mary stuart-第15章

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manner；　that　the　Confederate　lords；　whose　plan　was　to　surprise　and

seize　both　Mary　and　Bothwell；　thought　they　would　succeed　at　the　first

attempt。



The　king　and　queen　were　at　table　with　Lord　Borthwick；　who　was

entertaining　them；　when　suddenly　it　was　announced　that　a　large　body

of　armed　men　was　surrounding　the　castle：　Bothwell　and　Mary　suspected

that　they　were　aimed　at；　and　as　they　had　no　means　of　resistance；

Bothwell　dressed　himself　as　a　squire；　Mary　as　a　page；　and　both

immediately　taking　horse；　escaped　by　one　door　just　as　the

Confederates　were　coming　in　by　the　other。　　The　fugitives　withdrew　to

Dunbar。



There　they　called　together　all　Bothwell's　friends；　and　made　them　sign

a　kind　of　treaty　by　which　they　undertook　to　defend　the　queen　and　her

husband。　　In　the　midst　of　all　this；　Murray　arrived　from　France；　and

Bothwell　offered　the　document　to　him　as　to　the　others；　but　Murray

refused　to　put　his　signature　to　it；　saying　that　it　was　insulting　him

to　think　he　need　be　bound　by　a　written　agreement　when　it　was　a

question　of　defending　his　sister　and　his　queen。　　This　refusal　having

led　to　an　altercation　between　him　and　Bothwell；　Murray；　true　to　his

system　of　neutrality；　withdrew　into　his　earldom；　and　let　affairs

follow　without　him　the　fatal　decline　they　had　taken。



In　the　meantime　the　Confederates；　after　having　failed　at　Borthwick；

not　feeling　strong　enough　to　attack　Bothwell　at　Dunbar；　marched　upon

Edinburgh；　where　they　had　an　understanding　with　a　man　of　whom

Bothwell　thought　himself　sure。　　This　man　was　James　Balfour；　governor

of　the　citadel；　the　same　who　had　presided　over　the　preparation　of　the

mine　which　had　blown　up　Darnley；　and　whom　Bothwell　had；　met　on

entering　the　garden　at　Kirk　of　Field。　　Not　only　did　Balfour　deliver

Edinburgh　Castle　into　the　hands　of　the　Confederates；　but　he　also　gave

them　a　little　silver　coffer　of　which　the　cipher；　an　〃F〃　crowned；

showed　that　it　had　belonged　to　Francis　II；　and　in　fact　it　was　a　gift

from　her　first　husband；　which　the　queen　had　presented　to　Bothwell。

Balfour　stated　that　this　coffer　contained　precious　papers；　which　in

the　present　circumstances　might　be　of　great　use　to　Mary's　enemies。

The　Confederate　lords　opened　it；　and　found　inside　the　three　genuine

or　spurious　letters　that　we　have　quoted；　the　marriage　contract　of

Mary　and　Bothwell；　and　twelve　poems　in　the　queen's　handwriting。　　As

Balfour　had　said；　therein　lay；　for　her　enemies；　a　rich　and　precious

find；　which　was　worth　more　than　a　victory；　for　a　victory　would　yield

them　only　the　queen's　life；　while　Balfour's　treachery　yielded　them

her　honour。









CHAPTER　IV



Meanwhile　Bothwell　had　levied　some　troops；　and　thought　himself　in　a

position　to　hold　the　country：　accordingly；　he　set　out　with　his　army；

without　even　waiting　for　the　Hamiltons；　who　were　assembling　their

vassals；　and　June　15th；　1567；　the　two　opposed　forces　were　face　to

face。　　Mary；　who　desired　to　try　to　avoid　bloodshed；　immediately　sent

the　French　ambassador　to　the　Confederate　lords　to　exhort　them　to　lay

aside　their　arms；　but　they　replied　〃that　the　queen　deceived　herself

in　taking　them　for　rebels；　that　they　were　marching　not　against　her；

but　against　Bothwell。〃　　Then　the　king's　friends　did　what　they　could

to　break　off　the　negotiations　and　give　battle：　it　was　already　too

late；　the　soldiers　knew　that　they　were　defending　the　cause　of　one

man；　and　that　they　were　going　to　fight　for　a　woman's　caprice；　and　not

for　the　good　of　the　country：　they　cried　aloud；　then；　that　〃since

Bothwell　alone　was　aimed　at；　it　was　for　Bothwell　to　defend　his

cause〃。　　And　he；　vain　and　blustering　as　usual；　gave　out　that　he　was

ready　to　prove　his　innocence　in　person　against　whomsoever　would　dare

to　maintain　that　he　was　guilty。　　Immediately　everyone　with　any　claim

to　nobility　in　the　rival　camp　accepted　the　challenge；　and　as　the

honour　was　given　to　the　bravest；　Kirkcaldy　of　Grange；　Murray　of

Tullibardine；　and　Lord　Lindsay　of　Byres　defied　him　successively。

But；　be　it　that　courage　failed　him；　be　it　that　in　the　moment　of

danger　he　did　not　himself　believe　in　the　justice　of　his　cause；　he；

to　escape　the　combat；　sought　such　strange　pretexts　that　the　queen

herself　was　ashamed；　and　his　most　devoted　friends　murmured。



Then　Mary；　perceiving　the　fatal　humour　of　men's　minds；　decided　not　to

run　the　risk　of　a　battle。　　She　sent　a　herald　to　Kirkcaldy　of　Grange；

who　was　commanding　an　outpost；　and　as　he　was　advancing　without

distrust　to　converse　with　the　queen；　Bothwell；　enraged　at　his　own

cowardice；　ordered　a　soldier　to　fire　upon　him；　but　this　time　Mary

herself　interposed；　forbidding　him　under　pain　of　death　to　offer　the

least　violence。　　In　the　meanwhile；　as　the　imprudent　order　given　by

Bothwell　spread　through　the　army；　such　murmurs　burst　forth　that　he

clearly　saw　that　his　cause　was　for　ever　lost。



That　is　what　the　queen　thought　also；　for　the　result　of　her　conference

with　Lord　Kirkcaldy　was　that　she　should　abandon　Bothwell's　cause；　and

pass　over　into　the　camp　of　the　Confederates；　on　condition　that　they

would　lay　down　their　arms　before　her　and　bring　her　as　queen　to

Edinburgh。　　Kirkcaldy　left　her　to　take　these　conditions　to　the

nobles；　and　promised　to　return　next　day　with　a　satisfactory　answer。

But　at　the　moment　of　leaving　Bothwell；　Mary　was　seized　again　with

that　fatal　love　for　him　that　she　was　never　able　to　surmount；　and　felt

herself　overcome　with　such　weakness；　that；　weeping　bitterly；　and

before　everyone；　she　wanted　Kirkcaldy　to　be　told　that　she　broke　off

all　negotiations；　however；　as　Bothwell　had　understood　that　he　was　no

longer　safe　in　camp；　it　was　he　who　insisted　that　things　should　remain

as　they　were；　and；　leaving　Mary　in　tears；　he　mounted；　and　setting　off

at　full　speed；　he　did　not　stop　till　he　reached　Dunbar。



Next　day；　at　the　time　appointed；　the　arrival　of　Lord　Kirkcaldy　of

Grange　was　announced　by　the　trumpeters　preceding　him。　　Mary　mounted

directly　and　went　to　meet　him；　them；　as　he　alighted　to　greet　her；　〃My

lord；〃　said　she；　〃I　surrender　to　you；　on　the　conditions　that　you　have

proposed　to　me　on　the　part　of　the　nobles；　and　here　is　my　hand　as　a

sign　of　entire　confidence〃。　　Kirkcaldy　then　knelt　down；　kissed；　the

queen's　hand　respectfully；　and；　rising；　he　took　her　horse　by　the

bridle　and　led　it　towards　the　Confederates'　camp。

Everyone　of　any　rank　in　the　army　received　her　with　such　marks　of

respect　as　entirely　to　satisfy　her；　but　it　was　not　so　at　all　with　the

soldiers　and　common　people。　　Hardly　had　the　queen　reached　the　second

line；　formed　by　them；　than　great　murmurs　arose；　and　several　voices

cried；　〃To　the　stake；　the　adulteress！　To　the　stake；　the　parricide！〃

However；　Mary　bore　these　outrages　stoically　enough　but　a　more

terrible　trial　yet　was　in　store　for　her。　　Suddenly　she　saw　rise

before　her　a　banner；　on　which　was　depicted　on　one　side　the　king　dead

and　stretched　out　in　the　fatal　garden；　and　on　the　other　the　young

prince　kneeling；　his　hands　joined　and　his　eyes　raised　to　heaven；　with

this　inscription；　〃O　Lord！　judge　and　revenge　my　cause！〃　　Mary　reined

in　her　horse　abruptly　at　this　sight；　and　wanted　to　turn　back；　but　she

had　scarcely　moved　a　few　paces　when　the　accusing　banner　again　blocked

her　passage。　　Wherever　she　went；　she　met　this　dreadful　apparition。

For　two　hours　she　had　incessantly　under　her　eyes　the　king's　corpse

asking　vengeance；　and　the　young　prince　her　son　praying　God　to　punish

the　murderers。　　At　last　she　could　endure　it　no　longer；　and；　crying

out；　she　threw　herself　back；　having　completely　lost　consciousness；

and　would　have　fallen；　if　someone　had　not　caught　hold　of　her。

In　the　evening　she　entered　Edinburgh；　always　preceded　by　the　cruel

banner；　and　she　already　had　rather　the　air　of　a　prisoner　than　of　a

queen；　for；　not　having　had　a　moment　during　the　day　to　attend　to　her

toilet；　her　hair　was　falling　in　disorder　about　her　shoulders；　her

face　was　pale　and　showed　traces　of　tears；　and　finally；　her　clothes

were　covered　with　dust　and　mud。　　As　she　proceeded　through　t