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] |