swept clear.

Not for a century and half had Rascality ventured to step forth in this
fashion; not for so long, showed its huge rude lineaments in the light
of day. A Wonder and new Thing: as yet gamboling merely, in awkward
Brobdingnag sport, not without quaintness; hardly in anger: yet in its
huge half-vacant laugh lurks a shade of grimness,--which could unfold
itself!

However, the thinkers invited by Lomenie are now far on with their
pamphlets: States-General, on one plan or another, will infallibly meet;
if not in January, as was once hoped, yet at latest in May. Old Duke
de Richelieu, moribund in these autumn days, opens his eyes once more,
murmuring, "What would Louis Fourteenth" (whom he remembers) "have
said!"--then closes them again, forever, before the evil time.

BOOK 1.IV.

STATES-GENERAL

Chapter 1.4.I.

The Notables Again.

The universal prayer, therefore, is to be fulfilled! Always in days of
national perplexity, when wrong abounded and help was not, this remedy
of States-General was called for; by a Malesherbes, nay by a Fenelon;
(Montgaillard, i. 461.) even Parlements calling for it were 'escorted
with blessings.' And now behold it is vouchsafed us; States-General
shall verily be!

To say, let States-General be, was easy; to say in what manner they
shall be, is not so easy. Since the year of 1614, there have no
States-General met in France, all trace of them has vanished from the
living habits of men. Their structure, powers, methods of procedure,
which were never in any measure fixed, have now become wholly a vague
possibility. Clay which the potter may shape, this way or that:--say
rather, the twenty-five millions of potters; for so many have now,
more or less, a vote in it! How to shape the States-General? There is a
problem. Each Body-corporate, each privileged, each organised Class has
secret hopes of its own in that matter; and also secret misgivings of
its own,--for, behold, this monstrous twenty-million Class, hitherto the
dumb sheep which these others had to agree about the manner of shearing,
is now also arising with hopes! It has ceased or is ceasing to be dumb;
it speaks through Pamphlets, or at least brays and growls behind them,
in unison,--increasing wonderfully their volume of sound.

As for the Parlement of Paris, it has at once declared for the 'old
form of 1614.' Which form had this advantage, that the Tiers Etat, Third
Estate, or Commons, figured there as a show