170 BAILLY. 



the celebrated proces-verbal of the meetings of the elec- 

 tors of Paris, so often quoted by the historians of the 

 revolution. 



Bailly also took an active part in drawing up the rec- 

 ords of his district, and the records of the body of elec- 

 tors. The part he acted in these two capacities could 

 not be doubtful, if we judge of it by the three following 

 short quotations extracted from his memoirs : " The na- 

 tion must remember that she is sovereign and mistress to 



order every thing It is not when reason awakes, 



that we should allege ancient privileges and absurd pre- 

 judices I shall praise the electors of Paris who 



were the first to conceive the idea of prefacing the 

 French Constitution with a declaration of the Rights of 

 Man." 



Bailly had always been so extremely reserved in his 

 conduct and in his writings, that it was difficult to sur- 

 mise under what point of view he would consider the 

 national agitation of '89. Hence, at the very begin- 

 ning, the Abbe' Maury, of the French Academy, pro- 

 posed to unite himself to Bailly, and that they should 

 reside at Versailles, and have an apartment in common 

 between them. It is difficult to avoid a smile when one 

 compares the conduct of the eloquent and impetuous 

 Abbe with the categorical declarations, so distinct and so 

 progressive, of the learned astronomer. 



On Tuesday, the 12th of May, the general assembly 

 of the electors proceeded to ballot for the nomination of 

 the first deputy of Paris. Bailly was chosen. 



This nomination is often quoted as^, proof of the high 

 intelligence, and of the wisdom of our fathers, two quali- 

 ties which, since that epoch, must have been constantly 

 on the decline, if we are to believe the blind Pessimists. 



