mary stuart-第35章

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little　ring。〃



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

will；　and　at　a　stroke；　with　her　pen　running　on　and　almost　without

lifting　it　from　the　paper；　she　wrote　two　large　sheets；　containing

several　paragraphs；　in　which　no　one　was　forgotten；　present　as　absent；

distributing　the　little　she　had　with　scrupulous　fairness；　and　still

more　according　to　need　than　according　to　service。　　The　executors　she

chose　were：　the　Duke　of　Guise；　her　first　cousin；　the　Archbishop　of

Glasgow；　her　ambassador；　the　Bishop　of　Ross；　her　chaplain　in　chief；

and　M。　du　Ruysseau；　her　chancellor；　all　four　certainly　very　worthy　of

the　charge；　the　first　from　his　authority；　the　two　bishops　by　piety

and　conscience；　and　the　last　by　his　knowledge　of　affairs。　　Her　will

finished；　she　wrote　this　letter　to　the　King　of　France：



SIR　MY　BROTHER…IN…LAW；Having；　by　God's　permission　and　for　my　sins；

I　believe；　thrown　myself　into　the　arms　of　this　queen；　my　cousin；

where　I　have　had　much　to　endure　for　more　than　twenty　years；　I　am　by

her　and　by　her　Parliament　finally　condemned　to　death；　and　having

asked　for　my　papers；　taken　from　me；　to　make　my　will；　I　have　not　been

able　to　obtain　anything　to　serve　me；　not　even　permission　to　write　my

last　wishes　freely；　nor　leave　that　after　my　death　my　body　should　be

transported；　as　was　my　dearest　desire；　into　your　kingdom；　where　I　had

had　the　honour　of　being　queen；　your　sister　and　your　ally。　　To…day；

after　dinner；　without　more　respect；　my　sentence　has　been　declared　to

me；　to　be　executed　to…morrow；　like　a　criminal；　at　eight　o'clock　in

the　morning。　　I　have　not　the　leisure　to　give　you　a　full　account　of

what　has　occurred；　but　if　it　please　you　to　believe　my　doctor　and

these　others　my　distressed　servants；　you　will　hear　the　truth；　and

that；　thanks　to　God；　I　despise　death；　which　I　protest　I　receive

innocent　of　every　crime；　even　if　I　were　their　subject；　which　I　never

was。　　But　my　faith　in　the　Catholic　religion　and　my　claims　to　the

crown　of　England　are　the　real　causes　for　my　condemnation；　and　yet

they　will　not　allow　me　to　say　that　it　is　for　religion　I　die；　for　my

religion　kills　theirs；　and　that　is　so　true；　that　they　have　taken　my

chaplain　from　me；　who；　although　a　prisoner　in　the　same　castle；　may

not　come　either　to　console　me；　or　to　give　me　the　holy　sacrament　of

the　eucharist；　but；　on　the　contrary；　they　have　made　me　urgent

entreaties　to　receive　the　consolations　of　their　minister　whom　they

have　brought　for　this　purpose。　　He　who　will　bring　you　this　letter；

and　the　rest　of　my　servants；　who　are　your　subjects　for　the　most　part；

will　bear　you　witness　of　the　way　in　which　I　shall　have　performed　my

last　act。　　Now　it　remains　to　me　to　implore　you；　as　a　most　Christian

king；　as　my　brother…in…law；　as　my　ancient　ally；　and　one　who　has　so

often　done　me　the　honour　to　protest　your　friendship　for　me；　to　give

proof　of　this　friendship；　in　your　virtue　and　your　charity；　by　helping

me　in　that　of　which　I　cannot　without　you　discharge　my　conscience

that　is　to　say；　in　rewarding　my　good　distressed　servants；　by　giving

them　their　dues；　then；　in　having　prayers　made　to　God　for　a　queen　who

has　been　called　most　Christian；　and　who　dies　a　Catholic　and　deprived

of　all　her　goods。　　As　to　my　son；　I　commend　him　to　you　as　much　as　he

shall　deserve；　for　I　cannot　answer　for　him；　but　as　to　my　servants；　I

commend　them　with　clasped　hands。　　I　have　taken　the　liberty　of　sending

you　two　rare　stones　good　for　the　health；　hoping　that　yours　may　be

perfect　during　a　long　life；　you　will　receive　them　as　coming　from　your

very　affectionate　sister…in…law；　at　the　point　of　death　and　giving

proof　of　her；　good　disposition　towards　you。



〃I　shall　commend　my　servants　to　you　in　a　memorandum；　and　will　order

you；　for　the　good　of　my　soul；　for　whose　salvation　it　will　be

employed；　to　pay　me　a　portion　of　what　you　owe　me；　if　it　please　you；

and　I　conjure　you　for　the　honour　of　Jesus；　to　whom　I　shall　pray　to…

morrow　at　my　death；　that　you　leave　me　the　wherewithal　to　found　a　mass

and　to　perform　the　necessary　charities。



〃This　Wednesday；　two　hours　after　midnight

Your　affectionate　and　good　sister；



〃MARY；　R。。。。〃





Of　all　these　recommendations；　the　will　and　the　letters；　the　queen　at

once　had　copies　made　which　she　signed；　so　that；　if　some　should　be

seized　by　the　English；　the　others　might　reach　their　destination。

Bourgoin　pointed　out　to　her　that　she　was　wrong　to　be　in　such　a　hurry

to　close　them；　and　that　perhaps　in　two　or　three　hours　she　would

remember　that　she　had　left　something　out。　　But　the　queen　paid　no

attention；　saying　she　was　sure　she　had　not　forgotten　anything；　and

that　if　she　had；　she　had　only　time　now　to　pray　and　to　look　to　her

conscience。　　So　she　shut　up　all　the　several　articles　in　the　drawers

of　a　piece　of　furniture　and　gave　the　key　to　Bourgoin；　then　sending

for　a　foot…bath；　in　which　she　stayed　for　about　ten　minutes；　she　lay

down　in　bed；　where　she　was　not　seen　to　sleep；　but　constantly　to

repeat　prayers　or　to　remain　in　meditation。



Towards　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　the　queen；　who　was　accustomed；

after　evening　prayers；　to　have　the　story　of　some　male　or　female　saint

read　aloud　to　her；　did　not　wish　to　depart　from　this　habit；　and；　after

having　hesitated　among　several　for　this　solemn　occasion；　she　chose

the　greatest　sinner　of　all；　the　penitent　thief；　saying　humbly



〃If；　great　sinner　as　he　was；　he　has　yet　sinned　less　than　I；　I　desire

to　beg　of　him；　in　remembrance　of　the　passion　of　Jesus　Christ；　to；

have　pity　on　me　in　the　hour　of　my　death；　as　Our　Lord　had　pity　on

him。〃



Then；　when　the　reading　was　over；　she　had　all　her　handkerchiefs

brought；　and　chose　the　finest；　which　was　of　delicate　cambric　all

embroidered　in　gold；　to　bandage　her　eyes　with。



At　daybreak；　reflecting　that　she　had　only　two　hours　to　live；　she　rose

and　began　dressing；　but　before　she　had　finished；　Bourgoin　came　into

her　room；　and；　afraid　lest　the　absent　servants　might　murmur　against

the　queen；　if　by　chance　they　were　discontented　at　the　will；　and　might

accuse　those　who　had　been　present　of　having　taken　away　from　their

share　to　add　to　their　own；　he　begged　Mary　to　send　for　them　all　and　to

read　it　in　their　presence；　to　which　Mary　agreed；　and　consented　to　do

so　at　once。



All　the　servants　were　then　summoned；　and　the　queen　read　her

testament；　saying　that　it　was　done　of　her　own　free；　full　and　entire

will；　written　and　signed　with　her　own　hand；　and　that　accordingly　she

begged　those　present　to　give　all　the　help　in　their　power　in　seeing　it

carried　out　without　change　or　omission；　then；　having　read　it　over；

and　having　received　a　promise　from　all；　she　gave　it　to　Bourgoin；

charging　him　to　send　it　to　M。　　de　Guise；　her　chief　executor；　and　at

the　same　time　to　forward　her　letters　to　the　king　and　her　principal

papers　and　memorandums：　after　this；　she　had　the　casket　brought　in

which　she　had　put　the　purses　which　we　mentioned　before；　she　opened

them　one　after　another；　and　seeing　by　the　ticket　within　for　whom　each

was　intended；　she　distributed　them　with　her　own　hand；　none　of　the

recipients　being　aware　of　their　contents。　　These　gifts　varied　from

twenty　to　three　hundred　crowns；　and　to　these　sums　she　added　seven

hundred　livres　for　the　poor；　namely；　two　hundred　for　the　poor　of

England　and　five　hundred　for　the　poor　of　France；　then　she　gave　to

each　man　in　her　suite　two　rose　nobles　to　be　distributed　in　alms　for

her　sake；　and　finally　one　hundred　and　fifty　crowns　to　Bourgoin　to　be

divided　among　them　all　when　they　should　separate；　and　thus　twenty…six

or　twenty…seven　people　had　money　legacies。



The　queen　performed　all　this　with　great　composure　and　calmness；　with

no　apparent　change　of　countenance；　so　that　it　seemed　as　if　she　were

only　preparing　for　a　journey　or　change　of　dwelling；　then　she　again

bade　her　servants　farewell；　consoling　them　and　exhorting　them　to　live

in　peace；　all　this　while　finishing　dressing　as　well　and　as　elegantly

as　she　could。



Her　toilet　ended；　the　queen　went　from　her　reception…room　to　her　ante…

room；　where　there　was　an　altar　set　up　and　arranged；　at　which；　before

he　had　been　taken　from　her；　her　chaplain　used　to　say　mass；　and

kneeling　on　the　steps；　surrounded　by　all　her　servants；　she　began　the

communion　prayers；　and　when　they　were　ended；　drawing　from　a　golden

box　a　host　consecrated　by　Pius　V；　which　she　had　always　scrupulously

preserved　for　the　occasion　of　her　death；　she　told　Bourgoin　to　take

it；　and；　as　he　was　the　senior；　to　take　the　priest's　place；　old　age

being　holy　and　sacred；　and　in　this　manner　in　spite　of　all　the

precautions　taken　to　deprive　her　of　it；　the　queen　received　the　holy

sacrament　of　the　eucharist。



This　pious　ceremony　ended；　Bourgoin　told　the　queen　that　in　her　will

she　had　forgotten　three　peopleMesdemoiselles　Beauregard；　de

Montbrun；　and　her　chaplain。　　The　queen　was　greatly　astonished　at　this

oversight；　which　was　quite　involuntary；　and；　taking　back　her　will；

she　wrote　her　wishes　with　respect　to　them　in　the　first　empty　margin；

then　she　kneeled　down　again　in　prayer；　but　after　a　moment；　as　she

suffered　too　much　in　this　position；　she　rose；　and　Bourgoin　having　had

brought　her　a　little　bread　and　wine；　she　ate　and　drank；　and　when　she

had　finished；　gave　him　her　hand　and　thanked　him　for　having　been

present　to　help　her　at　her　last　meal　as　he　was　accustomed；　and

feeling　stronger；　she　kneeled　down　and　began　to　pray　again。



Scarcely　had　she　done　so；　than　there　was　a　knocking　at　the　door：　the

queen　understood　what　was　required　of　her；　but　as　she　had　not

finished　praying；　she　begged　those　who　were　come　to　fetch　her　to　wait

a　moment；　and　in　a　few　minutes'　she　would　be　ready。



The　Earls　of　Kent　and　Shrewsbury；　remembering　the　resistance　she　had

made　when　she　had　had　to　go　down　to　the　commissioners　and　appear

before　the　lawyers；　mounted　some　guards　in　the　ante…room　where　they

were　waiting　themselves；　so　that　they　could　take　her　away　by　force　if

necessary；　should　she　refuse　to　come　willingly；　or　should　her

servants　want　to　defend　her；　but　it　is　untrue　that　the　two　barons

entered　her　room；　as　some　have　said。　　They　only　set　foot　there　once；

on　the　occasion　which　we　have　related；　when　they　came　to　apprise　her

of　her　sentence。



They　waited　some　minutes；　nevertheless；　as　the　queen　had　begged　them；

then；　about　eight　o'clock；　they　knocked　again；　accompanied　by　the

guards；　but　to　their　great　surprise　the　door　was　opened　immediately；

and　they　found　Mary　on　her　knees　in　prayer。　　Upon　this；　Sir　Thomas

Andrew；　who　was　at　the　time　sheriff　of　the　county　of　Nottingham；

entered　alone；　a　white　wand　in　his　hand；　and　as　everyone　stayed　on

their　knees　praying；　he　crossed　the　room　with　a　slow　step　and　stood

behind　the　queen：　he　waited　a　moment　there；　and　as　Mary　Stuart　did

not　seem　to　see　him



〃Madam；〃　said　he；　〃the　earls　have　sent　me　to　you。〃



At　these　words　the　queen　turned　round；　and　at　once　rising　in　the

middle　of　her　prayer；　〃Let　us　go；〃　she　replied；　and　she