= t C iW L. 
—-— beg, Seek oo 
seems with equal force to contradict it. Here are the 
two passages > | 
* 
“We are diffident in the presence of Nature.” 
“We may nobly feel our own strength in the face of 
man’s works.” 
In my opinion, the opposition in these two passages is 
only apparent; it will be explained by means of a dis- 
tinction which I have already slightly indicated. 
Bailly’s diffidence required the same distinction. When 
people praised him to his face on the diversity of his 
knowledge, our colleague did not immediately repel the 
compliment ; but soon after, he would stop his panegyrist, 
and whisper in his ear with an air of mystery: “I will 
confide a secret to you, pray do not take advantage of it: 
I am only a very little less ignorant than another man.” 
Neyer did a man act more in harmony with his prin- 
ciples. Bailly was led to reprimand severely a man be- 
longing to the humblest and poorest class of society. 
Anger does not make him forget that he speaks to a citi- 
zen,toaman. “TI ask pardon,” says the first magistrate 
of the capital, addressing himself to a rag-gatherer; “TI 
ask your pardon, if I am angry; but your conduct is so 
reprehensible, that I cannot speak to you otherwise.” 
Bailly’s friends were wont to say that he devoted too 
much of his patrimony to pleasure. This word was 
calumniously interpreted. Mérard Saint Just has given 
the true sense of it: “ Bailly’s pleasure was beneficence.” 
So eminent a mind could not fail to be tolerant. Such 
in fact Bailly constantly showed himself in politics, and 
what is almost equally rare, in regard to religion. In 
the month of June, 1791, he checked in severe terms the 
fury with which the multitude appeared to be excited, at 
the report that at the Théatines some persons had taken 
