But, as I have said, success gave it new impudence.  Now that the King was dead, at whose name alone it trembled, this assembly thought that a fine opportunity had come to give its power the rein.  It had to do with a Regent, notorious for his easy-going disposition, his indifference to form and rule, his dislike to all vigorous measures.  It fancied that victory over such an opponent would be easy; that it could successfully overcome all the opposition he could put in action, and in due time make his authority secondary to its own.  The Chief-President of the Parliament, I should observe, was the principal promoter of these sentiments.  He was the bosom friend of M. and Madame du Maine, and by them was encouraged in his views.  Incited by his encouragement, he seized an opportunity which presented itself now, to throw down the glove to M. le Duc d’Orleans, in the name of the Parliament, and to prepare for something like a struggle.  The Parliament of Brittany had recently manifested a very turbulent spirit, and this was an additional encouragement to that of Paris.

At first the Parliament men scarcely knew what to lay hold of and bring forward, as an excuse for the battle.  They wished of course to gain the applause of the people as protectors of their interests—­likewise those who for their private ends try to trouble and embroil the State—­but could not at first see their way clear.  They sent for Trudaine, Prevot des Marchand, Councillor of State, to give an account to them of the state of the Hotel de Ville funds.  He declared that they had never been so well paid, and that there was no cause of complaint against the government.  Baffled upon this point, they fastened upon a edict, recently rendered, respecting the money of the realm.  They deliberated thereon, deputed a commission to examine the matter, made a great fuss, and came to the conclusion that the edict would, if acted upon, be very prejudicial to the country.

Thus much done, the Parliament assembled anew on Friday morning, the 17th of June, 1718, and again in the afternoon.  At the end they decided upon sending a deputation to the Regent, asking him to suspend the operation of the edict, introduce into it the changes suggested by their body, and then send it to them to be registered.  The deputation was sent, and said all it had to say.

On the morrow the Parliament again assembled, morning and afternoon, and sent a message to the Regent, saying, it would not separate until it had received his reply.  That reply was very short and simple.  The Regent sent word that he was tired of the meddling interference of the Parliament (this was not the first time, let me add, that he experienced it), that he had ordered all the troops in Paris, and round about, to hold themselves ready to march, and that the King must be obeyed.  Such was in fact true.  He had really ordered the soldiers to keep under arms and to be supplied with powder and shot.