picturesque and interesting subjects, no one has yet told in
English for so Miss van Alstine remarks, and our own recollection sup- ports her negatively—the romantic story of Charlotte Corday. The author has carefully studied her authorities, and taken pains to distinguish fact from fiction, for fiction, it need hardly be said, has mixed itself plentifully with the story of Charlotte Corday. Miss van Alstine has been able to add to this story several genuine details that greatly heighten its effect,—the compunction, for instance, which Charlotte felt—one calls it compunction rather than re- morse—when she saw the women weeping over Marat's body.
She realised for the first time that even this monster had those who loved him. We do not remember to have seen before any notice of the punishment inflicted on the brutal assistant who struck the cheek of the decapitated head. He was imprisoned for eight days. The author says nothing about the tradition that a blush was seen upon the cheek when the blow was struck. It has been fiercely disputed whether this was fact or fiction. What are we to think ? This is a good book of its kind.
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