WhatMr。FroudehasdoneforHenryVIII。weknow；andhemighthavedonemoreifhehadnottriedtodosomuch。HumpbackedRichardturnsouttohavebeenoneofthehandsomestkingsthateversatonthethroneofEngland。EdwardI。，inhisdealingswithScotland，isseentohavebeenscrupulouslyjust；whilethedignityofthepatriotheroWallacehasbeensomewhatimpaired。
ElizabethisprovedtohavebefriendedthefalseMaryStuartmuchlongerthanwasconsistentwithherpersonalsafety。EloquentCicerohasbeenheldupasanobjectofcontempt；andevenweightyTacitushasbeensaidtoowemuchofhisreputationtohisabilitytogivefalsetestimonywithagraveface。IthaslatelybeensuspectedthatgloomyTiberius，apartfromhisgloominess，mayhavebeenratheragoodfellow；notsolicentiousaspuritanical，notcruelsomuchasexceptionallymerciful，——araregeneral，asagaciousstatesman，andpopulartobootwithallhissubjectssavethemalignantoligarchywhichheconsistentlysnubbed，andwhichtookrevengeonhimbywritinghislife。And，tocrownall，evenCatiline，abuserofourpatience，seducerofvestalnuns，anddrinkerofchildren’sblood，——whoseverynamesuggestsmurder，incest，androbbery，——evenCatilinehasfoundanabledefenderinProfessorBeesly。ItisclaimedthatCatilinewasamanofgreatabilitiesandaveragegoodcharacter，awell-calumniatedleaderoftheMarianpartywhichCaesarafterwardsledtovictory，andthathisfamousplotforburningRomeneverexistedsaveintheunscrupulousCiceronianfancy。AndthosewhothinkiteasytorefutetheseconclusionsofProfessorBeeslyhadbettersettoworkandtryit。Suchareafewofthesurprisingquestionsopenedbyrecenthistoricalresearch；andinthefaceofthemthepublicisquiteexcusableifitdeclaresitselfatalosswhattobelieve。
These，however，arecasesinwhichcriticismhasatleastmadesomeshowofascertainingthetruthanddetectingthecausesoftheprevalentmisconception。ThatmenlikeCatilineandTiberiusshouldhavehadtheircharactersblackenedisquiteeasilyexplicable。PresidentJohnsonwouldhavelittlebetterchanceofobtainingjusticeatthehandsofposterity，ifthemostwidelyreadhistoryofhisadministrationshouldhappentobewrittenbyaradicalmemberoftheRumpCongress。ButthecaseswhichMr。
Delepierreinvitesustocontemplateareofadifferentcharacter。Theycomeneitherundertheheadofmythsnorunderthatofmisrepresentations。Someofthemaretrulyvexedquestionswhichitmayperhapsalwaysbeimpossiblesatisfactorilytosolve。Othersmaybedealtwithmoreeasily，butaffordnoclewtotheoriginofthepopularlyreceivederror。
LetusbrieflyexamineafewofMr。Delepierre’s“difficulties。“