mary stuart-第29章

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there　should　be　read　over　to　the　Queen　of　Scotland　the　commission　in

virtue　of　which　they　were　proceedinga　commission　founded　on　the

statutes　and　law　of　the　kingdom。



But　to　this　Mary　Stuart　made　answer　that　she　again　protested；　that

the　said　statutes　and　laws　were　without　force　against　her；　because

these　statutes　and　laws　are　not　made　for　persons　of　her　condition。



To　this　the　chancellor　replied　that　the　commission　intended　to

proceed　against　her；　even　if　she　refused　to　answer；　and　declared　that

the　trial　should　proceed；　for　she　was　doubly　subject　to　indictment；

the　conspirators　having　not　only　plotted　in　her　favour；　but　also　with

her　consent：　to　which　the　said　Queen　of　Scotland　responded　that　she

had　never　even　thought　of　it。



Upon　this；　the　letters　it　was　alleged　she　had　written　to　Babington

and　his　answers　were　read　to　her。



Mary　Stuart　then　affirmed　that　she　had　never　seen　Babington；　that　she

had　never　had　any　conference　with　him；　had　never　in　her　life　received

a　single　letter　from　him；　and　that　she　defied　anyone　in　the　world　to

maintain　that　she　had　ever　done　anything　to　the　prejudice　of　the　said

Queen　of　England；　that　besides；　strictly　guarded　as　she　was；　away

from　all　news；　withdrawn　from　and　deprived　of　those　nearest　her；

surrounded　with　enemies；　deprived　finally　of　all　advice；　she　had　been

unable　to　participate　in　or　to　consent　to　the　practices　of　which　she

was　accused；　that　there　are；　besides；　many　persons　who　wrote　to　her

what　she　had　no　knowledge　of；　and　that　she　had　received　a　number　of

letters　without　knowing　whence　they　came　to　her。



Then　Babington's　confession　was　read　to　her；　but　she　replied　that　she

did　not　know　what　was　meant；　that　besides；　if　Babington　and　his

accomplices　had　said　such　things；　they　were　base　men；　false　and

liars。



〃Besides；〃　added　she；　〃show　me　my　handwriting　and　my　signature；　since

you　say　that　I　wrote　to　Babington；　and　not　copies　counterfeited　like

these　which　you　have　filled　at　your　leisure　with　the　falsehoods　it

has　pleased　you　to　insert。〃



Then　she　was　shown　the　letter　that　Babington；　it　was　said；　had

written　her。　　She　glanced　at　it；　then　said；　〃I　have　no　knowledge　of

this　letter〃。　　Upon　this；　she　was　shown　her　reply；　and　she　said

again；　〃I　have　no　more　knowledge　of　this　answer。　　If　you　will　show　me

my　own　letter　and　my　own　signature　containing　what　you　say；　I　will

acquiesce　in　all；　but　up　to　the　present；　as　I　have　already　told　you；

you　have　produced　nothing　worthy　of　credence；　unless　it　be　the　copies

you　have　invented　and　added　to　with　what　seemed　good　to　you。〃



With　these　words；　she　rose；　and　with　her　eyes　full　of　tears



〃If　I　have　ever；〃　said　she；　〃consented　to　such　intrigues；　having　for

object　my　sister's　death；　I　pray　God　that　He　have　neither　pity　nor

mercy　on　me。　　I　confess　that　I　have　written　to　several　persons；　that

I　have　implored　them　to　deliver　me　from　my　wretched　prisons；　where　I

languished；　a　captive　and　ill…treated　princess；　for　nineteen　years

and　seven　months；　but　it　never　occurred　to　me；　even　in　thought；　to

write　or　even　to　desire　such　things　against　the　queen。　　Yes；　I　also

confess　to　having　exerted　myself　for　the　deliverance　of　some

persecuted　Catholics；　and　if　I　had　been　able；　and　could　yet；　with　my

own　blood；　protect　them　and　save　them　from　their　pains；　I　would　have

done　it；　and　would　do　it　for　them　with　all　my　power；　in　order　to　save

them　from　destruction。〃



Then；　turning　to　the　secretary；　Walsingham



〃But；　my　lord；〃　said　she；　〃from　the　moment　I　see　you　here；　I　know

whence　comes　this　blow：　you　have　always　been　my　greatest　enemy　and　my

son's；　and　you　have　moved　everyone　against　me　and　to　my　prejudice。〃



Thus　accused　to　his　face；　Walsingham　rose。



〃Madam；〃　he　replied；　〃I　protest　before　God；　who　is　my　witness；　that

you　deceive　yourself；　and　that　I　have　never　done　anything　against　you

unworthy　of　a　good　man；　either　as　an　individual　or　as　a　public

personage。〃



This　is　all　that　was　said　and　done　that　day　in　the　proceedings；　till

the　next　day；　when　the　queen　was　again　obliged　to　appear　before　the

commissioners。



And；　being　seated　at　the　end　of　the　table　of　the　said　hall；　and　the

said　commissioners　about　her；　she　began　to　speak　in　a　loud　voice。



〃You　are　not　unaware；　my　lords　and　gentlemen；　that　I　am　a　sovereign

queen；　anointed　and　consecrated　in　the　church　of　God；　and　cannot；　and

ought　not；　for　any　reason　whatever；　be　summoned　to　your　courts；　or

called　to　your　bar；　to　be　judged　by　the　law　and　statutes　that　you　lay

down；　for　I　am　a　princess　and　free；　and　I　do　not　owe　to　any　prince

more　than　he　owes　to　me；　and　on　everything　of　which　I　am　accused

towards　my　said　sister；　I　cannot；　reply　if　you　do　not　permit　me　to　be

assisted　by　counsel。　　And　if　you　go　further；　do　what　you　will；　but

from　all　your　procedure；　in　reiterating　my　protestations；　I　appeal　to

God；　who　is　the　only　just　and　true　judge；　and　to　the　kings　and

princes；　my　allies　and　confederates。〃



This　protestation　was　once　more　registered；　as　she　had　required　of

the　commissioners。　　Then　she　was　told　that　she　had　further　written

several　letters　to　the　princes　of　Christendom；　against　the　queen　and

the　kingdom　of　England。



〃As　to　that；〃　replied　Mary　Stuart；　〃it　is　another　matter；　and　I　do

not　deny　it；　and　if　it　was　again　to　do；　I　should　do　as　I　have　done；

to　gain　my　liberty；　for　there　is　not　a　man　or　woman　in　the　world；　of

less　rank　than　I；　who　would　not　do　it；　and　who　would　not　make　use　of

the　help　and　succour　of　their　friends　to　issue　from　a　captivity　as

harsh　as　mine　was。　　You　charge　me　with　certain　letters　from

Babington：　well；　I　do　not　deny　that　he　has　written　to　me　and　that　I

have　replied　to　him；　but　if　you　find　in　my　answers　a　single　word

about　the　queen　my　sister；　well；　yes；　there　will　be　good　cause　to

prosecute　me。　　I　replied　to　him　who　wrote　to　me　that　he　would　set　me

at　liberty；　that　I　accepted　his　offer；　if　he　could　do　it　without

compromising　the　one　or　the　other　of　us：　that　is　all。



〃As　to　my　secretaries；〃　added　the　queen；　〃not　they；　but　torture　spoke

by　their　mouths：　and　as　to　the　confessions　of　Babington　and　his

accomplices；　there　is　not　much　to　be　made　of　them；　for　now　that　they

are　dead　you　can　say　all　that　seems　good　to　you；　and　let　who　will

believe　you。〃



With　these　words；　the　queen　refused　to　answer　further　if　she　were　not

given　counsel；　and；　renewing　her　protestation；　she　withdrew　into　her

apartment；　but；　as　the　chancellor　had　threatened；　the　trial　was

continued　despite　her　absence。



However；　M。　de　Chateauneuf；　the　French　ambassador　to　London；　saw

matters　too　near　at　hand　to　be　deceived　as　to　their　course：

accordingly；　at　the　first　rumour　which　came　to　him　of　bringing　Mary

Stuart　to　trial；　he　wrote　to　King　Henry　III；　that　he　might　intervene

in　the　prisoner's　favour。　　Henry　III　immediately　despatched　to　Queen

Elizabeth　an　embassy　extraordinary；　of　which　M。　de　Bellievre　was　the

chief；　and　at　the　same　time；　having　learned　that　James　VI；　Mary's

son；　far　from　interesting　himself　in　his　mother's　fate；　had　replied

to　the　French　minister；　Courcelles；　who　spoke　to　him　of　her；　〃I　can

do　nothing；　let　her　drink　what　she　has　spilled；〃　he　wrote　him　the

following　letter；　to　decide　the　young　prince　to　second　him　in　the

steps　he　was　going　to　take：



〃21st　November；　1586。



〃COURCELLES；　I　have　received　your　letter　of　the　4th　October　last；　in

which　I　have　seen　the　discourse　that　the　King　of　Scotland　has　held

with　you　concerning　what　you　have　witnessed　to　him　of　the　good

affection　I　bear　him；　discourse　in　which　he　has　given　proof　of

desiring　to　reciprocate　it　entirely；　but　I　wish　that　that　letter　had

informed　me　also　that　he　was　better　disposed　towards　the　queen　his

mother；　and　that　he　had　the　heart　and　the　desire　to　arrange

everything　in　a　way　to　assist　her　in　the　affliction　in　which　she　now

is；　reflecting　that　the　prison　where　she　has　been　unjustly　detained

for　eighteen　years　and　more　has　induced　her　to　lend　an　ear　to　many

things　which　have　been　proposed　to　her　for　gaining　her　liberty；　a

thing　which　is　naturally　greatly　desired　by　all　men；　and　more　still

by　those　who　are　born　sovereigns　and　rulers；　who　bear　being　kept

prisoners　thus　with　less　patience。　　He　should　also　consider　that　if

the　Queen　of　England；　my　good　sister；　allows　herself　to　be　persuaded

by　the　counsels　of　those　who　wish　that　she　should　stain　herself　with

Queen　Mary's　blood；　it　will　be　a　matter　which　will　bring　him　to　great

dishonour；　inasmuch　as　one　will　judge　that　he　will　have　refused　his

mother　the　good　offices　that　he　should　render　her　with　the　said　Queen

of　England；　and　which　would　have　perhaps　been　sufficient　to　move　her；

if　he　would　have　employed　them；　as　warmly；　and　as　soon　as　his　natural

duty　commanded　him。　　Moreover；　it　is　to　be　feared　for　him；　that；　his

mother　dead；　his　own　turn　may　come；　and　that　one　may　think　of　doing

as　much　for　him；　by　some　violent　means；　to　make　the　English

succession　easier　to　seize　for　those　who　are　likely　to　have　it　after

the　said　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　not　only　to　defraud　the　said　King　of

Scotland　of　the　claim　he　can　put　forward；　but　to　render　doubtful　even

that　which　he　has　to　his　own　crown。　　I　do　not　know　in　what　condition

the　affairs　of　my　said　sister…in…law　will　be　when　you　receive　this

letter；　but　I　will　tell　you　that　in　every　case　I　wish　you　to　rouse

strongly　the　said　King　of　Scotland；　with　remonstrances；　and

everything　else　which　may　bear　on　this　subject；　to　embrace　the

defence　and　protection　of　his　said　mother；　and　to　express　to　him；　on

my　part；　that　as　this　will　be　a　matter　for　which　he　will　be　greatly

praised　by　all　the　other　kings　and　sovereign　princes；　he　must　be

assured　that　if　he　fails　in　it　there　will　be　great　censure　for　him；

and　perhaps　notable　injury　to　himself　in　particular。　　Furthermore；　as

to　the　state　of　my　own　affairs；　you　know　that　the　queen；　madam　and

mother；　is　about　to　see　very　soon　the　King　of　Navarre；　and　to　confer

with　him　on　the　matter　of　the　pacification　of　the　troubles　of　this

kingdom；　to　which；　if　he　bear　as　much　good　affection　as　I　do　for　my

part；　I　hope　that　things　may　come　to　a　good　conclusion；　and　that　my

subjects　will　have　some　respite　from　the　great　evils　and　calamities

that　the　war　occasions　them：　supplicating　the　Creator；　Courcelles；

that　He　may　have　you　in　His　holy　keeping。



〃Written　at　St。　Germain…en…Laye；　the　21st　day

of　November　1586。（Signed）　HENRI；



〃And　below；　BRULART。〃





This　letter　finally　decided　James　VI　to　make　a　kind　of　demonstration

in　his　mother's　favour：　he　sent　Gray；　Robert　Melville；　and　Keith　to

Queen　Elizabeth。　　But　although　London　was　nearer　Edinburgh　than　was

Paris；　the　French　envoys　reached　it　before　the　Scotch。



It　is　true　that　on　reaching　Calais；　the　27th　of　November；　M。　de

Bellievre　had　found　a　special　messenger　there　to　tell　him　not　to　lose

an　instant；　from　M。　de　Chateauneuf；　who；　to　provide