It has been the object of the writer to make each of these “famous assassinations” the central scene of a picture in which the political, religious, or national features of the epoch in which the assassination occurred are portrayed with historical fidelity and strict impartiality. F. J. LAFAYETTE, IND., August 1, 1903. Contents CHAPTER I PAGE ASSASSINATION OF PHILIP OF MACEDON (336 B.C.) 3 CHAPTER II ASSASSINATION OF TIBERIUS GRACCHUS (133 B.C.) 11 CHAPTER III ASSASSINATION OF JULIUS CÆSAR (44 B.C.) 25 CHAPTER IV ASSASSINATIONS OF TIBERIUS, CALIGULA, CLAUDIUS, NERO (A.D. 37-68) 35 CHAPTER V ASSASSINATION OF HYPATIA (A.D. 415) 41 CHAPTER VI ASSASSINATION OF THOMAS À BECKET (December 29, 1170) 53 CHAPTER VII ASSASSINATION OF GESSLER (A.D. 1307) 67 CHAPTER VIII ASSASSINATION OF IÑEZ DE CASTRO (A.D. 1355) 77 CHAPTER IX ASSASSINATIONS OF RIZZIO AND DARNLEY (March 9, 1566; February 9, 1567) 89 CHAPTER X ASSASSINATION OF WILLIAM OF ORANGE (July 10, 1584) 111 CHAPTER XI ASSASSINATIONS BY IVAN THE TERRIBLE (1560-1584) 131 CHAPTER XII ASSASSINATION OF HENRY THE FOURTH OF FRANCE (May 14, 1610) 147 CHAPTER XIII ASSASSINATION OF WALLENSTEIN (February 24, 1634) 165 CHAPTER XIV ASSASSINATION OF THE BROTHERS JOHN AND CORNELIUS DE WITT (August 20, 1672) 191 CHAPTER XV ASSASSINATION OF ALEXIS, SON OF PETER THE GREAT (June 26, 1718) 211 CHAPTER XVI ASSASSINATION OF PETER THE THIRD OF RUSSIA (July 17, 1762) 221 CHAPTER XVII ASSASSINATION OF GUSTAVUS THE THIRD OF SWEDEN (March 17, 1792) 249 CHAPTER XVIII ASSASSINATION OF JEAN PAUL MARAT (July 13, 1793) 283 CHAPTER XIX ASSASSINATION OF PAUL THE FIRST OF RUSSIA (March 24, 1801) 301 CHAPTER XX ASSASSINATION OF AUGUST VON KOTZEBUE (March 23, 1819) 315 CHAPTER XXI ASSASSINATION OF THE DUC DE BERRY (February 13, 1820) 327 CHAPTER XXII ASSASSINATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN (April 14, 1865) 343 CHAPTER XXIII ASSASSINATION OF ALEXANDER THE SECOND OF RUSSIA (March 13, 1881) 359 CHAPTER XXIV ASSASSINATION OF WILLIAM MCKINLEY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (September 6, 1901) 381 CHAPTER XXV ASSASSINATIONS OF ALEXANDER I. AND DRAGA, KING AND QUEEN OF SERVIA (June 10-11, 1903) 399 Illustrations Julius Cæsar _Frontispiece_ _To face page_