HIS LITERARY ESSAYS. 95 



well, but did not appear to have troubled himself much 

 with the principles of art. 



His son Sylvaiu 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 Italian 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 Clothaire to the risk of a public represen- 

 tation. On the advice of the comedian-author, the young 



