noffensive, since more than a year passed without
any courtier, though furnished like a microscope with, all the
monarchical susceptibilities, beginning to suspect its existence.

The Mayor of Paris was at the Hotel de Ville in the midst of those same
Parisian citizens who inspired him, a few months before, with the
mortifying reflection already quoted: "I remarked in the Assembly of
Electors a dislike to literary people and Academicians." The feeling did
not appear to be changed.

The political movement in 1789, had been preceded by two very serious
physical perturbations which had great influence on the march of events.
Every one is aware, that the excessively rigorous winter of 1788-89 was
the cause of severe sufferings to the people. But it may not be so
generally known, that on the 13th of July, 1788, a fall of hail of
unprecedented size and quantity, in a few hours completely ravaged the
two parallel zones lying between the department of the Charente and the
frontiers of the Pays-Bas, and that in consequence of this frightful
hail, the wheat partly failed, both in the north and in the west of
France, until after the harvest of 1789.

The scarcity was already severely felt, when Bailly on the 15th of July
accepted the appointment of Mayor of Paris. That day, it had been
ascertained, from an examination of the quantity of corn at the Market
Hall and of the private stocks of the bakers, that the supply of grain
and flour would be entirely exhausted in three days. The next day, the
16th of July, all the overseers in the victualling administration had
disappeared. This flight, the natural consequence of the terrible
intimidation that hovered over those who were in any way connected with
the furnishing of provisions, interrupted the operations which had been
commenced, and exposed the city of Paris to famine.

Bailly, a magistrate of only one day's standing, considered that the
multitude understands nothing, hears nothing when bread fails; that a
scarcity, either real or supposed, is the great promoter of riots; that
all classes of the population grant their sympathy to whoever cries, _I
am hungry_; that this lamentable cry soon unites individuals of all
ages, of both sexes, of every condition, in one common sentiment of
blind fury; that no human power could maintain order and tranquillity in
the bosom of a population that dreads the want of food; he therefore
resolved to devote his days and his nights to provisionin