Influence of the Breton Deputation Gl 



Estate in cousLituting itself the National Assembly, for 

 the government remained silent, whereas they felt that 

 the king was still surrounded by the enemies of their or- 

 der.^ The fears of a coup d'etat, which had been so viv- 

 idly felt at the Breton Club on the evening of the 9th of 

 June, were not allayed by the decisive action which had 

 lollowed by which they had intended to put themselves 

 ill 'A state of defense. They now seem to have begun to 

 tear that an attempt would be made to drive the assembly 

 f.siinder by force of arms. To escape from this menace, 

 it seems that the idea arose among the members of the 

 Breton Club to transfer the assembly to Paris where it 

 would be under the protection of the large population 

 entirely favorable to its pretentions.- To prevent a prop- 

 osition to this effect being made to the assembly on June 

 20, Mounier asserts that he introduced his motion of the 

 Jcu de Fauuic, which pledged the assembly not to separate 

 until it had made a constitution."' Mallet du Pan, writ- 

 ing in 1800, states positively that Sieyes, Barnave, and 

 the Breton Club had formed the definite project of trans- 

 ferring the assembly to the capitol, and that they arrived 

 at the Tennis Court intending to take advantage of the 

 circumstances to execute their resolution.^ 



According to the trustworthy Gregoire, it is to the in- 

 itiative of the Breton Club that the action of the assembly 

 on June 23, in refusing to leave the hall following the 

 command of the king, is to be ascribed. That the an- 

 nouncement of a Ivoyal Session should have created spec- 



^Boulle, June 26. Revue de la Revolution, XIII, p. 73. 



-Le Roulx on June 21, enumerating the dangers of a royal session^ 

 describes the attitude of Paris as "Le noir image d'une capitale en 

 fermentation pour nous." 



^Recherches siir les causes qui ont empeche les Frayi^ais de devenir 

 libre, 1792, I, p. 296, note. 



*Mercure hritannigue, V, 19, cited by Aulard, I, pp. XII, XIII. 



267 



