“$2 
imagination. 
The academy having nominated in 
¥786, commiflioners to examine a. plan 
by Poyet, architeét, for a new Hote! 
Dieu, Bailly drew up their report in 290 
pages, octavo; which is a valuable in- 
fiance both of the proteflional knowledge 
and the humanity ef the author. He 
propofed the erection of four diferent hof- 
pitals; and Breteuil, who was then mi- 
nifter, and had great reliance on Bailly, 
Ahad finally refolved on executing his plan, 
when the revolution of 1789 drove him 
from the miniliry. 
On April the 26th, 1789, the electors 
of Paris alfembied for the nomination of. 
deputies for the flates-general, appcinted 
Bailly for their fecretary. There were 
aflembled, on this important occation, 
many academicians, but none, except 
Bailly, was 2 member of all the acade- 
mies. His talent for writing was well 
known; the interefting reports that he 
had made on th: fubject ef the hofpitals 
aad animal magnetifm, had powerfully 
excited the attention of the public: his 
character fteod equally high tor calmnefs 
of temper and ftriftnels of morals, fo 
that no one poflciied fo many claims:as 
himfelf to that important office. The 
choice of the public was too flattering to 
be refifted; and from that time he was loft 
forever to aftronomy. The motives that 
-eccafioned his firft appointment foon ad- 
vanced him to the dignity of deputy and 
prefident of the Tiers Btat, which affem- 
bled on the sth of May at Verfailles. 
‘The feveral deputies from the communes 
having conftituted themfelves on the 17th 
of June, a national aflembly, Bailly was 
ftill continued prefident, and diftinguifhed 
himfelf confiderably. He it was, who, on 
the zoth of the fame month, conduéted the 
affembly to the tennis-court, and he iil 
continued to prefide, when, on the 27th, 
the two other orders united themfelves 
to the Ziers-Etat. He refigned his office 
on July 22d, and the Duke of Orleans 
was appointed his fucceflor. On the re- 
fufal, however, of this-prince, the choice 
fell on the Archbifhop of Vienne, and 
the firft a&t after his appointment was, to 
nominate a deputation for the purpofe of 
thanking Bailly for his important fervices 
during that high ition: 
When the king arrived at Paris, on 
the 25th of July, after the capture of the 
Baftile, Bailly was chofen by public ac- 
clamation, chief magiitrate of the city, 
under the name of Mayor of Paris. It is 
mot eur intention to follow him through 
* O&: 
Elege of Bailly, by Lalande: 
extraordinary inflance of the power of 
* 
the whole of his political ¢areer; tione ° 
can heitate, however, to affirm, that iz 
his fituatien as deputy, prefident, and 
mayor, he exhibited the wifdom, the 
firmnefs, and the moderation of a philo- | 
fopher. - He is accufed by fome of having 
endeavoured to debaie the royal dignity, 
and by others of having withed unrea- 
fonably to exalt it: The validity of thefe 
contradictory charges can only be afcer- 
tained by fome future generation. He 
might poffibly be miftaken, but the rec- 
titude of his conduct as a magiftrate, his 
ardent defire to promote the welfare of his 
country, and his entire devotednefs of his 
time, wis life, his favourite ftudies, and 
his happinels, to this great objeét, are 
unqueitionable. The public bedies te 
which Bailly belonged, bore diftinguifhed 
evidence to his worth; his buft was placed 
in the municipality and in the academy 
of {ciences, where that of any of its liy- 
ino members had never been depolited ; - 
His honours now rofe to their full height. 
Placed between the people and the king, 
though relponfible to both, he protefted: 
them trom each other; his influence was 
of infinite fervice to them, and he main- 
tained the equilibrium of a philofopher, 
amid the folicitations of both parties. 
The mok difagreeable period of his ad- 
miniftration, and the moft fata! in its ef. 
fects, was the 17th of July, 1792, when 
the party in oppoliticn to the monarchicak 
conftitution excited commotions in the 
people, which he was obliged to quell, 
by order of the national afflembly. . He 
was forced to repair to the Champ de 
Mars, where, notwithftanding his pre- 
caution, fome mufkets were difeharged 
on the crowd. For this aét, two years 
after, his head was demanded, when the 
only objeét of the reigning tyrant was te 
flatter the people, to indulge its paffions, 
and even exceed its refentments. 
Bailly was mayor of Paris from July 
15, 1789 to November 16th, 279%, that 
is, two years and a half; At the con: 
clufien of this period he was induced te 
refigr’ his fituation on account ef the op- 
pofition raifed by the democratic party 
who wifhed to fubftitute Petion, the de- 
clining ftate of his health not allowing 
him to engage in active meafures to fe4 
cure his continuance in office. He fpent 
the year 1792 and part of 1793 in travel- 
ling and writing an account of thofe ex- 
traordinary events which he had witnefled, 
and in which he had been a diftinguithed 
actor. Thefe memoirs which are not 
carried lower than Oftober and, 1789. 
would occupy a large volume, and if 
they 
2 
