Meeting of the Estates-General, 1789. 109 
pleasing to the king, who expressed himself as highly satisfied 
with the action of the clergy. The king concluded his response 
by promising to examine the clergy’s request concerning the 
course it should pursue.” But evidently, lest the king forget 
his promise, the clergy agreed to use pressure by writing a letter 
to the guard of the seals, Barentin, asking him to remind the 
king of his promise and to solicit a prompt response. Doubtless 
in view of Barentin’s well-known activity against Necker and 
in favor of the privileged classes, they considered him a highly 
valuable ally in holding Louis XVI in line. The clergy also 
gave a vote of thanks to the president and his associates for the 
way they had acquitted themselves in the affair of presenting 
the decree.® 
The group of nobles bearing their long decree of June 25 
was announced at this state in the proceedings, and several of 
the clergy were sent to receive the deputation. The spokesman, 
the Comte de Lachastre,’ expressed the gratification of his cham- 
ber at the recent formal constitution of the chamber of the 
clergy, saying that the nobility had awaited with impatience the 
time when the first order would be organized. Since that step 
had been taken, the nobility had commissioned him to express 
-to the chamber their satisfaction at the clergy’s ‘eagerness to 
respond, with the utmost confidence, to the views of conciliation 
presented by the best of kings.’ ‘‘Our sentiments for him,”’ 
the count added, ‘‘are the same. They are found in the decree 
which we passed yesterday, and which we are charged to bring 
to you.” Then rising to heights of emotion, he exclaimed: 
“‘May the union which reigns between the first two orders, may 
the patriotism which inspires them, maintain the constitution 
of the fairest realm in the universe, fix the crown firmly upon 
the most august head and cause this holy religion of which you 
are the faithful organs, and this noble firmness which, for so 
2 Barmond, Récit, 273-274; Coster, Récit, 343-6. Coster does not state 
that the president made the report. He adds that the king assured the 
chamber his special protection and promised it every securit /. 
3 Barmond, Récit, 274. 
4 Ibid., The minutes of the clergy do not give the name of the leader, nor 
of the other members of the delegation. These are found only in the Procés- 
verbal of the nobility, pp. 295, 297. 
223 
