Charlotte Corday is remembered as the assassin of the wicked Marat. No
one was ever more cruel than Marat. He was one of the worst of the
French Jacobins at Paris, who in 1793 practiced every kind of crime.
They professed to be freemen, but were tyrants more cruel than Nero.
They filled Paris with murders, executions, and every kind of misery. No
one's life or property was safe, and Marat, who was now their leader,
constantly urged them to new cruelty. He seemed to the people of Paris
and all the world a savage monster who could only live amidst bloodshed
and crimes, and had begun in France what is known as the "Reign of
Terror."
There lived in the country a young girl whose intended husband, it is
said, had been put to death at the suggestion of Marat. Her name was
Charlotte Corday. She was about twenty-five years old, fond of reading
and study, tall and beautiful, when she resolved to kill Marat. If she
could destroy the monster, she thought she would save the republic and
revenge her lost lover. In July, 1793, Charlotte bade her father good-by
in a short note, and set out from a friend's house at Caen on her
journey to Paris. She hoped to make her way into the famous club of the
Jacobins, and stab Marat in the midst of his guilty companions.
Early on the second morning after she had reached Paris she went to the
Palais Royal, bought a knife, and drove to the house of Marat. He had
been for some time unwell, and unable to join his companions at the
Jacobin Club. Charlotte was refused admittance, and went away
disappointed. She went back to her hotel, wrote a short note to Marat,
telling him that she wished to see him on business of importance to
France, and once more returned to his house. She sent up the note. Marat
read it, and ordered her to be admitted. He was in his bath; Charlotte
stood alone before her victim. It was the 13th of July, 1793, about
eight in the evening.
She told him of some events at Caen. Marat asked the names of the
deputies from Caen, and began to write down a list of them to have them
put to death. The guillotine was an instrument then employed to cut off
people's heads; and Marat said, "Let them all be guillotined."
"Guillotined!" exclaimed Charlotte, with horror, and plunged the knife
into Marat's heart.
"Help!" he cried; "help, my dear!"
His housekeeper and some others ran into the room. He was seen lying
covered with blood, and Charlotte standing motionless beside him.
[Illustration: PAINTING THE PORTRAIT OF CHARLOTTE CORDAY ON THE EVE OF
EXECUTION.]
A crowd gathered around the house; they carried her away to prison. She
was brought to trial before the Revolutionary judges, and showed no
signs of emotion or fear. "It was I that killed Marat," she said. She
was condemned to death. She wrote to her father, asking his forgiveness
for having given her life to her country. On the 15th of July she was
led through the streets of Paris to the scaffold. Many of the people
followed her with applause and cries of sympathy. She smiled as her head
was cut off, looking beautiful even in death.
Marat, her victim, was buried by his fellow Jacobins with a great
display. His body was covered with flowers, and his bust or statue
appeared in every part of Paris. The Reign of Terror went on for two
years longer. The murders and executions were fearful. But at last
Robespierre, Marat's successor, was killed, and the murderers were
punished. Marat's four thousand busts were thrown down, and his grave
dishonored.
As for Charlotte Corday, she was a murderess roused to madness by the
crimes of her victim.