¹ Mr Burke, (and I must take the liberty of telling him he is very unacquainted with French affairs), speaking upon this subject, says, ‘The first thing that struck me in the calling the States-General, was a great departure from the ancient course;’—and he soon after says, ‘From the moment I read the list, I saw distinctly, and very nearly as it has happened, all that was to follow.’—Mr Burke certainly did not see all that was to follow. I endeavoured to impress him, as well before as after the States-General met, that there would be a revolution; but was not able to make him see it, neither would be believe it. How then he could distinctly see all the parts, when the whole was out of sight, is beyond my comprehension. And with respect to the ‘departure from the ancient course,’ besides the natural weakness of the remark, it shews that he is unacquainted with circumstances. The departure was necessary, from the experience had upon it, that the ancient course was a bad one. The States-General of 1614 were called at the commencement of the civil war in the minority of Louis XIII; but by the clash of arranging them by orders, they increased the confusion they were called to compose. The Author of L’lntrigue du Cabinet (Intrigue of the Cabinet), who wrote before any revolution was thought of in France, speaking of the States-General of 1614, says, ‘They held the public in suspense five months; and by the questions agitated therein, and the heat with which they were put, it appears that the Great (les grands’) thought more to satisfy their particularly passions, than to procure the good of the nation; and the whole time passed away in altercations, ceremonies, and parade.’ L’lntrigue du Cabinet, vol. i, p. 329.*