mary stuart-第7章

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what　she　was　thinking　so　sadly。　　〃Ah！　madam；〃　Elizabeth　replied

impatiently；　〃do　you　not　know　that　Mary　Stuart　has　given　birth　to　a

son；　while　I　am　but　a　barren　stock；　who　will　die　without　offspring？〃



Yet　Elizabeth　was　too　good　a　politician；　in　spite　of　her　liability　to

be　carried　away　by　a　first　impulse；　to　compromise　herself　by　a　longer

display　of　her　grief。　　The　ball　was　not　discontinued　on　that　account；

and　the　interrupted　quadrille　was　resumed　and　finished。



The　next　day；　Melville　had　his　audience。　　Elizabeth　received　him　to

perfection；　assuring　him　of　all　the　pleasure　that　the　news　he　brought

had　caused　her；　and　which；　she　said；　had　cured　her　of　a　complaint

from　which　she　had　suffered　for　a　fortnight。　　Melville　replied　that

his　mistress　had　hastened　to　acquaint　her　with　her　joy；　knowing　that

she　had　no　better　friend；　but　he　added　that　this　joy　had　nearly　cost

Mary　her　life；　so　grievous　had　been　her　confinement。　　As　he　was

returning　to　this　point　for　the　third　time；　with　the　object　of　still

further　increasing　the　queen　of　England's　dislike　to　marriage



〃Be　easy；　Melville；〃　Elizabeth　answered　him；　〃you　need　not　insist

upon　it。　　I　shall　never　marry；　my　kingdom　takes　the　place　of　a

husband　for　me；　and　my　subjects　are　my　children。　　When　I　am　dead；　I

wish　graven　on　my　tombstone：　'Here　lies　Elizabeth；　who　reigned　so

many　years；　and　who　died　a　virgin。'



Melville　availed　himself　of　this　opportunity　to　remind　Elizabeth　of

the　desire　she　had　shown　to　see　Mary；　three　or　four　years　before；　but

Elizabeth　said；　besides　her　country's　affairs；　which　necessitated　her

presence　in　the　heart　of　her　possessions；　she　did　not　care；　after　all

she　had　heard　said　of　her　rival's　beauty；　to　expose　herself　to　a

comparison　disadvantageous　to　her　pride。　　She　contented　herself；

then；　with　choosing　as　her　proxy　the　Earl　of　Bedford；　who　set　out

with　several　other　noblemen　for　Stirling　Castle；　where　the　young

prince　was　christened　with　great　pomp；　and　received　the　name　of

Charles　James。



It　was　remarked　that　Darnley　did　not　appear　at　this　ceremony；　and

that　his　absence　seemed　to　scandalise　greatly　the　queen　of　England's

envoy。　　On　the　contrary；　James　Hepburn；　Earl　of　Bothwell；　had　the

most　important　place　there。



This　was　because；　since　the　evening　when　Bothwell；　at　Mary's　cries；

had　run　to　oppose　the　murder　of　Rizzio；　he　had　made　great　way　in　the

queen's　favour；　to　her　party　he　himself　appeared　to　be　really

attached；　to　the　exclusion　of　the　two　others；　the　king's　and　the　Earl

of　Murray's。　　Bothwell　was　already　thirty…five　years　old；　head　of　the

powerful　family　of　Hepburn；　which　had　great　influence　in　East　Lothian

and　the　county　of　Berwick；　for　the　rest；　violent；　rough；　given　to

every　kind　of　debauchery；　and　capable　of　anything　to　satisfy　an

ambition　that　he　did　not　even　give　himself　the　trouble　to　hide。　　In

his　youth　he　had　been　reputed　courageous；　but　for　long　he　had　had　no

serious　opportunity　to　draw　the　sword。



If　the　king's　authority　had　been　shaken　by　Rizzio's　influence；　it　was

entirely　upset　by　Bothwell's。　　The　great　nobles；　following　the

favourite's　example；　no　longer　rose　in　the　presence　of　Darnley；　and

ceased　little　by　little　to　treat　him　as　their　equal：　his　retinue　was

cut　down；　his　silver　plate　taken　from　him；　and　some　officers　who

remained　about　him　made　him　buy　their　services　with　the　most　bitter

vexations。　　As　for　the　queen；　she　no　longer　even　took　the　trouble　to

conceal　her　dislike　for　him；　avoiding　him　without　consideration；　to

such　a　degree　that　one　day　when　she　had　gone　with　Bothwell　to　Alway；

she　left　there　again　immediately；　because　Darnley　came　to　join　her。

The　king；　however；　still　had　patience；　but　a　fresh　imprudence　of

Mary's　at　last　led　to　the　terrible　catastrophe　that；　since　the

queen's　liaison　with　Bothwell；　some　had　already　foreseen。



Towards　the　end　of　the　month　of　October；　1566；　while　the　queen　was

holding　a　court　of　justice　at　Jedburgh；　it　was　announced　to　her　that

Bothwell；　in　trying　to　seize　a　malefactor　called　John　Elliot　of　Park；

had　been　badly　wounded　in　the　hand；　the　queen；　who　was　about　to

attend　the　council；　immediately　postponed　the　sitting　till　next　day；

and；　having　ordered　a　horse　to　be　saddled；　she　set　out　for　Hermitage

Castle；　where　Bothwell　was　living；　and　covered　the　distance　at　a

stretch；　although　it　was　twenty　miles；　and　she　had　to　go　across

woods；　marshes；　and　rivers；　then；　having　remained　some　hours　tete…d…

tete　with　him；　she　set　out　again　with　the　same　sped　for　Jedburgh；　to

which　she　returned　in　the　night。



Although　this　proceeding　had　made　a　great　deal　of　talk；　which　was

inflamed　still　more　by　the　queen's　enemies；　who　chiefly　belonged　to

the　Reformed　religion；　Darnley　did　not　hear　of　it　till　nearly　two

months　afterwardsthat　is　to　say；　when　Bothwell；　completely

recovered；　returned　with　the　queen　to　Edinburgh。



Then　Darnley　thought　that　he　ought　not　to　put　up　any　longer　with　such

humiliations。　　But　as；　since　his　treason　to　his　accomplices；　he　had

not　found　in　all　Scotland　a　noble　who　would　have　drawn　the　sword　for

him；　he　resolved　to　go　and　seek　the　Earl　of　Lennox；　his　father；

hoping　that　through　his　influence　he　could　rally　the　malcontents；　of

whom　there　were　a　great　number　since　Bothwell　had　been　in　favour。

Unfortunately；　Darnley；　indiscreet　and　imprudent　as　usual；　confided

this　plan　to　some　of　his　officers；　who　warned　Bothwell　of　their

master's　intention。　　Bothwell　did　not　seem　to　oppose　the　journey　in

any　way；　but　Darnley　was　scarcely　a　mile　from　Edinburgh　when　he　felt

violent　pains　none　the　less；　he　continued　his　road；　and　arrived　very

ill　at　Glasgow。　　He　immediately　sent　for　a　celebrated　doctor；　called

James　Abrenets；　who　found　his　body　covered　with　pimples；　and　declared

without　any　hesitation　that　he　had　been　poisoned。　　However；　others；

among　them　Walter　Scott；　state　that　this　illness　was　nothing　else

than　smallpox。



Whatever　it　may　have　been；　the　queen；　in　the　presence　of　the　danger

her　husband　ran；　appeared　to　forget　her　resentment；　and　at　the　risk

of　what　might　prove　troublesome　to　herself；　she　went　to　Darnley；

after　sending　her　doctor　in　advance。　　It　is　true　that　if　one　is　to

believe　in　the　following　letters；　dated　from　Glasgow；　which　Mary　is

accused　of　having　written　to　Bothwell；　she　knew　the　illness　with

which　he　was　attacked　too　well　to　fear　infection。　　As　these　letters

are　little　known；　and　seem　to　us　very　singular　we　transcribe　them

here；　later　we　shall　tell　how　they　fell　into　the　power　of　the

Confederate　lords；　and　from　their　hands　passed　into　Elizabeth's；　who；

quite　delighted；　cried　on　receiving　them；　〃God's　death；　then　I　hold

her　life　and　honour　in　my　hands！〃





FIRST　LETTER



〃When　I　set　out　from　the　place　where　I　had　left　my　heart；　judge　in

what　a　condition　I　was；　poor　body　without　a　soul：　besides；　during　the

whole　of　dinner　I　have　not　spoken　to　anyone；　and　no　one　has　dared　to

approach　me；　for　it　was　easy　to　see　that　there　was　something　amiss。

When　I　arrived　within　a　league　of　the　town；　the　Earl　of　Lennox　sent

me　one　of　his　gentlemen　to　make　me　his　compliments；　and　to　excuse

himself　for　not　having　come　in　person；　he　has　caused　me　to　be

informed；　moreover；　that　he　did　not　dare　to　present　himself　before　me

after　the　reprimand　that　I　gave　Cunningham。　　This　gentleman　begged

me；　as　if　of　his　own　accord；　to　examine　his　master's　conduct；　to

ascertain　if　my　suspicions　were　well　founded。　　I　have　replied　to　him

that　fear　was　an　incurable　disease；　that　the　Earl　of　Lennox　would　not

be　so　agitated　if　his　conscience　reproached　him　with　nothing；　and

that　if　some　hasty　words　had　escaped　me；　they　were　but　just　reprisals

for　the　letter　he　had　written　me。



〃None　of　the　inhabitants　visited　me；　which　makes　me　think　they　are

all　in　his　interests；　besides；　they　speak　of　him　very　favourably；　as

well　as　of　his　son。　　The　king　sent　for　Joachim　yesterday；　and　asked

him　why　I　did　not　lodge　with　him；　adding　that　my　presence　would　soon

cure　him；　and　asked　me　also　with　what　object　I　had　come：　if　it　were

to　be　reconciled　with　him；　if　you　were　here；　if　I　had　taken　Paris　and

Gilbert　as　secretaries；　and　if　I　were　still　resolved　to　dismiss

Joseph？　　I　do　not　know　who　has　given　him　such　accurate　information。

There　is　nothing；　down　to　the　marriage　of　Sebastian；　with　which　he

has　not　made　himself　acquainted。　　I　have　asked　him　the　meaning　of　one

of　his　letters；　in　which　he　complains　of　the　cruelty　of　certain

people。　He　replied　that　he　wasstricken；　but　that　my　presence　caused

him　so　much　joy　that　he　thought　he　should　die　of　it。　　He　reproached

me　several　times　for　being　dreamy；　I　left　him　to　go　to　supper；　he

begged　me　to　return：　I　went　back。　　Then　he　told　me　the　story　of　his

illness；　and　that　he　wished　to　make　a　will　leaving　me　everything；

adding　that　I　was　a　little　the　cause　of　his　trouble；　and　that　he

attributed　it　to　my　coldness。　　'You　ask　me；'　added　he；　'who　are　the

people　of　whom　I　complain：　it　is　of　you；　cruel　one；　of　you；　whom　I

have　never　been　able　to　appease　by　my　tears　and　my　repentance。　　I

know　that　I　have　offended　you；　but　not　on　the　matter　that　you

reproach　me　with：　I　have　also　offended　some　of　your　subjects；　but

that　you　have　forgiven　me。　　I　am　young；　and　you　say　that　I　always

relapse　into　my　faults；　but　cannot　a　young　man　like　me；　destitute　of

experience；　gain　it　also；　break　his　promises；　repent　directly；　and　in

time　improve？　　If　you　will　forgive　me　yet　once　more；　I　will　promise

to　offend　you　never　again。　　All　the　favour　I　ask　of　you　is　that　we

should　live　together　like　husband　and　wife；　to　have　but　one　bed　and

one　board：　if　you　are　inflexible；　I　shall　never　rise　again　from　here。

I　entreat　you；　tell　me　your　decision：　God　alone　knows　what　I　suffer；

and　that　because　I　occupy　myself　with　you　only；　because　I　love　and

adore　only　you。　　If　I　have　offended　you　sometimes；　you　must　bear　the

reproach；　for　when　someone　offends　me；　if　it　were　granted　me　to

complain　to　you；　I　should　not　confide　my　griefs　to　others；　but　when

we　are　on　bad　terms；　I　am　obliged　to　keep　them　to　myself；　and　that

maddens　me。'



〃He　then　urged　me　strongly　to　stay　with　him　and　lodge　in　his　house；

but　I　excused　myself；　and　replied　that　he　ought　to　be　purged；　and

that　he　could　not　be；　conveniently；　at　Glasgow；　then　he　told　me　that

he　knew　I　had　brought　a　letter　for　him；　but　that　he　would　have

preferred　to　make　the　journey　with　me。　　He　believed；　I　think；　that　I

meant　to　send　him　to　some　prison：　I　replied　that　I　should　take　him　to

Craigmiller；　that　he　would　find　doctors　there；　that　I　should　remain

near　him；　and　that　we　should　be　within　reach　of　seeing　my　son。　　He

has　answered　that　he　will　go　where　I　wish　to　take　him；　provided　that

I　grant　him　what　he　has　asked。　　He　does　not；　however；　wish　to　be　seen

by　anyone。



〃He　has　told　me　more　than　a　hundred　pretty　things　that　I　cannot

repeat　to　you；　and　at　which　you　yourself　would　be　surprised：　he