42 Mae Darling 



the situation with them, and while their remarks could not be 

 heard, it seemed clear that the members of the clergy were not 

 pleased with what the deputies of the commons had to say.^^ 

 Coster says that the deputation from the clergy had scarcely left 

 the hall of the third estate, when several deputies of the commons 

 ran after them and proposed that the appointment of the com- 

 missioners should take place in the general assembly.®^ If this 

 statement is true, it is but another evidence of the determination 

 of the commons to bring about a union of the orders. 



It was during this session of the clergy on May 7, probably 

 while they were working on the verification of credentials, that 

 the Archbishop of Vienne expressed very positively his position 

 and the position of his colleagues from Dauphine in regard to the 

 manner of verifying credentials.®' He stated, according to Thi- 

 bault, that the deputies from Dauphine had insisted and still 

 insisted on the verification of credentials in common with the 

 other two orders and that although they submitted their cre- 

 dentials to the order of the clergy, out of respect for that body, 

 they did it with the understanding that this action should not 

 be looked upon as in any way opposing the verification in common 

 which they considered indispensable.®" These remarks seem to 

 have started a discussion which, according to the account given 

 in the Proccs-verbal historiqiie, became so heated that the Car- 

 dinal de Rochefoucauld, the presiding officer, in order to give the 

 deputies a chance to cool oflf, announced that there would be no 

 session of the clergy until May 11. The cardinal gave as his 

 reason for this action, the necessity of consulting with the nobility 

 as to what should be done. The Proces-verhal historique goes 

 on to say that since this declaration was not authorized by the 

 order and since it would mean three days of inaction, it caused 



®" Biauzat, 42. 



58 Coster, 7 mai. 



59 Thibault, 182 ; Vallet, Rccit, 8. Thibault gives this speech as coming 

 after the report of the deputation to the clergy. He also gives the text of 

 the speech. Vallet merely mentions the fact that the Archbishop of Vienne 

 spoke in favor of the third estate. He places the speech before the ap- 

 pointment of the commission. 



90 Thibault, 181. 



244 



