About “The Indiscreet Jewels”
The Indiscreet Jewels is the first novel by Denis Diderot, published anonymously in 1748. It is an allegory portraying Louis XV as Mangogul, Sultan of Congo, who owns a magic ring that makes women's "jewels" talk. The character Mirzoza represents Louis XV's mistress Madame de Pompadour, whom Diderot depicted flattering, likely to secure her support for his Encyclopedie. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)