the price of bread, became afterwards political, and ended in the loss of four or five lives.  The assembly of the States General begins the 27th of April.  The representation of the people will be perfect.  But they will be alloyed by an equal number of nobility and clergy.  The first great question they will have to decide, will be, whether they shall vote by orders or persons.  And I have hopes, that the majority of the Nobles are already disposed to join the Tiers-Etat, in deciding that the vote shall be by persons.  This is the opinion a la mode at present, and mode has acted a wonderful part in the present instance.  All the handsome young women, for example, are for the Tiers-Etat and this is an army more powerful in France, than the two hundred thousand men of the King.  Add to this, that the court itself is for the Tiers-Etat, as the only agent which can relieve their wants:  not by giving money themselves (they are squeezed to the last drop), but by pressing it from the non-contributing orders.  The King stands engaged to pretend no more to the power of laying, continuing, or appropriating taxes; to call the States General periodically; to submit lettres de cachet to legal restrictions; to consent to freedom of the press; and that all this shall be fixed by a fundamental constitution, which shall bind his successors.  He has not offered a participation in the legislature, but it will surely be insisted on.  The public mind is so ripened on all these subjects, that there seems to be now but one opinion.  The clergy, indeed, think separately, and the old men among the Nobles:  but their voice is suppressed by the general one of the nation.  The writings published on this occasion are, some of them, very valuable; because, unfettered by the prejudices under which the English labor, they give a full scope to reason, and strike out truths, as yet unperceived and unacknowledged on the other side the channel.  An Englishman, dozing under a kind of half reformation, is not excited to think by such gross absurdities as stare a Frenchman in the face, wherever he looks, whether it be towards the throne or the altar.  In fine, I believe this nation will, in the course of the present year, have as full a portion of liberty dealt out to them, as the nation can bear at present, considering how uninformed the mass of their people is.  This circumstance will prevent the immediate establishment of the trial by jury.  The palsied state of the executive in England is a fortunate circumstance for France, as it will give her time to arrange her affairs internally.  The consolidation and funding their debts, will give government a credit which will enable them to do what they please.  For the present year the war will be confined to the two empires and Denmark, against Turkey and Sweden.  It is not yet evident, whether Prussia will be engaged.  If the disturbances of Poland break out into overt acts, it will be a power divided in itself, and so