Meeting of the Estates-General, 1789. BS 
was always welcome, but the turning of the leaders to the 
assembly was of vastly greater consequence. That one curé 
came meant so much increase in numbers, but that another 
archbishop came, and that one the Archbishop of Paris, meant 
casting the weight of his influence on the side of the assembly. 
The Point du jour states that he was conducted into the hall 
by the Archbishop of Bordeaux® and as the two took their seats 
with the clergy the liveliest shouts and applause went up.!° 
Much affected by these testimonials of joy, the archbishop rose 
to explain his action. ‘“‘Gentlemen,” he began, ‘‘the love of 
peace has brought me today into the midst of this august as- 
sembly; accept, gentlemen, the sincere expression of my com- 
plete devotion to the country, to the service of the king, and to 
the welfare of the people. I shall deem myself more than 
fortunate, if I am able to contribute to these objects even at the 
cost of my life. May I be able to co-operate in the conciliation 
which is so necessary, and which I have always had in view. 
I will be more happy if the step that I have taken at this moment 
can contribute to this conciliation, which will always be the 
object of my prayers.!! We may well imagine that his “love of 
peace’’ had a very specific application in his mind. The taunts 
and indignities of the crowds in the streets to which he had been 
a constant victim were enough to drive him to seek a refuge in 
the assembly, lest he be assassinated.!2 Duquesnoy reports a 
9 Point du jour, I, 59. 
0 Tbid.; Duquesnoy, I, 134; Assemblée nationale, I, 214. 
1 Boullé, Documents inédits, Revue de la rév., XIII, 77; Procés-verbal, No. 
8, 16; Point du jour, I, 59; Assemblée nationale, I, 243. The latter says: 
“Il exposa en fort peu de mots, qu’il y avait longtemps qu’il se serait rendu 
dans cette salle si un pouvoir impérieux, n’eut enchaine sa conscience et qu’il 
espérait de la part de ses commettans des pouvoirs moins rigoreux.’’ The 
speeches in the first two do not indicate that he said anything about creden- 
tials. The text from the Procés-verbal is followed in the narrative. 
22 Duquesnoy, I, 128, 132; Biauzat, II, 138; Young, 122; Assemblée nationale, 
I, 219; Jallet, 102; Bulletin d’un agent secret, No. 47 (La révolution francaise, 
XXIV, 71). Bailly (I, 232) gives the following as the cause of popular 
hostility toward the Archbishop of Paris: ‘“ Je crois que la députation, vraie 
ou fausse, faite par le clergé secrétement et dans la nuit du 17 ou 18 au roi, 
a Marly, y contribua beaucoup. ... On disait que M. l’archevéque de 
Paris était a la téte, qu’il avait porté le crucifix, et qu'il s’était jeté aux genoux 
199 
