mary stuart-第1章

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　Mary　Stuart



by　Alexandre　Dumas；　Pere









CHAPTER　I



Some　royal　names　are　predestined　to　misfortune：　in　France；　there　is

the　name　〃Henry〃。　　Henry　I　was　poisoned；　Henry　II　was　killed　in　a

tournament；　Henry　III　and　Henry　IV　were　assassinated。　　As　to　Henry　V；

for　whom　the　past　is　so　fatal　already；　God　alone　knows　what　the

future　has　in　store　for　him。



In　Scotland；　the　unlucky　name　is　〃Stuart〃。　　Robert　I；　founder　of　the

race；　died　at　twenty…eight　of　a　lingering　illness。　　Robert　II；　the

most　fortunate　of　the　family；　was　obliged　to　pass　a　part　of　his　life；

not　merely　in　retirement；　but　also　in　the　dark；　on　account　of

inflammation　of　the　eyes；　which　made　them　blood…red。　　Robert　III

succumbed　to　grief；　the　death　of　one　son　and　the　captivity　of　other。

James　I　was　stabbed　by　Graham　in　the　abbey　of　the　Black　Monks　of

Perth。　　James　II　was　killed　at　the　siege　of　Roxburgh；　by　a　splinter

from　a　burst　cannon。　　James　III　was　assassinated　by　an　unknown　hand

in　a　mill；　where　he　had　taken　refuge　during　the　battle　of　Sauchie。

James　IV；　wounded　by　two　arrows　and　a　blow　from　a　halberd；　fell

amidst　his　nobles　on　the　battlefield　of　Flodden。　　James　V　died　of

grief　at　the　loss　of　his　two　sons；　and　of　remorse　for　the　execution

of　Hamilton。　　James　VI；　destined　to　unite　on　his　head　the　two　crowns

of　Scotland　and　England；　son　of　a　father　who　had　been　assassinated；

led　a　melancholy　and　timorous　existence；　between　the　scaffold　of　his

mother；　Mary　Stuart；　and　that　of　his　son；　Charles　I。　　Charles　II

spent　a　portion　of　his　life　in　exile。　　James　II　died　in　it。　　The

Chevalier　Saint…George；　after　having　been　proclaimed　King　of　Scotland

as　James　VIII；　and　of　England　and　Ireland　as　James　III；　was　forced　to

flee；　without　having　been　able　to　give　his　arms　even　the　lustre　of　a

defeat。　　His　son；　Charles　Edward；　after　the　skirmish　at　Derby　and　the

battle　of　Culloden；　hunted　from　mountain　to　mountain；　pursued　from

rock　to　rock；　swimming　from　shore　to　shore；　picked　up　half　naked　by　a

French　vessel；　betook　himself　to　Florence　to　die　there；　without　the

European　courts　having　ever　consented　to　recognise　him　as　a

sovereign。　　Finally；　his　brother；　Henry　Benedict；　the　last　heir　of

the　Stuarts；　having　lived　on　a　pension　of　three　thousand　pounds

sterling；　granted　him　by　George　III；　died　completely　forgotten；

bequeathing　to　the　House　of　Hanover　all　the　crown　jewels　which　James

II　had　carried　off　when　he　passed　over　to　the　Continent　in　1688a

tardy　but　complete　recognition　of　the　legitimacy　of　the　family　which

had　succeeded　his。



In　the　midst　of　this　unlucky　race；　Mary　Stuart　was　the　favourite　of

misfortune。　　As　Brantome　has　said　of　her；　〃Whoever　desires　to　write

about　this　illustrious　queen　of　Scotland　has；　in　her；　two　very；　large

subjects；　the　one　her　life；　the　other　her　death；〃　Brantome　had　known

her　on　one　of　the　most　mournful　occasions　of　her　lifeat　the　moment

when　she　was　quitting　France　for　Scotland。



It　was　on　the　9th　of　August；　1561；　after　having　lost　her　mother　and

her　husband　in　the　same　year；　that　Mary　Stuart；　Dowager　of　France　and

Queen　of　Scotland　at　nineteen；　escorted　by　her　uncles；　Cardinals

Guise　and　Lorraine；　by　the　Duke　and　Duchess　of　Guise；　by　the　Duc

d'Aumale　and　M。　de　Nemours；　arrived　at　Calais；　where　two　galleys　were

waiting　to　take　her　to　Scotland；　one　commanded　by　M。　de　Mevillon　and

the　other　by　Captain　Albize。　　She　remained　six　days　in　the　town。　　At

last；　on　the　15th　of　the　month；　after　the　saddest　adieus　to　her

family；　accompanied　by　Messieurs　d'Aumale；　d'Elboeuf；　and　Damville；

with　many　nobles；　among　whom　were　Brantome　and　Chatelard；　she

embarked　in　M。　Mevillon's　galley；　which　was　immediately　ordered　to

put　out　to　sea；　which　it　did　with　the　aid　of　oars；　there　not　being

sufficient　wind　to　make　use　of　the　sails。



Mary　Stuart　was　then　in　the　full　bloom　of　her　beauty；　beauty　even

more　brilliant　in　its　mourning　garba　beauty　so　wonderful　that　it

shed　around　her　a　charm　which　no　one　whom　she　wished　to　please　could

escape；　and　which　was　fatal　to　almost　everyone。　　About　this　time；

too；　someone　made　her　the　subject　of　a　song；　which；　as　even　her

rivals　confessed；　contained　no　more　than　the　truth。　　It　was；　so　it

was　said；　by　M。　de　Maison…Fleur；　a　cavalier　equally　accomplished　in

arms　and　letters：　Here　it　is：



〃In　robes　of　whiteness；　lo；

Full　sad　and　mournfully；

Went　pacing　to　and　fro

Beauty's　divinity；

A　shaft　in　hand　she　bore

》From　Cupid's　cruel　store；

And　he；　who　fluttered　round；

Bore；　o'er　his　blindfold　eyes

And　o'er　his　head　uncrowned；

A　veil　of　mournful　guise；

Whereon　the　words　were　wrought：

'You　perish　or　are　caught。'〃



Yes；　at　this　moment；　Mary　Stuart；　in　her　deep　mourning　of　white；　was

more　lovely　than　ever；　for　great　tears　were　trickling　down　her

cheeks；　as；　weaving　a　handkerchief；　standing　on　the　quarterdeck；　she

who　was　so　grieved　to　set　out；　bowed　farewell　to　those　who　were　so

grieved　to　remain。



At　last；　in　half　an　hour's　time；　the　harbour　was　left　behind；　the

vessel　was　out　at　sea。　　Suddenly；　Mary　heard　loud　cries　behind　her：　a

boat　coming　in　under　press　of　sail；　through　her　pilot's　ignorance　had

struck　upon　a　rock　in　such　a　manner　that　it　was　split　open；　and　after

having　trembled　and　groaned　for　a　moment　like　someone　wounded；　began

to　be　swallowed　up；　amid　the　terrified　screams　of　all　the　crew。

Mary；　horror…stricken；　pale；　dumb；　and　motionless；　watched　her

gradually　sink；　while　her　unfortunate　crew；　as　the　keel　disappeared；

climbed　into　the　yards　and　shrouds；　to　delay　their　death…agony　a　few

minutes；　finally；　keel；　yards；　masts；　all　were　engulfed　in　the

ocean's　gaping　jaws。　　For　a　moment　there　remained　some　black　specks；

which　in　turn　disappeared　one　after　another；　then　wave　followed　upon

wave；　and　the　spectators　of　this　horrible　tragedy；　seeing　the　sea

calm　and　solitary　as　if　nothing　had　happened；　asked　themselves　if　it

was　not　a　vision　that　had　appeared　to　them　and　vanished。



〃Alas！〃　cried　Mary；　falling　on　a　seat　and　leaning　both　arms　an　the

vessel's　stern；　〃what　a　sad　omen　for　such　a　sad　voyage！〃　　Then；　once

more　fixing　on　the　receding　harbour　her　eyes；　dried　for　a　moment　by

terror；　and　beginning　to　moisten　anew；　〃Adieu；　France！〃　she　murmured；

〃adieu；　France！〃　and　for　five　hours　she　remained　thus；　weeping　and

murmuring；　〃Adieu；　France！　adieu；　France！〃



Darkness　fell　while　she　was　still　lamenting；　and　then；　as　the　view

was　blotted　out　and　she　was　summoned　to　supper；　〃It　is　indeed　now；

dear　France；〃　said　she；　rising；　〃that　I　really　lose　you；　since

jealous　night　heaps　mourning　upon　mourning；　casting　a　black　veil

before　my　sight。　　Adieu　then；　one　last　time；　dear　France；　for　never

shall　I　see　you　more。〃



With　these　words；　she　went　below；　saying　that　she　was　the　very

opposite　of　Dido；　who；　after　the　departure　of　AEneas；　had　done

nothing　but　look　at　the　waves；　while　she；　Mary；　could　not　take　her

eyes　off　the　land。　　Then　everyone　gathered　round　her　to　try　to　divert

and　console　her。　　But　she；　growing　sadder；　and　not　being　able　to

respond；　so　overcome　was　she　with　tears；　could　hardly　eat；　and；

having　had　a　bed　got　ready　on　the　stern　deck；　she　sent　for　the

steersman；　and　ordered　him　if　he　still　saw　land　at　daybreak；　to　come

and　wake　her　immediately。　　On　this　point　Mary　was　favoured；　for　the

wind　having　dropped；　when　daybreak　came　the　vessel　was　still　within

sight　of　France。



It　was　a　great　joy　when；　awakened　by　the　steersman；　who　had　not

forgotten　the　order　he　had　received；　Mary　raised　herself　on　her

couch；　and　through　the　window　that　she　had　had　opened；　saw　once　more

the　beloved　shore。　　But　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　the　wind

having　freshened；　the　vessel　rapidly　drew　farther　away；　so　that　soon

the　land　completely　disappeared。　　Then　Mary　fell　back　upon　her　bed；

pale　as　death；　murmuring　yet　once　again〃Adieu；　France！　I　shall　see

thee　no　more。〃



Indeed；　the　happiest　years　of　her　life　had　just　passed　away　in　this

Franc