174 BAILLY. 



A deputation of twenty members, having Bailly at 

 their head, was received on the 6th. The President 

 thus expressed himself: "Your faithful Communes are 

 deeply moved by the circumstance in which your maj- 

 esty has the goodness to receive their deputation, and 

 they take the liberty to address to you the expression of 

 all their regrets, and of their respectful sensibility." 



Such language can, I think, be delivered without un- 

 easiness to the appreciation of all good men. 



Let us be correct ; the Communes did not obtain at 

 once the audience that they demanded on account of the 

 difficulties of the ceremonial. They would have wished 

 to make the Third Estate speak kneeling. " This cus- 

 tom," said M. de Barentin, " has existed from time im- 

 memorial, and if the king wished . . . ." " And if 

 twenty-five millions of men do not wish it," exclaimed 

 Bailly, interrupting the minister, " where are the means 

 to force them ? " " The two privileged orders," replied 

 the Guard of the Seals, somewhat stunned by the apos- 

 trophe, " no longer require the Third Estate to bend the 

 knee ; but, after having formerly possessed immense 

 privileges in the ceremonial, they limit themselves now 

 to asking some difference. This difference I cannot 



o 



find." " Do not take the trouble to seek for it," replied 

 the President hastily : " however slight the difference 

 mi^ht be, the Communes will not suffer it." 



O 



This digression was required through a grave and 

 recent error. The memory of Bailly will not suffer by 

 it, since it has afforded me the opportunity of establish- 

 ing, beyond any reply, that in our fellow academician a 

 noble firmness was on occasions allied to urbanity, mild- 

 ness, and politeness. But what will be said of the pue- 

 rilities which I have been obliged to recall, of the mean 



