HE QUITS THE MAYORALTY. 211 



indicate them, when the march of events leads us, in 

 following our unfortunate colleague, to the revolutionary 

 tribunal. 



BAILLY QUITS THE MAYORALTY THE 12TH OF NOVEM- 

 BER, 1791. THE ESCHEVINS. EXAMINATION OF 



THE REPROACHES THAT MIGHT BE ADDRESSED 

 TO THE MAYOR. 



I resume the biography of Bailly at the time when he 

 quitted the Hotel de Ville after a magistracy of about 

 two years. 



On the 12th November, 1791, Bailly convoked the 

 Council of the Commune, rendered an account of his 



' 



administration, solemnly entreated those who thought 

 themselves entitled to complain of him, to say so without 

 reserve; so resolved was he to bow to any legitimate 

 complaints ; installed his successor Petion, and retired. 

 This separation did not lead to any of those heartfelt 

 demonstrations from the co-labourers of the late Mayor, 

 which are the true and the sweetest recompense to a 

 good man. 



I have sought for the hidden cause of such a constant 

 and undisguised hostility towards the first Mayor of Paris. 

 I asked myself first, whether the magistrate's manners 

 had possibly excited the susceptibilities of the Eschevins.* 

 The answer is decidedly in the negative. Bailly showed 

 in all the relations of life a degree of patience, a suavity, 

 a deference to the opinions of others, that would have 

 soothed the most irascible selflove. 



Must we suspect jealousy to have been at work ? No, 

 no ; the persons who constituted the town-council were 



* Eschevin was a sort of town-councilman, peculiar to Paris and to 

 Rotterdam, acting under a mayor. 



