to all whom he met on
the road. At Sevres, it is from himself that I borrow the anecdote, he
did not see without painful surprise that his communication was received
with the most complete indifference by a group of soldiers assembled
before the barrack door; Bailly laughed much on afterwards learning that
this was a party of Swiss soldiers, who did not understand a word he
said.

Happy the actors in a great revolution, in whose conduct we find nothing
to reprehend until after having entered into so minute an analysis of
their public and private conduct.

FOOTNOTE:

[14] _Eschevin_ was a sort of town-councilman, peculiar to
Paris and to Rotterdam, acting under a mayor.

BAILLY'S JOURNEY FROM PARIS TO NANTES, AND THEN FROM NANTES TO
MELUN.--HIS ARREST IN THE LAST TOWN.--HE IS TRANSFERRED TO PARIS.

After having quitted the Mayorality of Paris, Bailly retired to
Chaillot, where he hoped again to find happiness in study; but upwards
of two years passed amidst the storms of public life had deeply injured
his health; it was therefore requisite to obey the advice of physicians,
and undertake a journey. About the middle of June, 1792, Bailly quitted
the capital, made some excursions in the neighbouring departments, went
to Niort to visit his old colleague and friend, M. de Lapparent, and
soon after went on far as Nantes, where the due influence of another
friend, M. Gelee de Premion, seemed to promise him protection and
tranquillity. Determined to establish himself in this last town, Bailly
and his wife took a small lodging in the house of some distinguished
people, who could understand and appreciate them. They hoped to live
there in peace; but news from Paris soon dissipated this illusion. The
Council of the Commune decreed, that the house previously occupied, in
consequence of a formal decision, by the Mayor of Paris, and by the
public offices of the town, ought to have paid a tax of 6,000 livres,
and strange enough, that Bailly was responsible for it. The pretended
debt was claimed with harshness. They demanded the payment of it without
delay. To free himself Bailly was obliged to sell his library, to
abandon to the chances of an auction that multitude of valuable books,
from which he had sought out, in the silence of his study, and with such
remarkable perseverance, the most recondite secrets of the firmament.

This painful separation was followed by two acts that did not afflict
him less.

The central gove