LOUIS XV. (1710-74). King of France from 1715 to 1774. He was the son of the Duke of Burgundy, who died in 1712. and a great grandson of Louis XIV. He was born at Ver sailles, February 15, 1710, and succeeded to the throne September 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 Scotch man John Law (q.v.). When Louis was fifteen years of age he married Maria Leszczynska, daughter of Stanislas, the dethroned King of Poland. Fleury was at the head of affairs from 1726, when he succeeded the Duke of Bourbon as Prime to 1743. and by parsimony succeeded in improving the condition of the finances. It was his policy also to avoid war, in which, however, Louis was involved in 1733, in support of his father-in-law's claim to the throne of Poland. (See section on War of I'olish Succes sion under SuccEssmx \VARs.) By the Peace of Vienna (1738) Stanislas renounced his claims to Poland. but received Lorraine and Bar, which devolved upon France at his death (1766). In 1740 France was drawn into the War of the Aus trian Succession. After Fleury's death the King. whose life had been passed in idle sensuality. made a spasmodic return to virtue. He took the field in 1745. but in the following year was struck down by a dangerous illness at Metz. The grief of the nation, expressed in general prayers for his recovery. gained him the title of le • the well-beloved.' The King recovered and in 1745 was present at the battle of Fontenot', but speedily relapsed into his old life and fell completely under the influence of Aladante de Pompadour, who ruled Louis and France for nearly twenty years. directing es pecially the foreign policy of the country. Vast sums of money were lavished on the all-power fill mistress and on the bacchanalian pleasures with which she knew so well how to please the jaded senses of the profligate King. The Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, which terminated the War of the Austrian Succession ( I74s). was but an intermission in the great struggle which was finally to be fought out France and Eng land and between Austria and Prussia. in 1756 an extraordinary alliance between France and Austria, contrary to the historic polity of the two great rivals. was effected by the diplo macs of Kaunitz (q.v.) and the intim-nee of Madame de T'ompadour. There followed the seven Years' War (q.v.), which resulted in the humili ation of France, defeated by land and sea. and the loss of her colonial empire in .America and India by the Peace of Paris (17631. hi 1761
a contest broke out between the Pa dements and the Jesuits, the former being actuated by motives of traditional hatred, inasmuch as they were the strongholds of Jansenism. The influence of Madame de Pompadour and her favorite, the first Minister Choiseul, were thrown into the Seale against the Jesuits. and. though the Kin: was at first inelined to favor them for fear of Rome. the Parlements won the day. In 1762 the desuits were declared a eorporaiion hostile to the inter ests of the State and in 1761 the order was sup pressed. (See .1Es•yrs.) The Parlements. em boldened 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 treat ing the attempts of the Parlements to unite for one object as rebellions. Cho k1.1111. who bad con ducted foreign affairs with a certain skill, was displaced from ofliee (1770). a new mistress, Madame Du Barry (q.v.), having now come into the place which had been so long occupied by :Madame de Pompadour, and a Ministry was formed under the Due d'Aiguillon. the most prom inent member of which was the Chancellor Mau peon (q.v.). who immediately showed himself a relentless enemy of the Parlements. 'fhe Par lenient of Paris was abolished. its In embor: ban ished to the pro•inees, and a more facile in strument of the royal will, the •MISCil 111/ rot, took its place. This arbitrary act deeply moved 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 monarchy would last as as his life MOi Ie dOuyel. and continued immersed in sensual pleasures. Notwithstanding the bank rupt state of the finanees, it is estimated flat in five years he lavished more than Ithi,o00.(100 livres on Madame Du Barry. He died of sw-11 pox, May 10. 1771. universally disliked and in extreme misery. His reiLm was fruitful in promoting the Freneli Revolution, the way for was paved by the writings of ltonsseau. Voltaire, and the Encyclopedists He was sne• ceeded by his grandson. Louis XVI. consult the Memoirs of Choiseul. Ar•enson. De Lug nes. and others: Broglie, were I du rot. seer. t co're ,pondcnee of the King, with 1 is diplowatie agents, 175°-74 iParis. 1S79 ; id.. rod, rie et Louis XV., lioutarie.
Correspondanct er?tr, VI .
1866 loncourt . Les maitre s tcuj, X V.. letters rt elorume OR barters I paint Armand, The Last of Louis VV., trans. from the French (New York, ISO:11: Raynal, Le mariaue Wien De Tocqueville, Histoirc philosophiryue du rept(' de Louis IV. (ib., 1846).