mary stuart-第34章

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from　my　sister　Elizabeth；　relative　to　a　letter　which　I　wrote　to　her

about　a　month　ago？〃



〃And　of　what　did　this　letter　treat；　if　it　please　you；　madam？　　〃asked

the　Earl　of　Kent。



〃Of　my　burial　and　my　funeral　ceremony；　my　lord：　I　asked　to　be

interred　in　France；　in　the　cathedral　church　of　Rheims；　near　the　late

queen　my　mother。〃



〃That　may　not　be；　madam；〃　replied　the　Earl　of　Kent；　〃but　do　not

trouble　yourself　as　to　all　these　details：　the　queen；　my　august

mistress；　will　provide　for　them　as　is　suitable。　　Has　your　grace

anything　else　to　ask　us？〃



〃I　would　also　like　to　know；〃　said　Mary；　〃if　my　servants　will　be

allowed　to　return；　each　to　his　own　country；　with　the　little　that　I

can　give　him；　which　will　hardly　be　enough；　in　any　case；　for　the　long

service　they　have　done　me；　and　the　long　imprisonment　they　have　borne

on　my　account。〃



〃We　have　no　instructions　on　that　head；　madam；〃　the　Earl　of　Kent　said；

〃but　we　think　that　an　order　will　be　given　for　this　as　for　the　other

things；　in　accordance　with　your　wishes。　　Is　this　all　that　your　Grace

has　to　say　to　us？〃



〃Yes；　my　lord；〃　replied　the　queen；　bowing　a　second　time；　〃and　now　you

may　withdraw。〃



〃One　moment；　my　lords；　in　Heaven's　name；　one　moment！〃　cried　the　old

physician；　coming　forward　and　throwing　himself　on　his　knees　before

the　two　earls。



〃What　do　you　want？〃　asked　Lord　Shrewsbury。



〃To　point　out　to　you；　my　lords；〃　replied　the　aged　Bourgoin；　weeping；

〃that　you　have　granted　the　queen　but　a　very　short　time　for　such　an

important　matter　as　this　of　her　life。　　Reflect；　my　lords；　what　rank

and　degree　she　whom　you　have　condemned　has　held　among　the　princes　of

this　earth；　and　consider　if　it　is　well　and　seemly　to　treat　her　as　an

ordinary　condemned　person　of　middling　estate。　　And　if　not　for　the

sake　of　this　noble　queen；　my　lords；　do　this　for　the　sake　of　us　her

poor　servants；　who；　having　had　the　honour　of　living　near　her　so　long；

cannot　thus　part　from　her　so　quickly　and　without　preparation。

Besides；　my　lords；　think　of　it；　a　woman　of　her　state　and　position

ought　to　have　some　time　in　which　to　set　in　order　her　last　affairs。

And　what　will　become　of　her；　and　of　us；　if　before　dying；　our　mistress

has　not　time　to　regulate　her　jointure　and　her　accounts　and　to　put　in

order　her　papers　and　her　title…deeds？　　She　has　services　to　reward　and

offices　of　piety　to　perform。　　She　should　not　neglect　the　one　or　the

other。　　Besides；　we　know　that　she　will　only　concern　herself　with　us；

and；　through　this；　my　lords；　neglect　her　own　salvation。　　Grant　her；

then；　a　few　more　days；　my　lords；　and　as　our　mistress　is　too　proud　to

ask　of　you　such　a　favour；　I　ask　you　in　all　our　names；　and　implore　you

not　to　refuse　to　poor　servants　a　request　which　your　august　queen

would　certainly　not　refuse　them；　if　they　had　the　good　fortune　to　be

able　to　lay　it　at　her　feet。〃



〃Is　it　then　true；　madam；〃　Sir　Robert　Beale　asked；　〃that　you　have　not

yet　made　a　will？〃



〃I　have　not；　sir；〃　the　queen　answered。



〃In　that　case；　my　lords；〃　said　Sir　Robert　Beale；　turning　to　the　two

earls；　〃perhaps　it　would　be　a　good　thing　to　put　it　off　for　a　day　or

two。〃



〃Impossible；　sir；〃　replied　the　Earl　of　Shrewsbury：　〃the　time　is

fixed；　and　we　cannot　change　anything；　even　by　a　minute；　now。〃



〃Enough；　Bourgoin；　enough；〃　said　the　queen；　〃rise；　I　command　you。〃



Bourgoin　obeyed；　and　the　Earl　of　Shrewsbury；　turning　to　Sir　Amyas

Paulet；　who　was　behind　him



〃Sir　Amyas；〃　said　he；　〃we　entrust　this　lady　to　your　keeping：　you　will

charge　yourself　with　her；　and　keep　her　safe　till　our　return。〃



With　these　words　he　went　out；　followed　by　the　Earl　of　Kent；　Sir

Robert　Beale；　Amyas　Paulet；　and　Drury；　and　the　queen　remained　alone

with　her　servants。



Then；　turning　to　her　women　with　as　serene　a　countenance　as　if　the

event　which　had　just　taken　place　was　of　little　importance



〃Well；　Jeanne；〃　said　she；　speaking　to　Kennedy；　〃have　I　not　always

told　you；　and　was　I　not　right；　that　at　the　bottom　of　their　hearts

they　wanted　to　do　this？　and　did　I　not　see　clearly　through　all　their

procedure　the　end　they　had　in　view；　and　know　well　enough　that　I　was

too　great　an　obstacle　to　their　false　religion　to　be　allowed　to　live？

Come；〃　continued　she；　〃hasten　supper　now；　that　I　may　put　my　affairs

in　order〃。　　Then；　seeing　that　instead　of　obeying　her；　her　servants

were　weeping　and　lamenting；　〃My　children；〃　said　she；　with　a　sad

smile；　but　without　a　tear　in　her　eye；　〃it　is　no　time　for　weeping；

quite　the　contrary；　for　if　you　love　me；　you　ought　to　rejoice　that　the

Lord；　in　making　me　die　for　His　cause；　relieves　me　from　the　torments　I

have　endured　for　nineteen　years。　　As　for　me；　I　thank　Him　for　allowing

me　to　die　for　the　glory　of　His　faith　and　His　Church。　　Let　each　have

patience；　then；　and　while　the　men　prepare　supper；　we　women　will　pray

to　God。〃



The　men　immediately　went　out；　weeping　and　sobbing；　and　the　queen　and

her　women　fell　on　their　knees。　　When　they　had　recited　some　prayers；

Mary　rose；　and　sending　for　all　the　money　she　had　left；　she　counted　it

and　divided　it　into　portions；　which　she　put　into　purses　with　the　name

of　the　destined　recipient；　in　her　handwriting；　with　the　money。



At　that　moment；　supper　being　served；　she　seated　herself　at　table　with

her　women　as　usual；　the　other　servants　standing　or　coming　and　going；

her　doctor　waiting　on　her　at　table　as　he　was　accustomed　since　her

steward　had　been　taken　from　her。　　She　ate　no　more　nor　less　than

usual；　speaking；　throughout　supper；　of　the　Earl　of　Kent；　and　of　the

way　in　which　he　betrayed　himself　with　respect　to　religion；　by　his

insisting　on　wanting　to　give　the　queen　a　pastor　instead　of　a　priest。

〃Happily；〃　she　added；　laughing；　〃one　more　skilful　than　he　was　needed

to　change　me〃。　　Meanwhile　Bourgoin　was　weeping　behind　the　queen；　for

he　was　thinking　that　he　was　serving　her　for　the　last　time；　and　that

she　who　was　eating；　talking；　and　laughing　thus；　next　day　at　the　same

hour　would　be　but　a　cold　and　insensible　corpse。



When　the　meal　was　over；　the　queen　sent　for　all　her　servants；　then；

before　the　table　was　cleared　of　anything；　she　poured　out　a　cup　of

wine；　rose　and　drank　to　their　health；　asking　them　if　they　would　not

drink　to　her　salvation。　　Then　she　had　a　glass　given　to　each　one：　all

kneeled　down；　and　all；　says　the　account　from　which　we　borrow　these

details；　drank；　mingling　their　tears　with　the　wine；　and　asking　pardon

of　the　queen　for　any　wrongs　they　had　done　her。　　The　queen　granted　it

heartily；　and　asked　them　to　do　as　much　for　her；　and　to　forget　her

impatient　ways；　which　she　begged　them　to　put　down　to　her

imprisonment。　　Then；　having　given　them　a　long　discourse；　in　which　she

explained　to　them　their　duties　to　God；　and　exhorted　them　to　persevere

in　the　Catholic　faith；　she　begged　them；　after　her　death；　to　live

together　in　peace　and　charity；　forgetting　all　the　petty　quarrels　and

disputes　which　they　had　had　among　one　another　in　the　past。



This　speech　ended；　the　queen　rose　from　table；　and　desired　to　go　into

her　wardrobe…room；　to　see　the　clothes　and　jewels　she　wished　to

dispose　of；　but　Bourgoin　observed　that　it　would　be　better　to　have　all

these　separate　objects　brought　into　her　chamber；　that　there　would　be

a　double　advantage　in　this；　she　would　be　less　tired　for　one　thing；

and　the　English　would　not　see　them　for　another。　　This　last　reason

decided　her；　and　while　the　servants　were　supping；　she　had　brought

into　her　ante…room；　first　of　all；　all　her　robes；　and　took　the

inventory　from　her　wardrobe　attendant；　and　began　to　write　in　the

margin　beside　each　item　the　name　of　the　person　it　was　to　be　given　to。

Directly；　and　as　fast　as　she　did　it；　that　person　to　whom　it　was　given

took　it　and　put　it　aside。　　As　for　the　things　which　were　too　personal

to　her　to　be　thus　bestowed；　she　ordered　that　they　should　be　sold；　and

that　the　purchase…money　should　be　used　for　her　servants'　travelling

expenses；　when　they　returned　to　their　own　countries；　well　knowing　how

great　the　cost　would　be　and　that　no　one　would　have　sufficient　means。

This　memorandum　finished；　she　signed　it；　and　gave　it　as　a　discharge

to　her　wardrobe　attendant。



Then；　that　done；　she　went　into　her　room；　where　had　been　brought　her

rings；　her　jewels；　and　her　most　valuable　belongings；　inspected　them

all；　one　after　the　other；　down　to　the　very　least；　and　distributed

them　as　she　had　done　her　robes；　so　that；　present　or　absent；　everyone

had　something。　　Then　she　furthermore　gave；　to　her　most　faithful

people；　the　jewels　she　intended　for　the　king　and　queen　of　France；　for

the　king　her　son；　for　the　queen…mother；　for　Messieurs　de　Guise　and　de

Lorraine；　without　forgetting　in　this　distribution　any　prince　or

princess　among　her　relatives。　　She　desired；　besides；　that　each　should

keep　the　things　then　in　his　care；　giving　her　linen　to　the　young　lady

who　looked　after　it；　her　silk　embroideries　to　her　who　took　charge　of

them；　her　silver　plate　to　her　butler；　and　so　on　with　the　rest。



Then；　as　they　were　asking　her　for　a　discharge；　〃It　is　useless；〃　said

she；　〃you　owe　an　account　to　me　only；　and　to…morrow；　therefore；　you

will　no　longer　owe　it　to　anyone〃；　but；　as　they　pointed　out　that　the

king　her　son　could　claim　from　them；　〃You　are　right；〃　said　she；　and

she　gave　them　what　they　asked。



That　done；　and　having　no　hope　left　of　being　visited　by　her　confessor；

she　wrote　him　this　letter　：



〃I　have　been　tormented　all　this　day　on　account　of　my　religion；　and

urged　to　receive　the　consolations　of　a　heretic：　you　will　learn；

through　Bourgoin　and　the　others；　that　everything　they　could　say　on

this　matter　has　been　useless；　that　I　have　faithfully　made

protestation　of　the　faith　in　which　I　wish　to　die。　　I　requested　that

you　should　be　allowed　to　receive　my　confession　and　to　give　me　the

sacrament；　which　has　been　cruelly　refused；　as　well　as　the　removal　of

my　body；　and　the　power　to　make　my　will　freely；　so　that　I　cannot　write

anything　except　through　their　hands；　and　with　the　good　pleasure　of

their　mistress。　　For　want　of　seeing　you；　then；　I　confess　to　you　my

sins　in　general；　as　I　should　have　done　in　particular；　begging　you；　in

God's　name；　to　watch　and　pray　this　night　with　me；　for　the　remission

of　my　sins；　and　to　send　me　your　absolution　and　forgiveness　for　all

the　wrongs　I　have　done　you。　　I　shall　try　to　see　you　in　their

presence；　as　they　permitted　it　to　my　steward；　and　if　it　is　allowed；

before　all；　and　on　my　knees；　I　shall　ask　your　blessing。　　Send　me　the

best　prayers　you　know　for　this　night　and　for　to…morrow　morning；　for

the　time　is　short；　and　I　have　not　the　leisure　to　write；　but　be　calm；

I　shall　recommend　you　like　the　rest　of　my　servants；　and　your

benefices　above　all　will　be　secured　to　you。　　Farewell；　for　I　have　not

much　more　time。　　Send　to　me　in　writing　everything　you　can　find；　best

for　my　salvation；　in　prayers　and　exhortations；　I　send　you　my　last

little　ring。〃



Directly　she　had　written　this　letter　the　queen　began　to　make　her

will；　and　at　a　stroke；　w