HIS LITERARY ESSAYS. 95 
well, but did not appear to have troubled himself much 
with the principles of art. 
His son Sylvain studied those principles deeply, and 
to some purpose; he became a theoretic artist of the first 
class, but he never could either draw or paint even mod- 
erately well. 
There are few young people who would not, at some 
time or other, have wished to escape from the scrutiniz- 
ing eyes of their parents. The contrary was the case in 
Bailly’s family, for James used sometimes to say to his 
friends or to his servants, “ Do not mention this pecca- 
dillo to my son. Sylvain is worth more than I am; his 
morals are very strict. Under the most respectful ex- 
terior, I should perceive in his manner a censure which 
would grieve me. I wish to avoid his tacit reproaches, 
even when he does not say a word.” 
The two characters resembled each other only in one 
point—in their taste for poetry, or perhaps we ought to 
say versification, but even here we shall perceive differ- 
ences. 
The father composed songs, little interludes, and farces 
that were acted at the Ltalian Comedy ; but the son com- 
menced at the age of sixteen by a serious work of time,— 
a tragedy. 
This tragedy was entitled Clothaire. 'The subject, 
drawn from the early centuries of the French History, 
had led Bailly by a curious and touching coincidence to 
relate the tortures inflicted on a Mayor of Paris by a de- 
luded and barbarous multitude. ‘The work was modestly 
submitted to the actor Lanoue, who, although he bestowed 
flattering encouragement on Bailly, dissuaded him frankly 
from exposing Clothatre to the risk of a public represen- 
tation. On the advice of the comedian-author, the young 
