124 BAILLY. 



1784. The merits of M. de Tressan were therein cele- 

 brated with grace and delicacy. The panegyrist identi- 

 fied himself with his subject. A select public loaded 

 with praises various passages wherein just and profound 

 ideas were clothed in all the richness of a forcible and 

 harmonious style. 



Did any one ever speak with more eloquence of the 

 scientific power revealed by a contemporary discovery ! 

 Listen, Gentlemen, and judge. 



" That which the sciences can add to the privileges of 

 the human race has never been more marked than at the 

 present moment. They have acquired new domains for 

 man. The air seems to become as accessible to him as 

 the waters, and the boldness of his enterprises equals 

 almost the boldness of his thoughts. The name of 

 Montgolfier, the names of those hardy navigators of the 

 new element, will live through time ; but who among us, 

 on seeing these superb experiments, has not felt his soul 

 elevated, his ideas expanded, his mind enlarged ? " 



I know not whether, all things considered, the satisfac- 

 tion of self-love which may be attached to academical 

 titles, to his success in public and important meetings, 

 ever completely rewarded Bailly for the heartaches he 

 experienced in his literary career. 



A kind and tender intimacy had grown up between the 

 great naturalist Buffon and the celebrated astronomer. 

 An academical nomination broke it up. You know it, 

 Gentlemen ; amongst us a nomination is the apple of 

 discord ; notwithstanding the most opposite views, every 

 one then thinks that he is acting for the true interest of 

 science or of letters ; every one thinks that he is pro- 

 ceeding in the line of strict justice ; every one endeavours 

 earnestly to make proselytes. So far all is legitimate. 



