LOLTIS XV., King of France, the great-grandson of Louis XIV., b. at Versailles, Feb. 13, 1710, succeeded to the throne Sept. 1, 1715. The duke of Orleans, as first prince of the blood, was regent during. the minority of the king, whose education was intrusted to marshal Villeroi and cardinal Fleury. The country was brought to the verge of ruin during the regency, by the folly of the regent and the financial schemes of the celebrated Scotchman, Law (q.v.), When Louis was 13 years of age he married Maria Lesczynski, daughter of Stanislas, the dethroned king of Poland. Fleury was for a long time at the head of affairs, and by parsimony succeeded in improving the con dition of the finances. It was his policy also to avoid war, in which, however, Louis WEIS involved iu 1733, in support of his father-in-law's claim to the throne of Poland; the result being that Louis obtained Lorraine for Ids father-in-law, and ultimately for France. Notwithstanding the vigor with which this war was conducted, the character of Louis now became completely developed as one of the utmost sensuality, selfishness, and baseness. He surrounded himself with the vilest society, utterly forsook his queen, and lived, as he continued to do to the end of his life, in extreme debaucheiy, such as has rendered his name a proverb. In 1740 the war of the Austrian succession broke out, in which the French artny was by no means very successful, and during which Fleury died. The king was present, in 1745, at the great victory of Fontenoy, and showed plenty of courage. In the preceding year, during a dangerous illness, lie had made vows of reforming his life, and dismissed his mistresses: but on recovering health, he presently relapsed into vice. The peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. in 1748, was very much due to the entreaties of Mine. de Pompadour, whose influence the empress Elizabeth of Russia secured by bribes and flatteries. France gained nothing by this war; but her people were ruined, and her navy destroyed.
The king now sank completely under the control of Mme. de Pompadour, who was both concubine and procuress, and to whom he gave notes on the treasury for enormous sums, amounting in all to hundreds of millions of livres. 1Var broke out again with Britain concerning the boundaries of Acadia (Nova Scotia), and was for some time prosecuted with considerable vigor. In 1756 an extraordinary alliance was formed between France and Austria, contrary to the policy of ages, and chiefly through the influence of Mine. de Pompadour; but as she disposed of the command of the French armies at her pleasure, success did not attend their operations. The state of the
finances, the dispirited condition of the army, and the outcry of the distressed people were not sufficient to induce the king to make peace; but governed by his mistress, he obstinately persevered in war, even after the terrible defeat of Minden in 1739; whilst the British conquered almost all the French colonies both in the East and 1Vest Indies, with cape Breton and Canada. A peace, most humiliating to France, was at last con cluded in 1763.
Louis, although indifferent to the ruin of his people, and to everything but his own vile pleasures, was reluctantly compelled to take part in the contest between Mine. de Pompadour and the Jesuits, the result of which was the suppression of the order in 1704. See JESUITS. The parliaments, emboldened by their succeSs in this contest, now attempted to limit the power of the crown, by refusing to register edicts of taxation; but the king acted with unusual vigor, maintaining his own absolute and supreme authority, and treating the attempt of the parliaments to unite for one object as rebellious. The duke of Choiseul was now displaced from office; a new mistress, Mme. Du Barry, having now come into the place of Mine. de Pompadour; and a ininistry was formed under the duke d'Aiguillon, every member of which was an enemy of the parliaments, and an object of popular detestation. The councilors of the parliament of Paris were removed from their offices, and banished with great indignity; and an interim parlia ment was appointed (Jan., 1771), which duly obeyed the court. The princes of the blood protested against this arbitrary act, which deeply inoved the popular indignation. The king, when told of the ruin of the country, and the misery and discontent of the people, only remarked that the inonarchy would last as long as his life; and continued immersed in sensual pleasures and trifling amusetnents. IIe boasted of being the best cook in France, and was much gratified when the courtiers ate eagerly of the dishes which he hacl prepared. His gifts to Mme. Du Barry, notwithstanding the embarrassment of the finances, in five years amounted to 180,000,000 of livres. At last, Louis, who had' for some time suffered from a disease contracted through vice, was seized with small pox, the infection of which was communicated by a young girl who had been brought to him, and on May 10, 1774, he died, so far from being regretted that his funeral was a sort of popular festival, aid was celebrated with pasquils and merry ballads. His death bed was one of extreme misery. He was succeeded by his grandson, Louis XVI.