New-York tribune., 1915-03-13
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
Historical Highways and By
paths of the Terror.

BEHIND THE SCENES ~ THE TERROR
r.. Hector Fleischmann. With fourteen
illustrations. Syo. ~. o3y. Brentanos. =.
This volume contains the chips from
French revolutionary historlan's 5
workshop, odds and ends OF interest
many OF them but little known. The
author begins by visiting with us the
Paris prisons of the Terror, taking A.
his guides the numerous pamphlets
purporting to deal with what happened
within their walls, which were pub
lished in France beginning with the
year 1893. Many Of these publications
have become exceedingly scarce; Of al!
of them it may be said that, along
with much invention and romantic and
CHASTITY misrepresentation, they CON
tanned modicum of facts. The last
hours, the last words OF the con
demned, the hysterias Of liberation at
the last moment, the clubs formed By
the prisoners awaiting trial, their pas
times and songs among them parody
of the "AIarseillaise":
Contre nous dc la tyrannie
lie couteau sanglant est ley6. etc,
the amiablity, cruelty and yenality OF
jailers, the iudignities put upon women
prisoners, all this is discussed. tested
and often disproved. NJ. Fleischmann
is an apoogist OF the Terror. II was
bad enough, he admits, but not nearly
so bad as it has been painted He
draws a touching picture Of Fouquier-
Tinville, its public prosecutor, as e
patriot devoted to his duty.
lie strips the assassination Of the
Princess de Lamballe OF some of its
traditional atrocities Of mutilation
after her death; and he disproyes en-
tirely the horrible legend Of the glass
Of human blood drunk By Mile. de som
breuil as the price Of her fathers life.
No trace Of this story can be found
in the mass of pamphlets dealing with
the Terror down to the year 1901,
when it makes its first appearance m
the "Merite des Femmes'; thereafter
its variants are many, ranging all the
way upward from Il glass Of water into
which drop of blood had accidentally
fallen. II. de Sombreuil, it may b.
added. was arrested on another charge,
and guillotined IN June, 1891. I'VE
may conclude" says the author, "tha'
Nile. dc Sombreuil was not obliged to
drink a glass of blood for the very
simple reason that 1t was neither pro
posed to her nor imposed Oh her"
There are here serviceable brief
studies Of Nine. Tallien, Marat and
Robesperre; also the reminiscence OF d
prisoner who knew that the Terror
was over when ne heard his jailer
snarl: Lie down, Robespierre." Rougct
de LTsle, the author Of the "Marseil-
laise," VIC learn, returned Immediately
to the obscurity from which the song
had lifted him for moment. In 1896
he published a volume Of "Essais en-
Verse ct en- Prose" that were lament
ably bad" lie died, forgotten and in
poverty, in 1886.
There IS record here Of dog con-
demned 20 death By the Revolutionary
tribunal, Of a fanatic who went around
the country dcmolishing statues Of
royalty. and who. in 1924. guillotine-
in the name Of the Republic a set o.
wax figures OF the 'yrants OF Europe
leagucd in war against her-efiigies Of
the King of Prussia, the Emperor Of
Austria. Of Pitt. An Appendix contains
extracts from three pamphlets directed
against Marie Autoiuctte. among them
an "cpistlc 70 her godfather the devil, q"
written In her name.
The book Is q collection ~ marriDa,
notes o. interest 10 all students Of the
Reign o. Terror.