Meeting of the Estates-General, 17809. at 
liberation they consulted their prelates to learn their opinion. 
_ The latter submitted a plan of conduct to be followed the next 
¥ 4 ‘day. Jallet adds that it seemed wise, so they resolved to carry 
& it out. He makes no definite statement concerning the nature 
= of this plan. Evidently, it advocated submission to the king’s 
command that they meet separately on June 24. Under that 
date, Jallet makes further explanation of the attitude of the 
+ majority. His own opinion was that they should go immediatey. 
to the national assembly instead of to the hall of the clergy 
a He claims that this opinion had been adopted, but the prelates 
_ prevailed upon the majority to follow their plan.?, Consequently, 
: 
* 
% 
i 
the entire order of the clergy met in its own hall. 
The customary ceremony at the opening of the session, con- 
sisting of the celebration of mass and the invocation of the 
Holy Spirit,? was lengthened by prayers for a member whose 
death had been announced by the Archbishop of Paris.4 The 
regular business was then taken up. 
3 Copies of the king’s discourses and declarations had been for- 
__ warded by the guard of the seals to the president of the clergy 
as well as to the president of the third estate.» The implication 
_ of this action was that the king expected the orders to begin at 
once the consideration of these documents. Who suggested 
their immediate examination is not certain, but very probably 
it was the presiding officer, the Cardinal de la Rochefoucauld. 
The proposal aroused violent opposition on the part of the 
‘majority. The Bishop of Nancy, who, it seems, was to read the 
documents, began, probably several times, but the majority 
created so much confusion and noise that he could not be heard.® 
2 Jallet, Journal, 100-101. : 
3 Coster, Récit, 339; Barmond, Récit, 267. 
4 Barmond, Récit, 267. 
5 Coster, Récit, 339; Barmond, Récit, 267. The latter says the secretary 
of the guard of the seals sent the documents. 
6 Coster, Récit, 339; Barmond, Récit, 267; Thibault, 247; Jallet, 101. The 
first says “‘ M. le Cardinal ’’ proposed to have the declaration read, the second 
says the president suggested that it be done. Thibault states: ‘‘ M. l’Evéque 
de Nancy a proposé a | ouverture de la séance, de faire lecture des déclara- 
tions.” Jallet reports: ‘‘ Les évéques opposants voulurent faire lire par 
l’évéque de Nancy le discours du roi et les déclarations; mais nous nous y 
Opposames; il se fit un tel bruit que l’évéque ne put se faire entendre.” 
135 
