affection for the engaging child who was often brought to see her, and on whom she lavished her caresses. We have no record of Lauzun’s childhood beyond one letter from the Due de Gontaut: “ My son,” he says, “ is very ugly, but I believe he will have plenty of sense.”1 It would be hard to be less clear-sighted. Meanwhile, the child was growing and his education must be taken in hand. His father put him under the care of a man named Roch, who had been a servant in the family, a trustworthy man, who was graced with the title of Groom of the Chambers to give him some importance. He was, in fact, a very honest fellow, veryscrupulous and faithful, but as unfit as possible to fulfil the functions entrusted to him of directing the education of a youth. He taught him all he knew; to write a good hand and read aloud agreeably. The art of reading aloud well was at that time so highly valued that many persons took lessons from Lekain, Mole, and Mile. Dumesnil; the Comtesse de Chau- velin, who recited to perfection, had taken lessons from Mile. Clairon. M. Roch’s two simple accomplishments were of more use to his pupil than could have been expected. Mme. de Pompadour, having discerned Lauzun’s aptitudes, frequently employed him as her secretary, and she invariably applied to him whenever she desired to be read to. 1 “ Mon fils est fort laid, mais il sera, je crois, fort raisonable.” The you…