HIS SOJOURN AT NANTES. 219 



proceeded so far as to furnish a tipstaff with the order to 

 clear the rooms. 



A short time before this epoch, Bailly had found him- 

 self obliged to sell his house at Chaillot. The old Mayor 

 of Paris then had no longer a hearth or a home in the 

 great city which had been the late scene of his devotion, 

 his solicitude, and his sacrifices. When this reflection 

 occurred to his mind, his eyes filled with tears. 



But the grief that Bailly experienced on seeing himself 

 the daily object of odious persecutions, left his patriotic 

 convictions intact. Vainly did they endeavour several 

 times to transform a legitimate hatred towards individ- 

 uals into an antipathy towards principles. They still 

 remember in Brittany the debate raised, by one of these 

 attempts, between our colleague and a Vendean physi- 

 cian, Dr. Blin. Never, in the season of his greatest 

 popularity, did the president of the National Assembly 

 express himself with more vivacity ; never had he de- 

 fended our first revolution with more eloquence. Not 

 long since, in the same place, I pointed out to public 

 attention another of our colleagues (Condorcet), who 

 already under the blow of a capital condemnation, devoted 

 his last moments to restore to the light of day the prin- 

 ciples of eternal justice, which the fashions and the follies 

 of men had but too much obscured. At a time of weak 

 or interested convictions, and disgraceful capitulations 

 of conscience, those two examples of unchangeable con- 

 victions deserved to be remarked. I am happy in having 

 found them in the bosom of the Academy of Sciences. 



Tranquillity of mind is not less requisite than vigour 

 of intellect, to those who undertake great works. Thus 

 during his residence at Nantes, Bailly did not even try 

 to add to his numerous scientific or literary productions. 



