opening of States General of lySg 39 



request of the commons that they unite in the national hall for 

 the purpose of verifying credentials. The clergy had not ac- 

 cepted the invitation, neither had they flatly refused it; instead, 

 they had adopted a middle course, attempting to place themselves 

 between the radical demands of the third estate and the reac- 

 tionary policy of the nobles. They hoped to be able to bring the 

 opposing parties to some kind of a peaceful agreement. The 

 guard of the seals, in his address on May 5, had expressed the 

 hope that in case of threatening trouble, the clergy would adopt 

 the role of peacemakers. It is impossible to say whether this had 

 any effect on the clergy or not, but their present attitude was in 

 keeping with these suggestions. The conciliatory attitude of the 

 clergy was, doubtless, largely due to the fact that the membership 

 of their order was divided between the higher clergy, who favored 

 the policy of the nobles, and the lower clergy, who were in sym- 

 pathy with the third estate. Since they were thus divided into 

 two opposing factions, it was natural that they should attempt 

 to find some means of peaceful settlement which would prevent 

 an open struggle in their ranks. 



The third estate apparently did not receive this proposition 

 of the clergy with any enthusiasm. Contemporary accounts have 

 little to say about what happened at this time. The Recit, how- 

 ever, states that after the deputation from the clergy had left 

 the hall, the proposal of the clergy was discussed by the commons 

 and it was remarked that the verification of credentials in common 

 was an absolute necessity, and therefore not a subject to be sub- 

 mitted to a commission.^* The third estate had made the first 

 attempt to bring about the union of the orders and as a result of 

 its advances it was confronted with the proposition to submit to a 

 sort of board of arbitration the question which was causing the 

 trouble and which, in their opinion, could have but one solution. 

 The clergy evidently hoped to bring about a compromise, but the 

 commons saw no possibility of any such settlement of the 

 question. 



What had been taking place, meantime, in the chamber of the 



'^'^ Recit des seances des deputes des communes, 9. 



241 



