106 Jeanette Needham. 
The second project was read again and passed by a large ma- 
jority.’ In the meantime, the deputation to the clergy returned 
and reported.’ Then the president named the six nobles who, 
through the decree that they bore,’ went to flaunt before the 
national assembly, the action of their order, which ignored all 
the principles for which the commons stood and accepted all 
that they had rejected. 
The report of Bailly’s response to the deputation given to 
the chamber by the Duc de Liancourt evidently provoked intense 
excitement among the nobility.’ The conservative Duquesnoy, 
who criticized the reply of Bailly rather severely, heard that 
the nobles were especially irritated at the clause, elle s’est portée 
ad vous recevoir, which made them feel that the third estate had 
deliberately attempted to humiliate the nobility. Duquesnoy 
declared that at the reading of this expression several nobles 
involuntarily placed their hands on the hilts of their swords, 
while the most moderate shared the general feeling of irritation. 
Some of the more hot-headed members wished to take immediate 
action upon the affront offered by the third estate. Duquesnoy 
continues that it was proposed that the nobility retire at once, 
place a veto upon all that had been done in the estates, and go 
in a body to the king, declaring that the third estate wished to 
deprive him of his crown, but that the nobility would defend 
it and would fly to his aid when he should call. 
The more prudent members, however, prevailed upon the others 
not to take such extreme measures at once. A roll call of the 
chamber resulted in a very large majority in favor of postponing 
any further discussion of the matter until the next day.* Du- 
quesnoy states that the Duke of Luxemburg said that he con- 
_ 4 Procés-verbal ... . de la noblesse, 295-296. The vote is given thus: 
165 ont été pour son adoption; 21 pour le oui, avec un léger amendment; 8 pour 
la majorité; 1 pour le rejetter; 5 n’ont pas eu de voix. 
5 Tbid., 297. 
6 Tbid., 296-297. 
7 Procés-verbal . , . de la noblesse, 298; Duquesnoy, I, 134-136. 
8 Procés-verbal . . . de la noblesse, 298. Duquesnoy does not give the 
figures upon the vote. The Procés gives the following result: “154 ont été 
pour remettre la déliberation 4 demain; 1 s’est rangé a la pluralité; 7 n’ont 
point eu de voix; 45 ont opiné pour déliberer sur-le-champ.” 
220 
