124 Travels in France 



them afterwards with the actual events that shall happen will 

 aflford amusement at least. The most prominent feature that 

 appears at present is, that an idea of common interest and 

 common danger does not seem to unite those who, if not united, 

 may find themselves too weak to oppose the common danger 

 that must arise from the people being sensible of a strength the 

 result of their weakness. The king, court, nobility, clergy, army, 

 and parliament are nearly in the same situation. All these 

 consider, with equal dread, the ideas of liberty now afloat; 

 except the first who, for reasons obvious to those who know his 

 character, troubles himself little, even with circumstances that 

 concern his power the most intimately. Among the rest, the 

 feeling of danger is common, and they would unite, were there a 

 head to render it easy, in order to do without the states at all. 

 That the commons themselves look for some such hostile union 

 as more than probable appears from an idea which gains ground 

 that they will find it necessary, should the other two orders con- 

 tinue to unite with them in one chamber, to declare themselves 

 boldly the representatives of the kingdom at large, calling on 

 the nobility and clergy to take their places — and to enter upon 

 deliberations of business without them should they refuse it. 

 All conversation at present is on this topic, but opinions are more 

 divided than I should have expected. There seem to be many 

 who hate the clergy so cordially that rather than permit them 

 to form a distinct chamber would venture on a new system, 

 dangerous as it might prove. 



gth. The business going forward at present in the pamphlet 

 shops of Paris is incredible. I went to the Palais Royal to see 

 what new things were published, and to procure a catalogue of all. 

 Every hour produces something new. Thirteen came out to-day, 

 sixteen yesterday, and ninety-two last week. We think some- 

 times that Debrett's or Stockdale's shops at London are crowded, 

 but they are mere deserts compared to Desein's, and some others 

 here, in which one can scarcely squeeze from the door to the 

 counter. The price of printing two years ago was from 27 livres 

 to 30 livres per sheet, but now it is from 60 li\Tes to 80 livres. 

 This spirit of reading political tracts, they say, spreads into the 

 provinces so that all the presses of France are equally emiployed. 

 Nineteen-twentieths of these productions are in favour of liberty, 

 and commonly violent against the clergy and nobility; I have 

 to-day bespoke many of this description that have reputation; 

 but inquiring for such as had appeared on the other side of the 

 question, to my astonishment I find there are but two or three 



