ramed of it a weapon against the _noblesse_, the
throne, and religion. The philosophy of the saloons became revolt in the
streets: nevertheless all the great houses of the kingdom had given
apostles to the first dogmata of the Revolution: the States General, the
ancient theatre of the importance and triumphs of the higher nobility,
had tempted the ambition of their heirs, and they had marched in the van
of the reformers. _Esprit de corps_ could not restrain them when the
question of uniting with the Tiers Etat had been invoked. The
Montmorencies, Noailles, La Rochefoucaulds, Clermont Tonnerres, Lally
Tollendals, Virieux, d'Aiguillons, Lauzans, Montesquieus, Lameths,
Mirabeaus, the Duc d'Orleans, first prince of the blood, the Count de
Provence, brother of the king, king himself afterwards as Louis XVIII.,
had given an impulse to the boldest innovations. They had each borrowed
their momentary popularity from principles easier to enunciate than
restrain, and that popularity had nearly forsaken them all. So soon as
these theorists of speculative revolution saw that they were carried
away in the torrent, they attempted to ascend the stream from whose
source they had started; some again surrounded the throne, others had
emigrated after the days of the 5th and 6th of October. Others, more
firm, remained in their places in the National Assembly; they fought
without a hope, but still defended a fallen cause, gloriously resolute
to maintain at least a monarchical power, and abandoning to the people,
without a struggle, the spoils of the nobility and the church. Amongst
these are Cazales, the Abbe Maury, Malouet, and Clermont Tonnerre: they
were the distinguished orators of this expiring party.

Clermont Tonnerre and Malouet were rather statesmen than orators; their
cautious and reflective language weighed only on the reason; they sought
for the mean between liberty and monarchy, and believed they had found
it in the system of the Two Houses of English Legislature. The _moderes_
of the two parties listened to them respectfully; like all half parties
and half talents, they excited neither hatred nor anger; but events did
not listen to them, but thrusting them aside, advanced towards results
that were utterly absolute. Maury and Cazales, less philosophic, were
the two champions of the right side; different in character, their
oratorical powers were much on a par. Maury represented the clergy, of
which body he was a member; Cazales,