The Portland daily press., 1862-10-25
MISCELLANY.
Charlotte Corday.

Cndfiotte SOfudys
During the French Revolution of 1889, there
lived IN the city of Caen, France, young lady,
Charlotte Corday d'Armont, a and-daughter
OF the celebrated Corneille. Though born of
gentle blood, she had been nurtured in the
school of adversity; her father had been too
aristocratic to work, and too poor to live COM
fortably without work. In early life she had
been placed in monastery in Caen. where her
whole future destiny was Influenced by the Pc
cular discipline 10 which she was exposed, and
the ideas of duty which were inculcated. In
the dreams of the cloister her ardent soul be-
came fired with the exalted deeds, which
should render her a beneiactress TO her race.
Alter thus living for six years, the Jacobin
government suppressed the convent, and she
took up her residence with an elderly relative
In Caen, where she remained until she was
nearly Twenty-Five years OF age. Living amidst
scenes of the revolution, where the gnillotine
was in constant exercise, and the mob daily
demanding the blood of new victims, her
thoughts naturally turned to the possibility of
stopping these horrors. She mingled as much
as possible with the Girondsts. to ascertain
who were the principal agents in these woes
that were desola,ng her native land.
Though Danton and Robesperre were then
In their ascendency, the sanguinary derium
of Marat rendered him more conspicuous to
the mass of the people, who saw tyranny and
freedom In one mans hands only To Marat,
then, the eyes of Charlotte Corday were direc-
ted, as the one who was deluging the country
In blood. She thought that his death would
arrest this flood and save the lives of thous-
ands. 1t had been announced that he proscri-
bed twenty-five hundred victims in Lyons.
three thousand in Marseies ,twenty-eight thou
sand In Paris, and three hundred thousand in
Brittany. Conspiracies were being organized
all over the republic for the overthrow of this
blo0d-thirsty tyrant. The lover of Charlotte
Corday, whom she idolized with all the nurity
and fervor OF her impassionate nature, WIS en-
gagged in one of these conspiraces, which, If
successful, would cost the lives of thousands,
and, If unsuccessful, would only consolidate
the power of the tyrant. Charlotte resolved
TO free France OF the monster at the risk of her
own life.
All the energies of her being were now
aroused for the accomplishment of this object.
1t was no easy matter for an obscure young
lady to get such access to the tyrant as to be
able to assassinate him. She however. formed
her plans SO successfully as to guard against
every conceivable cause of failure. Not an
individual was admitted to her confidence.
Religious enthusiasm contributed its strength
to her enterprise, for she doubted not that She
was engaged in holy undertaking. Her well
read Bible contained pencil mark around the
passage, "Judith went forth from the city, a.
dorned with q marvellous beauty, which the
Lord bestowed upon her to deliver to Israel"
Having made all her arrangements, she in
formed her friends that she was going to En-
gland to seek that asylum Which France no
longer afforded. A few trifng mementoes
were conferred on her intimate acquaintances,
and on the 9th of July, 1889, she took the dill
ligence for Paris. Her whole worldly possess
sions consisted of small parcel of clothes,
and volume Of Plutarch's lives.
Charlotte was tall and dignified, with pro-
fuse black hair, and long eyelashes, which,
seeming even darker than clustering ringlets,
gave great depth to her piercing eyes. Her
cheeks were well filed, and had the freshness
and health of youth, and were often crimson
ed with the blush of excitement or modesty
Her dazzling beauty, her winning manners,
and vivacity in conversation, quite won the
hearts OF her fellow travellers, who tried un-
successfully to draw from her the object of her
journey and her address. One young gentle
man became so enamoured that he begged
permission to solicit of her relatives her hand
In marriage. She pleasantly declined the hon
or, but promised that ere long he should know
more OF her.
After two days ride she arrived in Paris.
and went to a hotel, where she allowed herself
a days rest, that her faculties might be in the
best condition. She had no desire to figure as
a heroine. 1t was not for fame that she wished
w cdCiluCC uCI Al lHt ciOlSIeF she naU
learned the lesson of selt-abnegation and rath-
er desired oblivion than notoriety, as more
pleasing to God. She also wished the act of
assassination to be asacred, solemn scene which
should strike. terror into the hearts of all ty-
rants. She wished it to be public that many
might witness the just retribution oil fend.like
cruelty.
Her first plan was to kill Marat in the
Champ de Mars, at a great celebration. which
e. f,o1 eli. xxE ii.
j0urnment OF the ceremony necessitated a
change of the theatre; and she decided to
strike him in the midst of the convention, sur
rounded by his satellites. She had no doubt
that the result to herself would be that her
body would be torn limb from limb. This plan
was frustrated, as Marat, for some reason, no
longer attended the convention.
Her only chance now of meeting him was at
his own house, and it was by no means easy to
obtain access to him there. Fearing, as all ty-
rants the dagger of assassination he was care
fully guarded. Discrimination was necessary
to accomplish her purpose, and she recoiIed
from this more than she hesitated to strike the
blow. Her frank, honest nature, was panied
at the necessity of resorting TO artiflce, but in
no other manner could her end be gained She
therefore wrote two letters to MaIat, request
ing an audience, so worded as to induce him
to believe her one of his admirers, yet capable
of different Interpretation.
About halfpast seven in the evening of the
18th of July. she attired herself in the most
attractive manner, and proceeded to the house
of Marat. 1t was an antique somewhat dap-
idated mansion, where the blood-stained ty-
rant, crowned by the mob. affected the display
of the utmost democratic simplicity. He was
In his bath, penning infammatory appeals and
inveighng against his enemies. 1t was not
unusual in that day. occasionally. to receive
visiters in the bath. and Charlotte, after en-
countering considerable opposition, was con-
Quoted to his ROOM
Marat was wrapped in a solid bathing robe,
his matted hair bound in a dirty handkerchief
His receding forhead. protruding eyes. promi-
nent cheek-bones, and sneering mouth preseI-
ted but little to cause woman's tenderness to
withhold the meditated blow. He excited such
a loathing In Charlotte that she feared to cast
seconl glance, lest he should notice her hor-
ror and suspect her errand.
With dogncast eyes she awaited his ques-