_Step 1._—Begin by noticing the state of France generally. _Feudalism_ was still in existence, without its usefulness and with most of its abuses, and it led to the great _division of Classes_—the Privileged and the Unprivileged. In both Army and Church it was impossible for the unprivileged to rise by merit; all offices were filled by the privileged classes. These were exempt from many taxes. Draw from G—— and S—— the chief taxes—_Taille_, levied on property, and the _Gabelle_, which forced everyone to buy a certain amount of salt from the Government at an enormous rate. _Step 2._—Speak of the state of France in the country, showing what was the relation of the peasant to his lord. The land he lived on generally belonged to him; in return for which he had to grind his corn at his lord’s mill, etc., had to give his work free on certain days in the year, and help to make the roads in his lord’s land (_corvée_). Tell them something of the Game Laws and the ‘Intendants.’ _Step 3._—Notice the state of France in the towns, showing how impossible it was for a poor man to set up in a trade, owing to the guilds and monopolies. The merchants, together with men who held certain offices under Government, formed a separate class, far removed from both the peasants and the nobles. _Step 4._—The state of the Church. For the most part the higher ecclesiastics were hated and despised. This was not the case with the ‘curés,’ for they were of the peasantry, and shared their troubles. But the higher ecclesiastics were generally younger sons of nobles, who drew the salaries of their offices and lived a gay life at Court. The Church also imposed heavy dues. _Step 5._—Show that these evils might have been remedied gradually (as in England) had there been a representative assembly regularly called, or any true justice. But as justice could be bought and sold, the poor man always lost his cause, and the pleadings of the peasants could in no way make themselves heard. They had risen just before this time, but unsuccessfully. _Step 6._—Draw from G—— and S—— the reason why the Revolution broke out in France rather than in any other Continental country. Because, though the evils in France were no worse than those borne by the German peasants, the French people had been awakened to the knowledge of their misery and of their right to liberty by many great writers. Such were Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, d’Alembert, and Montesquieu. Get from G—— and S—— all I can about these men and their influence on history. _Step 7._—Draw from G—— and S—— why the Revolution broke out just in 1789. Rousseau had written his works since about 1730, and Voltaire since 1718.