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第26章

mary stuart-第26章

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that I no longer find my mind free enough nor my strength great

enough to support the burden of affairs of State: accordingly; and as

Divine favour has granted us a son whom we desire to see during our

lifetime bear the crown which he has acquired by right of birth; we

have resolved to abdicate; and we abdicate in his favour; by these

presents; freely and voluntarily; all our rights to the crown and to

the government of Scotland; desiring that he may immediately ascend

the throne; as if he were called to it by our natural death; and not

as the effect of our own will; and that our present abdication may

have a more complete and solemn effect; and that no one should put

forward the claim of ignorance; we give full powers to our trusty and

faithful cousins; the lords Lindsay of Byres and William Ruthven; to

appear in our name before the nobility; the clergy; and the burgesses

of Scotland; of whom they will convoke an assembly at Stirling; and

to there renounce; publicly and solemnly; on our part; all our claims

to the crown and to the government of Scotland。



〃Signed freely and as the testimony of one of our last royal wishes;

in our castle of Lochleven; the ___ June 1567〃。  (The date was left

blank。)



There was a moment's silence after this reading; then



〃Did you hear; madam?〃 asked Ruthven。



〃Yes;〃 replied Mary Stuart;〃 yes; I have heard rebellious words

that I have not understood; and I thought that my ears; that one has

tried to accustom for some time to a strange language; still deceived

me; and that I have thought for your honour; my lord William Ruthven;

and my lord Lindsay of Byres。〃



〃Madam;〃 answered Lindsay; out of patience at having kept silence so

long; 〃our honour has nothing to do with the opinion of a woman who

has so ill known how to watch over her own。〃



〃My lord!〃 said Melville; risking a word。



〃Let him speak; Robert;〃 returned the queen。  〃We have in our

conscience armour as well tempered as that with which Lord Lindsay is

so prudently covered; although; to the shame of justice; we no longer

have a sword。  Continue; my lord;〃 the queen went on; turning to Lord

Ruthven : 〃is this all that my subjects require of me?  A date and a

signature?  Ah! doubtless it is too little; and this second paper;

which you have kept in order to proceed by degrees; probably contains

some demand more difficult to grant than that of yielding to a child

scarcely a year old a crown which belongs to me by birthright; and to

abandon my sceptre to take a distaff。〃



〃This other paper;〃 replied Ruthven; without letting himself be

intimidated by the tone of bitter irony adopted by the queen; 〃is the

deed by which your Grace confirms the decision of the Secret Council

which has named your beloved brother; the Earl of Murray; regent of

the kingdom。〃



〃Indeed!〃 said Mary。  〃The Secret Council thinks it needs my

confirmation to an act of such slight importance?  And my beloved

brother; to bear it without remorse; needs that it should be I who

add a fresh title to those of Earl of Mar and of Murray that I have

already bestowed upon him?  But one cannot desire anything more

respectful and touching than all this; and I should be very wrong to

complain。  My lords;〃 continued the queen; rising and changing her

tone; 〃return to those who have sent you; and tell them that to such

demands Mary Stuart has no answer to give。〃



〃Take care; madam;〃 responded Ruthven; 〃for I have told you it is

only on these conditions that your pardon can be granted you。〃



〃And if I refuse this generous pardon;〃 asked Mary; 〃what will

happen?〃



〃I cannot pronounce beforehand; madam; but your Grace has enough

knowledge of the laws; and above all of the history of Scotland and

England; to know that murder and adultery are crimes for which more

than one queen has been punished with death。〃



〃And upon what proofs could such a charge be founded; my lord?

Pardon my persistence; which takes up your precious time; but I am

sufficiently interested in the matter to be permitted such a

question。〃



〃The proof; madam?〃 returned Ruthven。  〃There is but one; I know; but

that one is unexceptionable: it is the precipitate marriage of the

widow of the assassinated with the chief assassin; and the letters

which have been handed over to us by James Balfour; which prove that

the guilty persons had united their adulterous hearts before it was

permitted them to unite their bloody hands。〃



〃My lord;〃 cried the queen; 〃do you forget a certain repast given in

an Edinburgh tavern; by this same Bothwell; to those same noblemen

who treat him to…day as an adulterer and a murderer; do you forget

that at the end of that meal; and on the same table at which it had

been given; a paper was signed to invite that same woman; to whom to…

day you make the haste of her new wedding a crime; to leave off a

widow's mourning to reassume a marriage robe? for if you have

forgotten it; my lords; which would do no more honour to your

sobriety than to your memory; I undertake to show it to you; I who

have preserved it; and perhaps if we search well we shall find among

the signatures the names of Lindsay of Byres and William Ruthven。

O noble Lord Herries;〃 cried Mary; 〃loyal James Melville; you alone

were right then; when you threw yourselves at my feet; entreating me

not to conclude this marriage; which; I see it clearly to…day; was

only a trap set for an ignorant woman by perfidious advisers or

disloyal lords。〃



〃Madam;〃 cried Ruthven; in spite of his cold impassivity beginning to

lose command of himself; while Lindsay was giving still more noisy

and less equivocal signs of impatience; 〃madam; all these discussions

are beside our aim: I beg you to return to it; then; and inform us

if; your life and honour guaranteed; you consent to abdicate the

crown of Scotland。〃



〃And what safeguard should I have that the promises you here make me

will be kept?〃



〃Our word; madam;〃 proudly replied Ruthven。



〃Your word; my lord; is a very feeble pledge to offer; when one so

quickly forgets one's signature: have you not some trifle to add to

it; to make me a little easier than I should be with it alone?〃



〃Enough; Ruthven; enough;〃 cried Lindsay。  〃Do you not see that for

an hour this woman answers our proposals only by insults?〃



〃Yes; let us go;〃 said Ruthven; 〃and thank yourself only; madam; for

the day when the thread breaks which holds the sword suspended over

your head。〃



〃My lords;〃 cried Melville; 〃my lords; in Heaven's name; a little

patience; and forgive something to her who; accustomed to command; is

today forced to obey。〃



〃Very well;〃 said Lindsay; turning round; 〃stay with her; then; and

try to obtain by your smooth words what is refused to our frank and

loyal demand。  In a quarter of an hour we shall return: let the

answer be ready in a quarter of an hour!〃



With these words; the two noblemen went out; leaving Melville with

the queen; and one could count their footsteps; from the noise that

Lindsay's great sword made; in resounding on each step of the

staircase。



Scarcely were they alone than Melville threw himself at the queen's

feet。



〃Madam;〃 said he;〃 you remarked just now that Lord Herries and my

brother had given your Majesty advice that you repented not having

followed; well; madam; reflect on that I in my turn give you; for it

is more important than the other; for you will regret with still more

bitterness not having listened to it。  Ah! you do not know what may

happen; you are ignorant of what your brother is capable。〃



〃It seems to me; however;〃 returned the queen; 〃that he has just

instructed me on that head: what more will he do than he has done

already?  A public trial! Oh! it is all I ask: let me only plead my

cause; and we shall see what judges will dare to condemn me。〃



〃But that is what they will take good care not to do; madam; for they

would be 

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