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 



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

 Rotterdam, acting under a mayor. 



