ARGENSON, the name of a French family, derived from an old hamlet in what is now the department of Indre-et-Loire. MARC RENE DE VOYER, marquis de Paulmy and marquis d'Argen son (1652-1721) held various legal offices at the French court, and in 1697 was appointed lieutenant-general of police. He held this post for 21 years, during which he was a party to every state secret, and a familiar friend of Louis XIV. ; in 1709 he directed the destruction of the Jansenist monastery of Port Royal. In 1718 he became keeper of the seals and president of the council of finance ; he was appointed by the regent to suppress the resis tance of the parlements and to reorganize the finances, and was blamed for the failure of the schemes of John Law. He resigned in 1720 and died on May 8, 1721. See the contemporary memoirs, especially those of Saint-Simon (de Boislisle's ed.), Dangeau and Math. Marais; Barbier's Journal; "Correspondance administra tive sous Louis XIV." in Coll. des doc. fined. sur l'histoire de France, ed. G. B. Depping (1850-55) ; Correspondance des con troleurs-Generaux des finances, pub. by de Boislisle (1873-1900) ; Correspondance de M. de Marville avec M. de Maurepas (1896 97) ; Rapports de police de Rene d'Argenson, pub. by P. Cottin (undated); P. Clement, La police sous Louis XIV. (1873).