periodicals in French language. It was more than a mere literary salon given its structured program, and differed from most learned societies by its emphasis on current affairs and public policy, primarily foreign affairs and economics. Members specialized in specific policy areas: e.g. Alary on Germany, d'Argenson on public law and institutions, Balleroy and Champeaux on peace treaties, Verteillac on mixed-government constitutions, d'Autry on Italy, Plélo on government institutions, Pallu on French financial history, Caraman on commerce, d'Oby on French estates-general and parliaments, Saint-Contest on contemporary history, Bragelongne on sovereign houses, La Fautrière on finance and trade, and Saint-Pierre on multiple topics. The older members: Camilly, Coigny, Lassay, Matignon, Noirmoutiers, Pérelle, Pomponne, and Saint-Contest the elder until his death, acted as a sounding and advisory board for their fellows' work. The latter prepared their contributions in advance of the club's weekly sessions. These texts were not printed let alone published; instead, their manuscripts were kept by Alary. Both the policy focus and structured research program made the club de l'entresol a precursor of more recent think tanks, even though its output was not in the public domain given the lack of freedom of expression in France at the time. Indeed, publicity is what led to the club's downfall, according to its chronicler the Marquis d'Argenson. D'Alary had to spend more time at the royal court in Versailles after he was given the role of (teacher of the royal family's children), and that made the Paris-based club more visible there. D'Argenson also cites Abbé de Pomponne as not discreet enough, e.g. on the sensitive matter of French attitudes to the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. France's chief minister Cardinal Fleury acknowledged the club's value and encouraged its work, but eventually decided on its closure in 1731 after it became an object of court controversy. Members In his memoirs, René-Louis d'Argenson listed the members of the club in the following order: Pierre-Joseph Alary (1689-1770) Jacques-Claude-Augustin de la Cour, marquis de Balleroy (1694-1773) François de Franquetot de Coigny (1670-1759) (1684-1766) René Louis de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson (1694-1757) Gérard Lévesque de Champeaux (1694-1778) Thibaut de La Brousse de Verteillac (1684-1778) Louis-Joseph de Goujon de Thuisy, comte d'Autry (1674-1749) (1699-1734) (1692-1758) François de Riquet, comte de Caraman (1698-1760) Andrew Michael Ramsay (1686-1743) (1668-1730) François Dominique de Barberie de Saint-Contest (1701-1754), son of the former (1688-1744) , marquis de Lassay (1652-1738) Antoine François de La Trémoille,