and Commons,
announced the King's views, such as substantially to coincide with the
Commons. It was agreed to in Council, the _seance_ was fixed for the
22nd, the meetings of the States were till then to be suspended, and
every thing, in the mean time, kept secret. The members, the next
morning (the 20th) repairing to their house, as usual, found the doors
shut and guarded, a proclamation posted up for a seance, royale on the
22nd, and a suspension of their meetings in the mean, time. Concluding
that their dissolution was now to take place, they repaired to a
building called the _Jeu de paume_ (or Tennis court), and there bound
themselves by oath to each other, never to separate, of their own
accord, till they had settled a constitution for the nation, on a solid
basis, and, if separated by force, that they would reassemble in some
other place. The next day they met in the church of St. Louis, and were
joined by a majority of the clergy. The heads of the aristocracy saw
that all was lost without some bold exertion. The King was still at
Marly. Nobody was permitted to approach him but their friends. He was
assailed by falsehoods in all shapes. He was made to believe that the
Commons were about to absolve the army from their oath of fidelity
to him, and to raise their pay. The court party were now all rage and
desperation. They procured a committee to be held, consisting of the
King and his Ministers, to which Monsieur and the Count d'Artois
should be admitted. At this committee, the latter attacked Mr. Necker
personally, arraigned his declaration, and proposed one which some of
his prompters had put into his hands. Mr. Necker was browbeaten and
intimidated, and the King shaken. He determined that the two plans
should be deliberated on the next day, and the _seance royale_ put off a
day longer. This encouraged a fiercer attack on Mr. Necker the next day.
His draught of a declaration was entirely broken up, and that of the
Count d'Artois inserted into it. Himself and Montmorin offered their
resignation, which was refused; the Count d'Artois saying to Mr. Necker,
'No, sir, you must be kept as the hostage; we hold you responsible for
all the ill which shall happen.' This change of plan was immediately
whispered without doors. The _Noblesse_ were in triumph; the people in
consternation. I was quite alarmed at this state of things. The soldiery
had not yet indicated which side they should take, and that which they
should suppo