HIS CHARACTER. 253 



seems with equal force to contradict it. Here are the 

 two passages : 



" We are diffident in the presence of Nature." 



" We may nobly feel our own strength in the face of 

 man's works." 



In my opinion, the opposition in these two passages is 

 only apparent ; it will be explained by means of a dis- 

 tinction which I have already slightly indicated. 



Bailly's diffidence required the same distinction. When 

 people praised him to his face on the diversity of his 

 knowledge, our colleague did not immediately repel the 

 compliment ; but soon after, he would stop his panegyrist, 

 and whisper in his ear with an air of mystery : " I will 

 confide a secret to you, pray do not take advantage of it : 

 I am only a very little less ignorant than another man." 



Never did a man act more in harmony with his prin- 

 ciples. Bailly was led to reprimand severely a man be- 

 longing to the humblest and poorest class of society. 

 Anger does not make him forget that he speaks to a citi- 

 zen, to a man. " I ask pardon," says the first magistrate 

 of the capital, addressing himself to a rag-gatherer ; " I 

 ask your pardon, if I am angry ; but your conduct is so 

 reprehensible, that I cannot speak to you otherwise." 



Bailly's friends were wont to say that he devoted too 

 much of his patrimony to pleasure. This word was 

 calumniously interpreted. Merard Saint Just has given 

 the true sense of it : " Bailly's pleasure was beneficence." 



So eminent a mind could not fail to be tolerant. Such 

 in fact Bailly constantly showed himself in politics, and 

 what is almost equally rare, in regard to religion. In 

 the month of June, 1791, he checked in severe terms the 

 fury with which the multitude appeared to be excited, at 

 the report that at the The'atines some persons had taken 



