1 6 Ethel Lee Howie 



to the protests, they could be acted upon only after the creden- 

 tials had been disposed of. This conduct appeared simple and 

 would have excited no complaint on the part of the nobles, but 

 after some long, vain debates into which a feehng of irritation 

 entered, the nobles were angered. 



" This confirms me in what I have so often said that there are 

 among the commons men who would be in despair if the union 

 were effective because their reputation is founded on discord, 

 their projects established on misunderstanding. It cannot be 

 denied that in the orders men can be found who are enemies of 

 the public welfare, who have no other desire than to make the 

 estates fail. It is easy to believe that many of the great lords, 

 people of the court and bishops have the same aim, since they see 

 only what the estates are going to take away from them, because 

 they are basely sold to authority. These men have not joined 

 the assembly of their own accord and with good faith, but were 

 forced to it by circumstances. One must keep them there by 

 dehcate and upright proceedings, by kind and gentle forms. This 

 we have not done, far from it, but have given a plausible pretext 

 to their animosity. They have cause to complain of us and they 

 can do so in the court and in the kingdom, and the members of 

 the commons who only desire the good of the country will be in- 

 volved in these accusations. What will be the result ? A part of 

 the nobles will return to their estates and when they begin to go 

 few will remain. Then the estates will no longer be general; 

 authority will resume its sway and its rights through force and 

 what will become of the nation? "^^ 



The presentation of the protests by the clergy on July 2 also 

 brought on a lively discussion in which only one speaker favored 

 the acceptance of the protests, the Archbishop of Aix.'^^ In his 

 emotional and tactful way he asserted that the clergy had not 

 protested against any action which might be taken by the as- 

 sembly, but that they had reserved the rights which they be- 



^2 Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 142. 



''^ Proces-verhal, I, No. 12, 3; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 154; Gazette de 

 Leyde, No. 56; Journal de Paris, No. 18, 832 (July 4) ; Assemblee nationale, 

 I, 306; Point du jour, I, 91. 



298 



