176 BAILLY. 



assembled at a tennis-court, and " took an oath never to 

 separate, but to assemble wherever circumstances might 

 render it requisite, until the Constitution of the King- 

 dom should be established and confirmed on solid foun- 

 dations." 



Once more, Bailly was still at the head of his col- 

 leagues on the 23d of June, when, by an inexcusable in- 

 consistency, and which perhaps was not without some 

 influence on the events of that day, the Deputies of the 

 Third Estate were detained a long time at the servants' 

 door of the Hall of Meeting, and in the rain ; while the 

 deputies of the other two orders, to whom a more con- 

 venient and more suitable entrance had been assigned, 

 were already in their places. 



The account that Bailly gave of the celebrated royal 

 meeting on the 23d of June, does not exactly agree with 

 that of most historians. 



The king finished his speech with the following im- 

 prudent words : " I order you, Gentlemen, to separate 

 immediately." 



The whole of the nobility and a portion of the clergy 

 retired ; while the Deputies of the Communes remained 

 quietly in their places. The Grand Master of the Cer- 

 emonies having remarked it, approaching Bailly said to 

 him, "You heard the king's order, Sir?" The illus- 

 trious President answered, " I cannot adjourn the Assem- 

 bly until it has deliberated on it." " Is that indeed your 

 answer, and am I to communicate it to the king ? " 

 " Yes, Sir," replied Bailly, and immediately addressing 

 the Deputies who surrounded him, he said, " It appears 

 to me that the assembled nation cannot receive an 

 order." 



It was after this debate, at once both firm and moder- 



