The Memoires de Bailly ii 



Academy when Bailly was supporting another candidate, he ex- 

 claimed to the reporter of the anecdote, "M. le Comte de Buffon 

 is my master in the art of writing, but I shall never see him 

 again. "^ It is said that he kept his word. His ambition was, 

 however, well concealed and free from intrigue. He realized 

 that "men punish sometimes, by the refusal of a thing, the desire 

 that you have shown to receive it."- He repeatedly announced 

 that he did not expect to hold office although he was as repeat- 

 edly told by those about him that he would be elected to the as- 

 sembly.^ His speech in the assembly of the electors, announcing 

 that "the larger part of his fortune was due to the favors and pen- 

 sions of the government" was doubtless a thoroughly honest act, 

 made, probably, without any eye to its possible favorable effect, 

 but it was more Ijelpful to him than any intrigue. "I do not 

 think," he continued, "that I am thought of for the deputation, but 

 I feel obliged to give this information that will forever deprive 

 me of becoming a member of it," and he concluded that if his 

 colleagues did him the honor to elect him, it would be his duty 

 to refuse.* His election was practically assured under the cir- 

 cumstances. 



According to tradition, the city of Paris had always played 

 the leading role in the Third Estate at the meeting of the States 

 General.^ On the third of June, Bailly was elected dean of the 

 still unorganized commons.'^ He was one of the best known 



^Ibid., Ill, p. IV. 



"^Mhnoires de Bailly, I, p. 56. Bailly made this observation in connec- 

 tion with his election as the first deputy from Paris and the failure of 

 Target, who had distinguished himself by his pamphlets on the interests of 

 the Third Estate and who had been president of the electoral assembly, to 

 obtain the coveted honor. He attributed the failure of Target to the fact 

 that he was a member of two electoral assemblies, Paris within and Paris 

 without the walls. 



Ubid., I, pp. 7, 8, 9, 20, 46. 56. 



*Ibid., I, p. 49. This speech was made in connection with the motion to 

 exclude from the list of eligibles those who held office or received pensions 

 from the government. Bailly remarked elsewhere (I, p. 56), " Ce qui me 

 servit, c'est la motion meme d'exclusion faite la veille; j'aurais, je crois, et^ 

 nomm^ sans elle, mais elle me fait premier depute." 



5 "On se souvenait que le prevot des marchands de Paris etait membrend 

 des ^tats-g^n^raux, et presquetou jours le president du tiers." Ibid., I, p. 30. 



^Memoires de Bailly, I, p. 89. 



341 



