Prince Charles Edward book (1900) by Andrew Lang. Rene-Louis de Voyer de Paulmy, Marquis d'Argenson (18 October 1694 - 26 January 1757) was a French statesman. D'Argenson, the eldest son of Marc-Rene de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson, was a lawyer, and held successively the posts of councillor at the parlement, maitre des requetes, councillor of state, and intendant of justice, police and finance in Hainaut. D'Argenson returned to court in 1724 to exercise his functions as councillor of state. He entered into relations with the philosophers, and was won over to the ideas of reform. He was the friend of Voltaire, who had been a fellow-student of his at the Jesuit college Louis-le-Grand. D'Argenson was also the friend and counsellor of the minister Germain Louis Chauvelin. In 1744 he was appointed member of the council of finance, and then King Louis XV chose him as secretary of state for foreign affairs. The marquis daa??a??Argenson endeavoured to reform the system of international relations. In 1747, Louis XV thanked d'Argenson for his services and d'Argenson retired into private life.