ories of the public gardens, the halls of refuge,
the wards of the sick in hospitals, the cells of madmen. But according
to the old geology of the Eschevin, promulgated perhaps by his nurse,
there is no circulation in subterranean water; at all events,
subterranean water cannot be submitted to an ascending force and rise to
the surface; its temperature would not differ from that of common
well-water. The Eschevin, however, agrees to the expensive works
proposed. Those works, he says, will afford no material result; but once
for all, such fantastic projects will receive a solemn and rough
contradiction, and we shall then be liberated for ever from the odious
yoke under which science wants to enslave us.

However, the subterranean water appears. It is true that a clever
engineer had to bore down 548 metres (or 600 yards) to find it; but
thence it comes transparent as crystal, pure as if the product of
distillation, warmed as physical laws had shown that it would be, more
abundant indeed than they had dared to foresee, it shot up thirty-three
metres above the ground.

Do not suppose, Gentlemen, that putting aside wretched views of
self-love, the Eschevin would applaud such a result. He shows himself,
on the contrary, deeply humiliated. And he will not fail in future to
oppose every undertaking that might turn out to the honour of science.
Crowds of such incidents occur to the mind. Are we to infer thence, that
we ought to be afraid of seeing the administration of a town given up to
the stationary, and exclusive spirit of the old Eschevinage--to people
who have learnt nothing and studied nothing? Such is not the result of
these long reflections. I wished to enable people to foresee the
struggle, not the defeat. I even hasten to add, that by the side of the
surly, harsh, rude, positive Eschevin, the type of whom, to say the
truth, is fortunately becoming rare, an honourable class of citizens
exists, who, content with a moderate fortune laboriously acquired, live
retired, charm their leisure with study, and magnanimously place
themselves, without any interested views, at the service of the
community. Everywhere similar auxiliaries fight courageously for truth
as soon as they perceive it. Bailly constantly obtained their
concurrence; as is proved by some touching testimonies of gratitude and
sympathy. As to the counsellors who so often occasioned trouble,
confusion, and anarchy in the Hotel de Ville in the years '89 and '90,