mary stuart-第25章

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dreams　so　gainful　to　prisoners；　when　waking　they　see　again　the　bolts

on　their　doors　and　the　bars　on　their　windows。　　So　the　queen；　unable

to　believe　the　evidence　of　her　senses；　ran；　half　dressed；　to　the

window。　　The　courtyard　was　filled　with　soldiers；　and　these　soldiers

all　friends　who　had　hastened　at　the　news　of　her　escape；　she

recognised　the　banners　of　her　faithful　friends；　the　Seytons；　the

Arbroaths；　the　Herries；　and　the　Hamiltons；　and　scarcely　had　she　been

seen　at　the　window　than　all　these　banners　bent　before　her；　with　the

shouts　a　hundred　times　repeated　of　〃Long　live　Mary　of　Scotland！　Long

live　our　queen！〃　　Then；　without　giving　heed　to　the　disarray　of　her

toilet；　lovely　and　chaste　with　her　emotion　and　her　happiness；　she

greeted　them　in　her　turn；　her　eyes　full　of　tears；　but　this　time　they

were　tears　of　joy。　　However；　the　queen　recollected　that　she　was

barely　covered；　and　blushing　at　having　allowed　herself　to　be　thus

carried　away　in　her　ecstasy；　she　abruptly　drew　back；　quite　rosy　with

confusion。



Then　she　had　an　instant's　womanly　fright：　she　had　fled　from　Lochleven

Castle　in　the　Douglas　livery；　and　without　either　the　leisure　or　the

opportunity　for　taking　women's　clothes　with　her。　　But　she　could　not

remain　attired　as　a　man；　so　she　explained　her　uneasiness　to　Mary

Seyton；　who　responded　by　opening　the　closets　in　the　queen's　room。

They　were　furnished；　not　only　with　robes；　the　measure　for　which；　like

that　of　the　suit；　had　been　taken　from　Mary　Fleming；　but　also　with　all

the　necessaries　for　a　woman's　toilet。　　The　queen　was　astonished：　it

was　like　being　in　a　fairy　castle。



〃Mignonne；〃　said　she；　looking　one　after　another　at　the　robes；　all　the

stuffs　of　which　were　chosen　with　exquisite　taste；　〃I　knew　your　father

was　a　brave　and　loyal　knight；　but　I　did　not　think　him　so　learned　in

the　matter　of　the　toilet。　　We　shall　name　him　groom　of　the　wardrobe。〃



〃Alas！　madam；〃　smilingly　replied　Mary　Seyton；　〃you　are　not　mistaken：

my　father　has　had　everything　in　the　castle　furbished　up　to　the　last

corselet；　sharpened　to　the　last　sword；　unfurled　to　the　last　banner；

but　my　father；　ready　as　he　is　to　die　for　your　Majesty；　would　not　have

dreamed　for　an　instant　of　offering　you　anything　but　his　roof　to　rest

under；　or　his　cloak　to　cover　you。　　It　is　Douglas　again　who　has

foreseen　everything；　prepared　everythingeverything　even　to

Rosabelle；　your　Majesty's　favourite　steed；　which　is　impatiently

awaiting　in　the　stable　the　moment　when；　mounted　on　her；　your　Majesty

will　make　your　triumphal　re…entry　into　Edinburgh。〃



〃And　how　has　he　been　able　to　get　her　back　again？〃　Mary　asked。

〃I　thought　that　in　the　division　of　my　spoils　Rosabelle　had　fallen　to

the　fair　Alice；　my　brother's　favourite　sultana？〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Mary　Seyton；　〃it　was　so；　and　as　her　value　was　known；

she　was　kept　under　lock　and　key　by　an　army　of　grooms；　but　Douglas　is

the　man　of　miracles；　and；　as　I　have　told　you；　Rosabelle　awaits　your

Majesty。〃



〃Noble　Douglas！〃　murmured　the　queen；　with　eyes　full　of　tears；　then；

as　if　speaking　to　herself；　〃And　this　is　precisely　one　of　those

devotions　that　we　can　never　repay。　　The　others　will　be　happy　with

honours；　places；　money；　but　to　Douglas　what　matter　all　these　things？〃



〃Come；　madam；　come；〃　said　Mary　Seyton；　〃God　takes　on　Himself　the

debts　of　kings；　He　will　reward　Douglas。　　As　to　your　Majesty；　reflect

that　they　are　waiting　dinner　for　you。　　I　hope；〃　added　she；　smiling；

〃that　you　will　not　affront　my　father　as　you　did　Lord　Douglas

yesterday　in　refusing　to　partake　of　his　feast　on　his　fortunate　home…

coming。〃



〃And　luck　has　come　to　me　for　it；　I　hope；〃　replied　Mary。　　〃But　you　are

right；　darling：　no　more　sad　thoughts；　we　will　consider　when　we　have

indeed　become　queen　again　what　we　can　do　for　Douglas。〃



The　queen　dressed　and　went　down。　　As　Mary　Seyton　had　told　her；　the

chief　noblemen　of　her　party；　already　gathered　round　her；　were　waiting

for　her　in　the　great　hall　of　the　castle。　　Her　arrival　was　greeted

with　acclamations　of　the　liveliest　enthusiasm；　and　she　sat　down　to

table；　with　Lord　Seyton　on　her　right　hand；　Douglas　on　her　left；　and

behind　her　Little　William；　who　the　same　day　was　beginning　his　duties

as　page。



Next　morning　the　queen　was　awakened　by　the　sound　of　trumpets　and

bugles：　it　had　been　decided　the　day　before　that　she　should　set　out

that　day　for　Hamilton；　where　reinforcements　were　looked　for。　　The

queen　donned　an　elegant　riding…habit；　and　soon；　mounted　on　Rosabelle；

appeared　amid　her　defenders。　　The　shouts　of　joy　redoubled：　her

beauty；　her　grace；　and　her　courage　were　admired　by　everyone。　　Mary

Stuart　became　her　own　self　once　more；　and　she　felt　spring　up　in　her

again　the　power　of　fascination　she　had　always　exercised　on　those　who

came　near　her。　　Everyone　was　in　good　humour；　and　the　happiest　of　all

was　perhaps　Little　William；　who　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　had

such　a　fine　dress　and　such　a　fine　horse。



Two　or　three　thousand　men　were　awaiting　the　queen　at　Hamilton；　which

she　reached　the　same　evening；　and　during　the　night　following　her

arrival　the　troops　increased　to　six　thousand。　　The　2nd　of　May　she　was

a　prisoner；　without　another　friend　but　a　child　in　her　prison；　without

other　means　of　communication　with　her　adherents　than　the　flickering

and　uncertain　light　of　a　lamp；　and　three　days　afterwardsthat　is　to

say；　between　the　Sunday　and　the　Wednesdayshe　found　herself　not　only

free；　but　also　at　the　head　of　a　powerful　confederacy；　which　counted

at　its　head　nine　earls；　eight　peers；　nine　bishops；　and　a　number　of

barons　and　nobles　renowned　among　the　bravest　of　Scotland。



The　advice　of　the　most　judicious　among　those　about　the　queen　was　to

shut　herself　up　in　the　strong　castle　of　Dumbarton；　which；　being

impregnable；　would　give　all　her　adherents　time　to　assemble　together；

distant　and　scattered　as　they　were：　accordingly；　the　guidance　of　the

troops　who　were　to　conduct　the　queen　to　that　town　was　entrusted　to

the　Earl　of　Argyll；　and　the　11th　of　May　she　took　the　road　with　an

army　of　nearly　ten　thousand　men。



Murray　was　at　Glasgow　when　he　heard　of　the　queen's　escape：　the　place

was　strong；　he　decided　to　hold　it；　and　summoned　to　him　his　bravest

and　most　devoted　partisans。　　Kirkcaldy　of　Grange；　Morton；　Lindsay　of

Byres；　Lord　Lochleven；　and　William　Douglas　hastened　to　him；　and　six

thousand　of　the　best　troops　in　the　kingdom　gathered　round　them；　while

Lord　Ruthven　in　the　counties　of　Berwick　and　Angus　raised　levies　with

which　to　join　them。



The　13th　May；　Morton　occupied　from　daybreak　the　village　of　Langside；

through　which　the　queen　must　pass　to　get　to　Dumbarton。　　The　news　of

the　occupation　reached　the　queen　as　the　two　armies　were　yet　seven

miles　apart。　　Mary's　first　instinct　was　to　escape　an　engagement：　she

remembered　her　last　battle　at　Carberry　Hill；　at　the　end　of　which　she

had　been　separated　from　Bothwell　and　brought　to　Edinburgh；　so　she

expressed　aloud　this　opinion；　which　was　supported　by　George　Douglas；

who；　in　black　armour；　without　other　arms；　had　continued　at　the

queen's　side。



〃Avoid　an　engagement！〃　cried　Lord　Seyton；　not　daring　to　answer　his

sovereign；　and　replying　to　George　as　if　this　opinion　had　originated

with　him。　　〃We　could　do　it；　perhaps；　if　we　were　one　to　ten；　but　we

shall　certainly　not　do　so　when　we　are　three　to　two。　　You　speak　a

strange　tongue；　my　young　master；〃　continued　he；　with　some　contempt；

〃and　you　forget；　it　seems　to　me；　that　you　are　a　Douglas　and　that　you

speak　to　a　Seyton。〃



〃My　lord；〃　returned　George　calmly；　〃when　we　only　hazard　the　lives　of

Douglases　and　Seytons；　you　will　find　me；　I　hope；　as　ready　to　fight　as

you；　be　it　one　to　ten；　be　it　three　to　two；　but　we　are　now　answerable

for　an　existence　dearer　to　Scotland　than　that　of　all　the　Seytons　and

all　the　Douglases。　　My　advice　is　then　to　avoid　battle。〃



〃Battle！　battle！〃　cried　all　the　chieftains。



〃You　hear；　madam？〃　said　Lord　Seyton　to　Mary　Stuart：　〃I　believe　that


to　wish　to　act　against　such　unanimity　would　be　dangerous。　　In

Scotland；　madam；　there　is　an　ancient　proverb　which　has　it　that　'there

is　most　prudence　in　courage。'〃



〃But　have　you　not　heard　that　the　regent　has　taken　up　an　advantageous

position？〃　the　queen　said。



〃The　greyhound　hunts　the　hare　on　the　hillside　as　well　as　in　the

plain；〃　replied　Seyton：　〃we　will　drive　him　out；　wherever　he　is。〃



〃Let　it　be　as　you　desire；　then；　my　lords。　　It　shall　not　be　said　that

Mary　Stuart　returned　to　the　scabbard　the　sword　her　defenders　had

drawn　for　her。〃



Then；　turning　round　to　Douglas



〃George；〃　she　said　to　him；　〃choose　a　guard　of　twenty　men　for　me；　and

take　command　of　them：　you　will　not　quit　me。〃



George　bent　low　in　obedience；　chose　twenty　from　among　the　bravest

men；　placed　the　queen　in　their　midst；　and　put　himself　at　their　head；

then　the　troops；　which　had　halted；　received　the　order　to　continue

their　road。　　In　two　hours'　time　the　advance　guard　was　in　sight　of　the

enemy；　it　halted；　and　the　rest　of　the　army　rejoined　it。



The　queen's　troops　then　found　themselves　parallel　with　the　city　of

Glasgow；　and　the　heights　which　rose　in　front　of　them　were　already

occupied　by　a　force　above　which　floated；　as　above　that　of　Mary；　the

royal　banners　of　Scotland；　On　the　other　side；　and　on　the　opposite

slope；　stretched　the　village　of　Langside；　encircled　with　enclosures

and　gardens。　　The　road　which　led　to　it；　and　which　followed　all　the

variations　of　the　ground；　narrowed　at　one　place　in　such　a　way　that

two　men　could　hardly　pass　abreast；　then；　farther　on；　lost　itself　in　a

ravine；　beyond　which　it　reappeared；　then　branched　into　two；　of　which

one　climbed　to　the　village　of　Langside；　while　the　other　led　to

Glasgow。



On　seeing　the　lie　of　the　ground；　the　Earl　of　Argyll　immediately

comprehended　the　importance　of　occupying　this　village；　and；　turning

to　Lord　Seyton；　he　ordered　him　to　gallop　off　and　try　to　arrive　there

before　the　enemy；　who　doubtless；　having　made　the　same　observation　as

the　commander　of　the　royal　forces；　was　setting　in　motion　at　that　very

moment　a　considerable　body　of　cavalry。



Lord　Seyton　called　up　his　men　directly；　but　while　he　was　ranging　them

round　his　banner；　Lord　Arbroath　drew　his　sword；　and　approaching　the

Earl　of　Argyll



〃My　lord；〃　said　he；　〃you　do　me　a　wrong　in　charging　Lord　Seyton　to

seize　that　post：　as　commander　of　the　vanguard；　it　is　to　me　this

honour　belongs。　　Allow　me；　then；　to　use　my　privilege　in　claiming　it。〃



〃It　is　I　who　received　the　order　to　seize　it；　I　will　seize　it！〃　cried

Seyton。



〃Perhaps；〃　returned　Lord　Arbroath；　〃but　not　before　me！〃



〃Before　you　and　before　every　Hamilton　in　the　world！〃　exclaimed

Seyton；　putting　his　horse　to　the　gallop　and　rushing　down　into　the

hollow　road



〃Saint　Bennet！　and　forward！〃



〃Come；　my　faithful　kinsmen！〃cried　Lord　Arbroath；　dashing　forward　on

his　side　with　the　same　object；　〃come；　my　men…at…arms！　For　God　and　the

queen！〃



The　two　troops　precipit