180 BAILLY. 



The deputation completed its mandate at the Town 

 Hall, to the entire satisfaction of the Parisian populace ; 

 the Archbishop of Paris, its President, had already pro- 

 posed to go in procession to the Cathedral to sing Te 

 Deum ; they were preparing to depart, when the Assem- 

 bly, giving way to a spontaneous enthusiasm, with an 

 unanimous voice, proclaimed Bailly Mayor of Paris, and 

 Lafayette Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard, 

 the creation of which had just been authorized. 



The official minutes of the Municipality state, that on 

 being thus unexpectedly named, Bailly bent forward to 

 the Assembly, his eyes bathed in tears, and that amidst 

 his sobs he could only utter a few unconnected words to 

 express his gratitude. The Mayor's own recital differs 

 very little from this official relation. Still I shall quote 

 it as a model of sincerity and of modesty. 



" I know not whether I wept, I know not what I said ; 

 but I remember well that I was never so surprised, so 

 confused, and so beneath myself. Surprise adding to my 

 usual timidity before a large assembly, I rose, I stam- 

 mered out a few words that were not heard, and that I 

 did not hear myself, but which my agitation, much more 

 than my mouth, rendered expressive. Another effect of 

 my sudden stupidity was, that I accepted without know- 

 ing what a burden I was taking on myself." 



Bailly having become Mayor, and being tacitly accepted 

 by the National Assembly, even from the 16th of July, 

 availed himself of his intimacy with Vicq-d'Azyr, the 

 Queen's physician, to persuade Louis XVI. to show him- 

 self to the Parisians. This advice was listened to. On 

 the 17th the new magistrate addressed the king near 

 the barriere de la Conference, in a di Bourse that beo-an 



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thus : 



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