Washington, who took a lively interest in his restoration to royal favor, wrote in his behalf to some of the most prominent courtiers of Versailles, among whom were count Rochambeau and his old commander the duke de Biron, expressing a high opinion of his merits, men-tioning in the most flattering terms his American military services, and commending him for promotion and employ-ment in his own country. The consequence of this interces-sion was that on his return to Europe he was received with distinction; and rank and actual command, at once honor-able and satisfactory, were assigned him in the French army. In the years immediately succeeding the American war, when movements toward constitutional government first appeared in France, La Rouërie warmly favored the agitation, but at the same time opposed the entire subversion of the ancient institutions. He advocated great and general reforms in the nation and a proper limitation of the royal power. At the close of 1788, and in the beginning of the following year, when the states of Brittany assembled in convention at Rennes he took a prominent part in the tumultuous discussions which ensued and was appointed one of the twelve deputies who were sent to the king to remonstrate against the proceedings of the court, and to claim for his province the preservation of her ancient privileges. The intrepidity with which he proceeded to discharge his mission provoked the royal ministers, and he underwent in consequence an imprisonment in the Bastile. This proceeding gave him great popularity, and when set at liberty, he saw at once and with joy all the signs of approaching revolution. He continued to favor most of the momentous changes proposed by the court, until the States General were convoked, when he perceived intuitively that the privileged orders and the king would alike be engulphed in the enormous preten-sions of the popular branch; and it was by his influence that the nobles of Brittany refused to send ay deputies to the general meeting of the states.