sensitive Bailly puts between the great Corneille, his special
favourite, and Racine.

When the French Academy, in 1768, proposed an éloge of Molière for
competition, our candidate was vanquished only by Chamfort. And yet, if
people had not since that time treated of the author of "Tartufe" to
satiety, perhaps I would venture to maintain, notwithstanding some
inferiority of style, that Bailly's discourse offered a neater, truer,
and more philosophic appreciation of the principal pieces of that
immortal poet.




DEBATES RELATIVE TO THE POST OF PERPETUAL SECRETARY OF THE ACADEMY OF
SCIENCES.

We have seen D'Alembert, ever since the year 1763, encouraging Bailly to
exercise himself in a style of literary composition then much liked, the
style of éloge, and holding out to him in prospect the situation of
Perpetual Secretary of the Academy of Sciences. Six years after, the
illustrious geometer gave the same advice, and perhaps held out the same
hopes, to the young Marquis de Condorcet. This candidate, docile to the
voice of his protector, rapidly composed and published the éloges of the
early founders of the Academy, of Huyghens, of Mariotte, of Roëmer, &c.

At the beginning of 1773, the Perpetual Secretary, Grandjean de Fouchy,
requested that Condorcet should be nominated his successor, provided he
survived him. D'Alembert strongly supported this candidateship. Buffon
supported Bailly with equal energy; the Academy presented for some