The Counter Revolution of June-July 39 



nationale states that every day after the general assembly the 

 nobles met in special committees/^^ but this was evidently a more 

 important meeting than usual. Printed invitations had been sent 

 out/^* worded, if the Bulletins de I'assemhlee nationale reports 

 correctly, something like this : " M. le due de Luxembourg, presi- 

 dent of the order of the nobles, invites M ... to come this even- 

 ing to the chamber of the order of the nobles to deliberate on 

 present affairs. "^^^ It seems that the meeting lasted till mid- 

 night^^^ and that the nobles passed a decree "tending to protest 

 against everything which had up to that time been done in the 

 national assembly, as unconstitutional, ruinous to the principles 

 of royal authority, etc."^^^ It is stated that " D'Espremesnil, 

 who was the author of this, seasoned it with so much artisto- 

 cratic salt that the 89 nobles who had approved it were afraid to 

 sign it."^®^ 



The Gazette de Leyde states that it was even " proposed to 

 form a schism and retire from the assembly but that the Comte 

 d'Antraigues succeeded in making them reject the protests and 



Target seems to have had inside information. Mirabeau in his letter for 

 July 3 and 4 says that he is adding an account of " an action taken by 

 some members of the nobles, who like members of the minority of the 

 clergy, pretend that they are an entire order and desire to make reserva- 

 tions." He then adds, " Voici cette piece mystique, ou du moins peu com- 

 mune mais dont on nous garantit I'authenticite." That Duquesnoy and Le 

 Hodey of the Assemblee nationale do not speak of it till July 7 goes to 

 show that the action was not generally known at the time. Also the 

 Gazette de Leyde makes no mention of it till the letter of July 9, although 

 letters from Paris had been written on July 5 telling of events of July 3. 

 The Bulletins de I'asscmblcc nationale gives no details of the meeting till 

 July 8, although it states July 3 that Target attempted to prevent such a 

 meeting of the nobles. 



183 Assemblee nationale, I, 403. 



184 CoMrnVr de Provence, I, i6th letter, 37; Bulletins de I'assemblee na- 

 tionale, July 7. 



185 Bulletins de I'assemblee nationale, July 8. 

 '^^^ Gazette de Leyde, Sup. No. 56 (July 9). 



187 Gazette de Leyde, Sup. No. 56 (July 9) ; Bulletins de I'assemblee 

 nationale, July 8. 



188 Bulletins de I'assemblee nationale, July 8. 



321 



