y,
attracted by Lafayette's military reputation, invited him to the royal
palace at Potsdam to witness and take part in the review of the Prussian
army. At dinner one evening Frederick declared confidently his opinion
that America would not long be a republic, but would return to the good
old system. "Never, sir," replied his guest. "A monarchy, a nobility can
never exist in America." "Sir," said the monarch, "I knew a young man
who, after having visited countries where liberty and equality reigned,
conceived the idea of establishing the same system in his own country.
Do you know what happened to him?" "No, sir." "He was hanged," replied
the King with a smile.

In 1789 the mutterings of the coming storm became more ominous, but the
King of France, deafened by the clamour of cackling advice from his
aristocracy, either could not or would not hear. Almost bankrupt
because of the extravagance of the court, he needed money, still more
money, and called an "assembly of notables" to assist in devising
measures to relieve his embarrassed finances. They were men from the
most distinguished of the nobility. Lafayette was one. In a letter to
Washington he humorously remarked that "wicked people called them
not-ables." Lafayette's part in the assembly consisted in making a bold
protest against the prodigality of the crown. "All the millions given up
to cupidity or depredation," he forcefully exclaimed to the noble
gathering, "are the fruit of the sweat, the tears, and perhaps the
blood, of the nation"; and he concluded by requesting that the King
convoke a real National Assembly, made up of representatives of the
common people. It was the beginning of the Revolution. For Lafayette's
part in this the King's prime minister, Calonne, proposed to the
monarch to send Lafayette to the Bastile.

Nothing was accomplished by the notables, and the monarch then decided
to assemble the states-general. This was not a legislative body, but an
assembly of representatives from the nobility, the clergy, and the
common people, sometimes called by the crown when it needed assistance,
the commons always being in the minority. The commons, _le tiers etat_
grasped the opportunity, met by themselves, and on June 17, 1789,
resolved themselves into a National Assembly, to accomplish the
regeneration of France.

Troops were summoned by the crown to put down the rebellion, and more
than fifty thousand mercenary troops from foreign states were engaged by