up more than a month, so that I shall leave Paris
almost in the instant of receiving the permission.

The campaign begins under unfavorable auspices for Russia. The death of
the Grand Seignior, who was personally disposed for peace, has brought a
young and ardent successor to the throne, determined to push the war to
extremity. Her only ally, the Emperor, is _in articulo mortis_, and the
grand Duke of Tuscany, should he succeed, loves peace and money. Denmark
is forbidden by England and Prussia to furnish even its stipulated
maritime aid. There is no appearance of any other power's engaging
in the war. As far as I can discover, the King of England is somewhat
better in his head, but under such a complete depression of spirits,
that he does not care how the world goes, and leaves his ministers to do
as they please. It is impossible for you to conceive how difficult it is
to know the truth relative to him, he is environed in such an atmosphere
of lies. Men who would not speak a falsehood on any other subject, lie
on this, from a principle of duty; so that even eye-witnesses cannot be
believed without scanning their principles and connections; and few will
stand this, of the very few permitted to see him.

Committees of conciliation having failed in their endeavors to bring
together the three chambers of the States General, the King proposed a
specific mode of verifying their powers; for that having been the
first question which presented itself to them, was the one in which the
question of voting by persons or orders was first brought on. The clergy
accepted unconditionally. The _Noblesse_ accepted on conditions which
reduced the acceptance to nothing at all. The Commons considered this as
a refusal on the part of the Nobles, and thereupon took their definitive
resolution, to invite the other two orders to come and verify their
powers in common, and to notify them they should proceed with or without
them to verify, and to do the business of the nation. This was on
the 10th. On the 15th, they moved to declare themselves the National
Assembly. The debates on this were finished yesterday, when the
proposition was agreed to, by four hundred and odd, against eighty odd.
The minority agreed in substance, but wished some particular amendment.
They then immediately made the proposition relative to taxes, which I
enclose you, as this moment stated to me, by memory, by a member who
left the Assembly a little before the question, b