The Regent was determined to be obeyed.  He prohibited, therefore, the printing and posting up of the decree of the Parliament.  Soldiers of the guards, too, were placed in the markets to hinder the refusal of the new money which had been issued.  The fact is, by the edict which had been passed, the Louis worth thirty livres was taken at thirty-six livres, and the crown piece, worth a hundred sous, at six livres instead of five.  By this edict also government notes were made legal tender until the new money should be ready.  The finances were thus relieved, and the King gained largely from the recasting of the coin.  But private people lost by this increase, which much exceeded the intrinsic value of the metal used, and which caused everything to rise in price.  Thus the Parliament had a fine opportunity for trumpeting forth its solicitude for the public interest, and did not fail to avail itself of it.

During the night a councillor of the Parliament was surprised on horseback in the streets tearing down and disfiguring the decree of the Regency Council, which abrogated that of the Parliament.  He was taken to prison.

On Monday, the 27th of June, the Chief-President, at the head of all the other presidents, and of forty councillors, went to the Tuileries, and in the presence of the Regent read the wire-drawn remonstrance of the Parliament upon this famous edict.  The Keeper of the Seals said that in a few days the King would reply.  Accordingly on Saturday, the 2nd of July, the same deputation came again to the Tuileries to hear the reply.  The Regent and all the Princes of the blood were there, the bastards also.  Argenson, who from lieutenant of police had been made keeper of the seals, and who in his former capacity had often been ill-used—­nay, even attacked by the Parliament—­took good care to show his superiority over that assembly.  He answered that deputation in the name of the King, and concluded by saying that the edict would in no way be altered, but would receive complete application.  The parliamentary gentlemen did not expect so firm a reply, and withdrew, much mortified.

They were not, however, vanquished.  They reassembled on the 11th and 12th of August, and spat forth all their venom in another decree specially aimed at the authority of the Regent.  By this decree the administration of the finances was henceforth entirely to be at the mercy of the Parliament.  Law, the Scotchman, who, under the favour of M. le Duc d’Orleans, had been allowed some influence over the State money matters, was to possess that influence no longer; in fact, all power on the part of the Regent over the finances was to be taken from him.

After this the Parliament had to take but one step in order to become the guardian of the King and the master of the realm (as in fact it madly claimed to be), the Regent more at its mercy than the King, and perhaps as exposed as King Charles I. of England.  Our parliamentary gentlemen began as humbly as those of England, and though, as I have said, their assembly was but a simple court of justice, limited in its jurisdiction like the other courts of the realm, to judge disputes between private people, yet by dint of hammering upon the word parliament they believed themselves not less important than their English brethren, who form the legislative assembly, and represent all the nation.