The First Revolutionary Step 9 



May 13 the Breton deputies strongly favored the policy of in- 

 action, waiting for the deputies of the other orders. Delaville 

 Le Roulx writes to his constituents of Lorient on May 8 that he 

 tried to convince Malouet on the evening of May 6 that the plan 

 of sending a deputation to the other orders inviting them to join 

 the deputies of the tiers-ctat was unwise. Legendre writes on 

 May 13, most probably before the deputations of the nobles and 

 of the clergy, that the commons hesitated "still to constitute 

 themselves as representatives of the nation." 1 And Boulle writes 

 on May 15 that the commons had persisted in their policy of in- 

 action, waiting patiently for the appearance of the deputies of 

 the clergy and nobility ; that the deputation of the nobles on May 

 13 had changed the situation, however. "It was a little late when 

 this deputation was received ; we adjourned therefore at two 

 o'clock as usual without taking any action in regard to it. But 

 yesterday morning [May 14] it was said that the intentions of 

 the nobles were now known ; that the proper moment for action 

 had therefore arrived." He then gives a good analysis of the 

 two motions and of the debate that followed. He does not men- 

 tion the fact, however, that Le Chapelier had been appointed, nor 

 that his motion was supported by the Breton deputies, which he 

 does in his succeeding letter written on May 22. 2 



Since the deputations of the nobles and of the clergy on May 

 13, the commons, wherever they met, discussed the plans they 

 should adopt in regard to the other orders. The more they talked 

 about the action of the nobles the more offended and excited they 

 became. During the last week their hopes in the eventual union 

 of the orders had steadily increased. They learned that they 

 would all stand together in case of danger ; but a peaceful ad- 

 justment was expected, for more and more deputies of the clergy, 



1 La revolution frangaise, XXXIX, 521-22. 



-Revue de la revolution, XI, Documents inedits, 11-20. "Cette seconde 

 motion venait de la Bretagne ; elle avoit ete convenue entre nous, et M. 

 Chapelier charge de la presenter l'avoit fait avec applaudissement," p. 16. 



Kerviler, Rene : Etude biographique sur Baudouin de Maisonblanche, 

 16. ... L'autre, de M. Le Chapelier. combinee la veille dans une 



assemblee particuliere des Bretons." University Studies, published by the 

 University of Nebraska, II, no. IV, 247, study by "Dr. Charles Kuhlmann. 



