Count Sieies Emmanuel Joseph, better known as abbe, a French statesman, born in Frejus, May 3, 1748, died in Paris, June 20, 1836. After completing his studies in the university of Paris, he took orders, received in 1775 a can-onship in Brittany, and became in 1784 vicar general and chancellor of the bishop of Char-tres. The ministry having invited French writers to present their views upon the summoning of the states general, he almost simultaneously published three pamphlets: Vues sur les moyens d' execution dont les representants de la France pourront disposer en 1789; Essai sur les privileges, a vindication of the rights of the people; and Qu'est ce que le tiers Stat? The answer to this question, which he summed up in "the nation," made him famous as the oracle of the revolution. He was elected deputy to the states general, where he moved that the three orders should immediately meet in general assembly to verify their powers in common; and the privileged orders refusing to comply with this motion, he insisted that the third should declare itself the "national assembly." He drew up the oath taken by the deputies, June 20, 1789, and originated the organization of the national guards and the division of France into departments.

In his Apercu d'une nouvelle organisation de la justice et de la police en France, he proposed jury trial in civil as well as criminal-cases. He was elected president of the assembly in 1790. After the flight of the king to Varennes, he vigorously opposed the establishment of a republic. In September, 1792, he took his seat in the convention, being elected by three departments at once. On the trial of the king, he at first protested against the unlawful assumption of powers by the convention; but yielding to the majority, he sat as one of the judges, and silently voted for death without appeal to the people. During the reign of terror he gave up his priesthood and pension, and skilfully avoided attention, but after the fall of Robespierre regained influence among the moderate party. He moved the restoration of the surviving Girondists to their seats in the assembly, and had a large share in the direction of foreign policy. On the establishment of the directorial government he was elected one of the five directors, but declined, contenting himself with being a member of the council of 500. An unsuccessful attempt was made to assassinate him in 1797. In 1798 he went as minister to Berlin, and secured the neutrality of Prussia. In May, 1799, he succeeded Rewbell as a member of the directory, of which he soon became president.

After the coup d'etat of the 18th Brumaire, of which he was one of the originators, the liberal constitution prepared by him was altered so as to suit the aspirations of the first consul; and while Bonaparte seized upon absolute power, Sieyes, after having been one of the provisional consuls, had to content himself with a seat in the senate, the presidency of which he held for a while. He also received as a compensation the princely estate of Crosne, with a large income. Although he figured among those opponents whom Bonaparte styled ideologists, he was afterward made a count. In 1814, while absent from the senate, he, through Talleyrand's advice, adhered by letter to such mea-sures as were taken by that body against the emperor, but was nevertheless made a peer during the hundred days. He however stood aloof, censured the "Additional Act to the Constitution of the Empire," and appeared neither at the meeting in the Champ de Mai nor at the opening of the chambers. On the second return of the Bourbons, he sought a refuge at Brussels. After the revolution of July, 1830, he returned to Paris. One volume of his collected works, edited by Cramer, appeared in 179G. - See Etude sur Sieyes, by E. de Beauverger (Paris, 1851).