words: "La Convention, Monsieur, a le droit
de mettre hors la loi: elle n'a pas le pouvoir de mettre hors de
l'humanite; vous resterez." From that time she had his movements
strictly watched lest he should attempt to quit her house. It was partly
to turn his mind from the idea of attempting this, by occupying it
otherwise, that his wife and some of his friends, with the co-operation
of Madame Vernet, prevailed on him to engage in the composition of the
work by which he is best known--the _Esquisse d'un tableau historique
des progres de l'esprit humain_. In his retirement Condorcet wrote also
his justification, and several small works, such as the _Moyen
d'apprendre a compter surement et avec facilite_, which he intended for
the schools of the republic. Several of these works were published at
the time, thanks to his friends; the rest appeared after his death.
Among the latter was the admirable _Avis d'un proscrit a sa fille_.
While in hiding he also continued to take an active interest in public
affairs. Thus, he wrote several important memoranda on the conduct of
the war against the Coalition, which were laid before the Committee of
Public Safety anonymously by a member of the Mountain named Marcoz, who
lived in the same house as Condorcet without thinking it his duty to
denounce him. In the same way he forwarded to Arbogast, president of the
committee for public instruction, the solutions of several problems in
higher mathematics.

Certain circumstances having led him to believe that the house of Madame
Vernet, 21 rue Servandoni, was suspected and watched by his enemies,
Condorcet, by a fatally successful artifice, at last baffled the
vigilance of his generous friend and escaped. Disappointed in finding
even a night's shelter at the chateau of one whom he had befriended, he
had to hide for three days and nights in the thickets and stone-quarries
of Clamart. Oh the evening of the 7th of April 1794--not, as Carlyle
says, on a "bleared May morning,"--with garments torn, with wounded leg,
with famished looks, he entered a tavern in the village named, and
called for an omelette. "How many eggs in your omelette?" "A dozen."
"What is your trade?" "A carpenter." "Carpenters have not hands like
these, and do not ask for a dozen eggs in an omelette." When his papers
were demanded he had none to show; when his person was searched a Horace
was found on him. The villagers seized him, bound him, haled him
forthwith on bleeding fee