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第10章

mary stuart-第10章

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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 did

not want to let me go; he wanted to make me sit up with him all

night。  As for me; I pretended to believe everything; and I seemed to

interest myself really in him。  Besides; I have never seen him so

small and humble; and if I had not known how easily his heart

overflows; and how mine is impervious to every other arrow than those

with which you have wounded it; I believe that I should have allowed

myself to soften; but lest that should alarm you; I would die rather

than give up what I have promised you。  As for you; be sure to act in

the same way towards those traitors who will do all they can to

separate you from me。  I believe that all those people have been cast

in the same mould: this one always has a tear in his eye; he bows

down before everyone; from the greatest to the smallest; he wishes to

interest them in his favour; and make himself pitied。  His father

threw up blood to…day through the nose and mouth; think what these

symptoms mean。  I have not seen him yet; for he keeps to the house。

The king wants me to feed him myself; he won't eat unless I do。  But;

whatever I may do; you will be deceived by it no more than I shall be

deceiving myself。  We are united; you and I; to two kinds of very

detestable people 'Mary means Miss Huntly; Bothwell's wife; whom he

repudiated; at the king's death; to marry the queen。': that hell may

sever these knots then; and that heaven may form better ones; that

nothing can break; that it may make of us the most tender and

faithful couple that ever was; there is the profession of faith in

which I would die。



〃Excuse my scrawl: you must guess more than the half of it; but I

know no help for this。  I am obliged to write to you hastily while

everyone is asleep here: but be easy; I take infinite pleasure in my

watch; for I cannot sleep like the others; not being able to sleep as

I would likethat is to say; in your arms。



〃I am going to get into bed; I shall finish my letter tomorrow: I

have too many things to tell to you; the night is too far advanced:

imagine my despair。  It is to you I am writing; it is of myself that

I converse with you; and I am obliged to make an end。



〃I cannot prevent myself; however; from filling up hastily the rest

of my paper。  Cursed be the crazy creature who torments me so much!

Were it not for him; I could talk to you of more agreeable things: he

is not greatly changed; and yet he has taken a great deal o f %t。

But he has nearly killed me with the fetid smell of his breath; for

now his is still worse than your cousin's: you guess that this is a

fresh reason for my not approaching him; on the contrary; I go away

as far as I can; and sit on a chair at the foot of his bed。



〃Let us see if I forget anything。



     His father's messenger on the road;

     The question about Joachim;

     The…state of my house;

     The people of my suite;

     Subject of my arrival;

     Joseph;

     Conversa

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