opening of States General of 1789 I 5 



faithful at all times to monarchical principles," his idea evidently 

 being to make it clear from the beginning that, in calling the 

 states general, he had no intention of lessening the royal author- 

 ity.'^ The king closed his address by expressing the hope that a 

 " happy accord " would reign in the assembly and that it would 

 become memorable for having aided in bringing about the happi- 

 ness and prosperity of the realm. He then stated that the guard 

 of the seals would explain more fully his intentions. '- 



Alexander Lameth says that after the king had closed his speech, 

 the chancellor announced that his majesty would permit the nobles 

 and the clergy to put on their hats. The third estate, however, 

 did not propose to have the clergy and the nobility so set apart 

 from the commons, and they at once followed the example of the 

 upper orders and covered their heads. ^^ 



The guard of the seals then read his address, but the majority 

 of the deputies profited little by it as he could be heard only by the 

 few who were near him.'* After eulogizing the king, he re- 

 viewed certain phases of French history, mentioning especially 

 the trouble which resulted from the " frivolous discussions " that 

 arose in the last states general, and also the work of the assembly 

 of notables. He spoke of the delay in summoning the estates, 

 giving as a reason for this the time it had taken to determine 

 exactly what customs had been followed in the last session of the 

 states general. The speaker then called attention to the fact that 

 double representation had been allowed the third estate in spite 

 of historical precedent, but added that in granting this, the king 

 had not changed the form of deliberation;, that while the vote 

 by head might have some advantages, the king wished to have 

 it used only with the consent of the states general and the ap- 

 proval of his majesty. This was the first direct blow at the third 



51 Discours du Roi, 3. " Je connais I'autorite et la puissance d'un roi 

 juste au milieu d'un peuple fidele et attache de tout temps aux principes 

 de la monarchie; ils ont fait la gloire et I'eclat de la France. Je dois en 

 etre le soutien et je le serai constamment." 



52 Discours du roi, 3-6. 



53 Lameth, Alexander, Histoire de I'assetnhlee constituanie, I, 4. 



54 Biauzat, II, 29; Grimm, V, 129; Boulle in Revue de la revolution, X, 

 Documents incdits, 168. 



217 



