Speaking of the States of the League and the making of a king, Palma-Cayet[297] exclaims:
"I pray you to picture to yourselves what answer could have made that little goodman Master Matthieu Delaunay and M. Boucher, curate of Saint-Benoît, and any other of that condition to one who should have told them that they must be employed to instal a king in France to their fancy?... True Frenchmen have always held in contempt that form of electing kings, which makes them masters and servants together."
Philip had not come to the end of his trials; he had many more hands to shake, many more embraces to receive: he still had to blow very many kisses, to bow very low to the passers-by, to humour the crowd by coming many times on the balcony of the Tuileries to sing the Marseillaise.
A certain number of Republicans had met, on the morning of the 31st, at the office of the National: when they knew that the Duc d'Orléans had been appointed Lieutenant-general of the Kingdom, they wished to know the opinions of the man destined to become King in spite of them. They were taken to the Palais-Royal by M. Thiers: there were Messieurs Bastide, Thomas, Joubert[298], Cavaignac[299], Marchais, Degousée[300], and Guinard. The Prince at first said many fine things to them about liberty:
"You are not King yet," retorted Bastide; "listen to the truth: soon you will have no lack of flatterers."
"Your father," added Cavaignac, "was a regicide like mine; that separates you a little from the others."
Embraces La Fayette.
Followed mutual congratulations on the regicide, accompanied nevertheless by a judicious remark from Philip, to the effect that there are things which we should remember in order not to imitate them.
Some Republicans who were not at the meeting at the National entered. M. Trélat said to Philip:
"The people is the master; your functions are provisional; the people must express its wish: do you consult it, yes or no?"