satisfied　with　his　own　system；　and　to　submit　to　a　leader　to　whom　he
  would　entrust　his　political　conscience；　to　make　of　him　what　three
  out　of　four　of　these　deputies　should　be；　a　voting　machine；　would
  require　an　apprehension　of　danger；　some　painful　experience；　an
  enforced　surrender　which　he　is　far　from　realizing。＇4＇　　For　this
  reason；　save　in　the　violent　party；　each　acts　as　his　own　chief；
  according　to　the　impulse　of　the　moment；　and　the　confusion　may　be
  imagined。　　　Strangers　who　witness　it；　lift　their　hands　in　pity　and
  astonishment。　　　〃They　discuss　nothing　in　their　Assembly；〃　writes
  Gouverneur　Morris；＇5＇　　〃One　large　half　of　the　time　is　spent　in
  hallowing　and　bawling。。。。　　　Each　Man　permitted　to　speak　delivers　the
  Result　of　his　Lubrications；〃　amidst　this　noise；　taking　his　turn　as
  inscribed；　without　replying　to　his　predecessor；　or　being　replied　to
  by　his　　successor；　without　ever　meeting　argument　by　argument；　so
  that　while　the　firing　is　interminable；　〃all　their　shots　are　fired　in
  the　air。〃　Before　this　〃frightful　clatter〃　can　be　reported；　the
  papers　of　the　day　are　obliged　to　make　all　sorts　of　excisions；　to
  prune　away　〃nonsense；〃　and　reduce　the　〃inflated　and　bombastic
  style。〃　Chatter　and　clamor；　that　is　the　whole　substance　of　most　of
  these　famous　sittings。
  〃You　would　hear；〃　says　a　journalist；　〃more　yells　than　speeches；　the
  sittings　seemed　more　likely　to　end　in　fights　than　in　decrees。　。　。　　。
  Twenty　times　I　said　to　myself；　on　leaving；　that　if　anything　could
  arrest　and　turn　the　tide　of　the　Revolution；　it　would　be　a　picture　of
  these　meetings　traced　without　caution　or　adaptation。　。　。　　All　my
  efforts　were　therefore　directed　to　represent　the　truth；　without
  rendering　it　repulsive。　　　Out　of　what　had　been　merely　a　row；　I
  concocted　a　scene。　。　。　　I　gave　all　the　sentiments；　but　not　always　in
  the　same　words。　　　I　translated　their　yells　into　words；　their　furious
  gestures　into　attitudes；　and　when　I　could　not　inspire　esteem；　I
  endeavored　to　rouse　the　emotions。〃
  There　is　no　remedy　for　this　evil；　for；　besides　the　absence　of
  discipline；　there　is　an　inward　and　fundamental　cause　for　the
  disorder。　　　These　people　are　too　susceptible。　　　They　are　Frenchmen；
  and　Frenchmen　of　the　eighteenth　century；　brought　up　in　the　amenities
  of　the　utmost　refinement；　accustomed　to　deferential　manners；　to
  constant　kind　attentions　and　mutual　obligations；　so　thoroughly
  imbued　with　the　instinct　of　good　breeding　that　their　conversation
  seems　almost　insipid　to　strangers。＇6＇　　　And　suddenly　they　find
  themselves　on　the　thorny　soil　of　politics；　exposed　to　insulting
  debates；　flat　contradictions；　venomous　denunciation；　constant
  detraction　and　open　invective；　engaged　in　a　battle　in　which　every
  species　of　weapon　peculiar　to　a　parliamentary　life　is　employed；　and
  in　which　the　hardiest　veterans　are　scarcely　able　to　keep　cool。
  Judge　of　the　effect　of　all　this　on　inexperienced；　highly　strung
  nerves；　on　men　of　the　world　accustomed　to　the　accommodations　and
  amiabilities　of　universal　urbanity。　　　They　are　at　once　beside
  themselves。　　…　　And　all　the　more　so　because　they　never　anticipated　a
  battle；　but；　on　the　contrary；　a　festival；　a　grand　and　charming
  idyll；　in　which　everybody；　hand　in　hand；　would　assemble　in　tears
  around　the　throne　and　save　the　country　amid　mutual　embraces。
  Necker　himself　arranges；　like　a　theater；　the　chamber　in　which　the
  sessions　of　the　Assembly　are　to　be　held。＇7＇　　〃He　was　not　disposed　to
  regard　the　Assemblies　of　the　States…General　as　anything　but　a
  peaceful；　imposing；　solemn；　august　spectacle；　which　the　people　would
  enjoy；〃　and　when　the　idyll　suddenly　changes　into　a　drama；　he　is　so
  frightened　that　it　seems　to　him　as　if　a　landslide　had　occurred　that
  threatened；　during　the　night；　to　break　down　the　framework　of　the
  building。　　…　　At　the　time　of　the　meeting　of　the　States…General；
  everybody　is　delighted；　all　imagine　that　they　are　about　to　enter　the
  promised　land。　　　During　the　procession　of　the　4thof　May；
  〃tears　of　joy；〃　says　the　Marquis　de　Ferrières；　〃filled　my　eyes。　。　。
  。　　　In　a　state　of　sweet　rapture　I　beheld　France　supported　by
  Religion〃　exhorting　us　all　to　concord。　　　〃The　sacred　ceremonies；　the
  music；　the　incense；　the　priests　in　their　sacrificial　robes；　that
  dais；　that　orb　radiant　with　precious　stones。　　　。。　　　I　called　to　my
  mind　the　words　of　the　prophet。　。　。　　。　　　My　God；　my　country；　and　my
  countrymen；　all　were　one　with　myself！　〃
  Such　emotions　repeatedly　explode　in　the　course　of　the　session；　and
  resulted　in　the　passage　of　laws　which　no　one　could　have　imagined。
  〃Sometimes；〃＇8＇　writes　the　American　ambassador；　〃a　speaker　gets　up
  in　the　midst　of　a　deliberation；　makes　a　fine　discourse　on　a
  different　subject；　and　closes　with　a　nice　little　resolution　which　is
  carried　with　a　hurrah。　　　Thus；　in　considering　the　plan　of　a　national
  bank　proposed　by　M。　Necker；　one　of　them　took　it　into　his　head　to
  move　that　every　member　should　give　his　silver　buckles；　which　was
  agreed　to　at　once；　and　the　honorable　mover　laid　his　upon　the　table；
  after　which　the　business　went　on　again。〃
  Thus；　over…excited；　they　do　not　know　in　the　morning　what　they　will
  do　in　the　afternoon；　and　they　are　at　the　mercy　of　every　surprise。
  When　they　are　seized　with　these　fits　of　enthusiasm；　infatuation
  spreads　over　all　the　benches；　prudence　gives　way；　all　foresight
  disappears　and　every　objection　is　stifled。　　　During　the　night　of　the
  4th　of　August；＇9＇　〃nobody　is　master　of　himself　。　　　The　Assembly
  presents　the　spectacle　of　an　inebriated　crowd　in　a　shop　of　valuable
  furniture；　breaking　and　smashing　at　will　whatever　they　can　lay　their
  hands　on。〃
  〃That　which　would　have　required　a　year　of　care　and　reflection；〃
  says　a　competent　foreigner；　〃was　proposed；　deliberated　over；　and
  passed　by　general　acclamation。　　　The　abolition　of　feudal　rights；　of
  titles；　of　the　privileges　of　the　provinces；　three　articles　which
  alone　embraced　a　whole　system　of　jurisprudence　and　statesmanship；
  were　decided　with　ten　or　twelve　other　measures　in　less　time　than　is
  required　in　the　English　Parliament　for　the　first　reading　of　an
  important　bill。〃
  〃Such　are　our　Frenchmen；〃　says　Mirabeau　again；　〃they　spend　a　month
  in　disputes　about　syllables；　and　overthrow；　in　a　single　night；　the
  whole　established　system　of　the　Monarchy　！〃＇10＇
  The　truth　is；　they　display　the　nervousness　of　women；　and；　from　one
  end　of　the　Revolution　to　the　other；　this　excitability　keeps　on
  increasing。
  Not　only　are　they　excited；　but　the　pitch　of　excitement　must　be
  maintained；　and；　like　the　drunkard　who；　once　stimulated；　has
  recourse　again　to　strong　waters；　one　would　say　that　they　carefully
  try　to　expel　the　last　remnants　of　calmness　and　common　sense　from
  their　brains。　　　They　delight　in　pompous　phrases；　in　high…sounding
  rhetoric；　in　declamatory　sentimental　strokes　of　eloquence：　this　is
  the　style　of　nearly　all　their　speeches；　and　so　strong　is　their
  taste；　they　are　not　satisfied　with　the　orations　made　amongst
  themselves。　　　Lally　and　Necker；　having　made　〃affecting　and　sublime〃
  speeches　at　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　the　Assembly　wish　them　to　be
  repeated　before　them：＇11＇　　this　being　the　heart　of　France；　it　is
  proper　for　it　to　answer　to　the　noble　emotions　of　all　Frenchmen。
  Let　this　heart　throb　on；　and　as　strongly　as　possible；　for　that　is
  its　office；　and　day　by　day　it　receives　fresh　impulses。　　　Almost　all
  sittings　begin　with　the　reading　of　flattering　addresses　or　of
  threatening　denunciations。　　　The　petitioners　frequently　appear　in
  person；　and　read　their　enthusiastic　effusions；　their　imperious
  advice；　their　doctrines　of　dissolution。　　　To…day　it　is　Danton；　in
  the　name　of　Paris；　with　his　bull　visage　and　his　voice　that　seems　a
  tocsin　of　insurrection；　to…morrow；　the　vanquishers　of　the　Bastille；
  or　some　other　troop；　with　a　band　of　music　which　continues　playing
  even　into　the　hall。　　　The　meeting　is　not　a　conference　for　business；
  but　a　patriotic　opera；　where　the　eclogue；　the　melodrama；　and
  sometimes　the　masquerade；　mingle　with　the　cheers　and　the　clapping　of
  hands。＇12＇　　　A　serf　of　the　Jura　is　brought　to　the　bar　of　the
  Assembly　aged　one　hundred　and　twenty　years；　and　one　of　the　members
  of　the　cortège；　〃　M。　Bourbon　de　la　Crosnière；　director　of　a
  patriotic　school；　asks　permission　to　take　charge　of　an　honorable　old
  man；　that　he　may　be　waited　on　by　the　young　people　of　all　ranks；　and
  especially　by　the　children　of　those　whose　fathers　were　killed　in　the
  attack　on　the　Bastille。〃　＇13＇　Great　is　the　hubbub　and　excitement。
  The　scene　seems　to　be　in　imitation　of　Berquin；＇14＇　with　the
  additional　complication　of　a　mercenary　consideration。
  But　small　matters　are　not　closely　looked　into；　and　the　Assembly；
  under　the　pressure　of　the　galleries；　stoops　to　shows；　such　as　are
  held　at　fairs。　　　Sixty　vagabonds　who　are　paid　twelve　francs　a　head；
  in　the　costumes　of　Spaniards；　Dutchmen；　Turks；　Arabs；　Tripolitans；
  Persians；　Hindus；　Mongols；　and　Chinese；　conducted　by　the　Prussian
  Anacharsis　Clootz；　en