CHAP. 1789. Conduct of the King. June 3rd. the Dauphin. 6th. June 17th. During these transactions, the King acted with the benevolence which, in better times, would have secured for him the admiration and love of his subjects, and with the weakness which, in the present period, exposed him to censure and to danger. He recommended conciliatory measures, and permitted the committees formed for that end to be held in presence of his ministers; but he neither supported the resistance of the nobility, nor forwarded the attempts of the tiers état. In fact, no consistent plan of conduct was prepared for him by his confidential advisers; aud thus his conduct was made to waver between concession and resistance; the one used when it was no longer possible to conciliate, the other resorted to when the adverse body had gained strength sufficient to overpower and deride it. Even his personal feelings were not respected. Affliction had visited him in the death of the Dauphin, who, not unexpectedly, and for him not unhappily, expired at Meudon. deputation from the tiers état nevertheless introduced themselves into his Majesty's presence, to urge their claims and demand his interference. A A new and much bolder measure than all which had preceded, hastened the termination of the contest. The tiers état, by their own authority, without the assent of the King, or either of the other orders, without petitions or addresses from the people, and in direct violation of the terms of their instructions, declared themselves a National Assembly. This tremendous usurpation occasioned neither resistance nor remonstrance, but was sanctioned by uncontrolled applause. The results of their deliberations were termed decrees, and received the authority of laws, by the force of the assembly alone. Nor was the intent of the resolution disguised. In supporting the motion for the new denomination, the Abbé Sieyes, who, as a the compiler went back to the 5th of May, 1789; and, in an abstract, related all proceedings from the first assembling of the States-general. He also prefixed a long and useful, although not impartial, introduction, containing a view of the established government of France, and a detailed account of the different forms of representative and deliberative assemblies which had been convened in former days. writer and speaker, met much attention, put the question on this footing:-" Who are you?" he said, apostrophizing the nobility, "your chamber represents "hardly a hundred and fifty thousand persons; we "are the authorized agents of five-and-twenty millions. "Were we longer to delay through complaisance, we "should permit the obstinacy of a few thousands to "stifle the will of so many millions." CHAP. LXVI. 1789. from their Before this violent resolution had been adopted, Some of the the firmness of the clergy was shaken. After a deli- clergy secede beration with the nobility, in which the majority of body. their body still maintained the principle of separation, three curés*, then six more, presented themselves in June the hall of the tiers état, and verified their powers. After the vote for a national assembly had been carried, 18th. the majority of the ecclesiastical body agreed to an and are folunion, and appointed an early day to verify their lowed by the powers as required. 13th-11th. whole body. In this alarming crisis, M. Necker advised the Royal sitting King to proclaim a royal sitting, and to declare, in proclaimed. person, his intentions and views respecting the forma tion and proceedings of the States-general. If such a measure could at any time have been attended with success, that time was obviously past, and those declarations, which, if they had preceded the convocation of the Assembly, or even if they had been made at the first meeting, might have produced some good effect, were now, after such long postponement, and when pretensions advanced and resisted had occasioned so much irritation, calculated only to increase the ferment, and direct the tempest of popular fury toward the person of the Sovereign. Heralds proclaimed the June 20th. royal sitting, and announced that, until it could take Assembly. place, the meetings of the deputies must be suspended. Workmen having taken possession of the hall, to make necessary preparations, a guard, stationed at the door, * This word is used as most fit to describe the portion of the clergy to which it belongs. The word curates, in its modern and usual sense, would not be equivalent to the French term. Nor would the word rector represent it exactly, as a curé, although a cure of souls was committed to him, had not necessarily the rights either of a rector or vicar in England. Scene in the CHAP. 1789. the Tennis Court. prevented the entrance of the deputies, who consequently formed groups in the streets, every one detailing and exaggerating the tyrannical measures which were to be adopted, and the danger to which the Oath taken in people were exposed. In this ferment, they repaired to the Tennis Court of the palace, and there made that famous declaration, confirmed by an oath and ratified by the signature of all the members*, "that they "would never separate, but would continue to meet, "wherever circumstances should require, until the "constitution of the kingdom and the regeneration of public order should be established and settled on a "permanent basis." 23rd. Conduct of Declaration of the King. 66 At the royal sitting, the King made the declarations prepared for him by M. Necker, altered in a slight degree, but much to that minister's dissatisfaction, by his Majesty in council. This fact was unknown to the Assembly and to the public; but, when all the other ministers took their places around the Sovereign, the seat of M. Necker was vacant. The Keeper of the Seals read the first declaration, which directed that, in matters of finance and internal government, the three orders should deliberate together, but that subjects of constitutional regulation should be discussed by each order separately. The second declaration guaranteed the periodical assembling of the States-general, the extinction of all privileges in matter of taxation, the abolition of the corvée, or highway duty, which had been much complained of as unjust and oppressive; the assurance of the public debt, the removal of restraint from trade and industry, the establishment of states in every province, and the full enjoyment of personal liberty, except in cases where internal commotions might render the suspension necessary. To these proposals, which, with proper revision and explanation, might have satisfied every reasonable expectation, the King, under different advice from that of M. Necker, added a sentence which sounded like a threat, and, in the fevered state of *One only, Martin De Castelnaudary, refused to affix his name. men's minds, was calculated to destroy all the effect of his benevolent expressions. "If you desert me," he said, "in this undertaking, I alone will accomplish "the happiness of my people." He then commanded the deputies to adjourn until the following day, when they were to assemble in their respective halls. 66 CHAP. LXVI. 1789. Assembly. Louis departed, followed by the nobility and all Energetic the clergy who had not previously separated from their conduct of the order. The tiers état, in defiance of the royal mandate, remained. M. De Brézé, Grand Master of the Ceremonies, then said, Gentlemen, you have heard "the intentions of your Sovereign;" but the Comte de Mirabeau exclaimed, "Yes, Sir, we have heard "intentions which have been suggested to the King; “and you, who are not the interpreter of his inten"tions; you, who have neither seat nor vote in this "place; you have no right to remind us of his speech. "I declare that we will not quit our post until expelled by the bayonet." This declaration was warmly echoed by many members; workmen were injudiciously introduced to remove the hangings and the seats; but the Assembly proceeded in its deliberations; and, on the motion of Mirabeau, decreed that the person of every member was inviolable. 66 This sitting was calculated to dispel any illusion, if Effect of these any could yet remain, of the royal authority. The proceedings. proceedings of the court, no less than the contrivances of the factions, contributed to its destruction. The King was led to put forth the assertion of a power which, it was obvious, he no longer possessed. The offensive forms, which had given so much disgust at the opening of the States-general, were still maintained. The nobility and higher clergy appeared in gorgeous array, while the deputies of the tiers état were still obliged to enter with only one folding door opened, and the hall was surrounded with troops; yet when the King's orders were contumaciously defied, and disobeyed; when a prepared mob insulted him on his departure from the hall, no one was found to lead the troops to act, or even to make a display; but, instead of the bayonet, which they had defied, the Assembly CHAP. 1789. Union of the three orders. 25th. 27th. Character of the Duke of Orléans. was dispersed by the sound of the hammer, the clatter and cries of artizans, and the dust which was created by their operations. It may be said, that the efforts of the nobility were prevented by the King's resolution that no man should be sacrificed, not a drop of blood shed in his cause. If they were restrained by this very childish declaration, no menace should have been used, no ostentation of force resorted to, nor any circumstance introduced which could irritate men who were struggling for untried power and unusual consideration. The King was a victim, alike to the factious intrigues of his enemies, the insidious plans of M. Necker, the ill-advised interposition and subsequent indifference of his friends; but, most of all, to his own want of resolution, his flexibility to persuasion, and his want of firmness to enforce resolutions which he could declare to be right, yet tamely see counteracted and defied. With the royal sitting, the dispute between the tiers état and the privileged orders may be said to have ended. Following up their resolutions, nine of the clergy united with the tiers état: and forty-seven of the nobility, headed by the Duke of Orléans, adopted the same measure. Two days more produced a complete junction, although a few deputies of each of the higher classes renounced their mission, and refused to verify their powers. They who entertained a hope that this event would produce harmony, or even tranquillity, must have been little versed in the human character; the members of the superior orders felt themselves vanquished, degraded, mortified; while those of the tiers état, assuming the air of victors, commanders, and protectors, evinced an insolence which rendered the situation of the others more galling, and tended to a perpetual itritation. In the body thus formed were some members whose character and conduct had a material influence on subsequent events. At the head of those must be placed, on account of his rank, wealth, and malignity, the Duke of Orléans. From the first meeting of the States-general he had lent all his influence to distress |