mary stuart-第37章

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have　already　suffered　enough　for　me　and　with　me。〃



But　Mary；　unable　to　reply；　clung　to　her　hand；　making　a　sign　with　her

head　that　nothing　in　the　world　should　part　her　from　her　mistress。

Then　all　who　had　accompanied　the　queen　renewed　their　entreaties　that

she　should　not　persist　in　this　fatal　resolve；　and　when　she　was

already　a　third　of　the　way　along　the　plank　placed　for　her　to　enter

the　skiff；　the　Prior　of　Dundrennan；　who　had　offered　Mary　Stuart　such

dangerous　and　touching　hospitality；　entered　the　water　up　to　his

knees；　to　try　to　detain　her；　but　all　was　useless：　the　queen　had　made

up　her　mind。



At　that；　moment　Lowther　approached　her。　　〃Madam；〃　said　he；　〃accept

anew　my　regrets　that　I　cannot　offer　a　warm　welcome　in　England　to　all

who　would　wish　to　follow　you　there；　but　our　queen　has　given　us

positive　orders；　and　we　must　carry　them　out。　　May　I　be　permitted　to

remind　your　Majesty　that　the　tide　serves？　〃



〃Positive　orders！〃　cried　the　prior。　　〃Do　you　hear；　madam？　　Oh！　you

are　lost　if　you　quit　this　shore！　Back；　while　there　is　yet　time！　Back；

madam；　in　Heaven's　name！　To　me；　sir　knights；　to　me！〃　he　cried；

turning　to　Lord　Herries　and　the　other　lords　who　had　accompanied　Mary

Stuart；　〃do　not　allow　your　queen　to　abandon　you；　were　it　needful　to

struggle　with　her　and　the　English　at　the　same　time。　　Hold　her　back；

my　lords；　in　Heaven's　name！　withhold　her！〃



〃What　means　this　violence；　sir　priest？〃　said　the　Warden　of　the

Marches。　　〃I　came　here　at　your　queen's　express　command；　she　is　free

to　return　to　you；　and　there　is　no　need　to　have　recourse　to　force　for

that〃。　　Then；　addressing　the　queen



〃Madam；〃　said　he；　〃do　you　consent　to　follow　me　into　England　in　full

liberty　of　choice？　　Answer；　I　entreat　you；　for　my　honour　demands　that

the　whole　world　should　be　aware　that　you　have　followed　me　freely。〃



〃Sir；〃　replied　Mary　Stuart；　〃I　ask　your　pardon；　in　the　name　of　this

worthy　servant　of　God　and　his　queen；　for　what　he　may　have　said　of

offence　to　you。　　Freely　I　leave　Scotland　and　place　myself　in　your

hands；　trusting　that　I　shall　be　free　either　to　remain　in　England　with

my　royal　sister；　or　to　return　to　France　to　my　worthy　relatives〃。

Then；　turning　to　the　priest；　〃Your　blessing；　father；　and　God　protect

you！〃



〃Alas！　alas！〃　murmured　the　abbot；　obeying　the　queen；　〃it　is　not　we

who　are　in　need　of　God's　protection；　but　rather　you；　my　daughter。

May　the　blessing　of　a　poor　priest　turn　aside　from　you　the　misfortunes

I　foresee！　　Go；　and　may　it　be　with　you　as　the　Lord　has　ordained　in

His　wisdom　and　in　His　mercy！〃



Then　the　queen　gave　her　hand　to　the　sheriff；　who　conducted　her　to　the

skiff；　followed　by　Mary　Seyton　and　two　other　women　only。　　The　sails

were　immediately　unfurled；　and　the　little　vessel　began　to　recede　from

the　shores　of　Galloway；　to　make　her　way　towards　those　of　Cumberland。

So　long　as　it　could　be　seen；　they　who　had　accompanied　the　queen

lingered　on　the　beach；　waving　her　signs　of　adieu；　which；　standing　on

the　deck　of　the　shallop　which　was　bearing　her；　away；　she　returned

with　her　handkerchief。　　Finally；　the　boat　disappeared；　and　all　burst

into　lamentations　or　into　sobbing。　　They　were　right；　for　the　good

Prior　of　Dundrennan's　presentiments　were　only　too　true；　and　they　had

seen　Mary　Stuart　for　the　last　time。









CHAPTER　VIII



On　landing　on　the　shores　of　England；　the　Queen　of　Scotland　found

messengers　from　Elizabeth　empowered　to　express　to　her　all　the　regret

their　mistress　felt　in　being　unable　to　admit　her　to　her　presence；　or

to　give　her　the　affectionate　welcome　she　bore　her　in　her　heart。　　But

it　was　essential；　they　added；　that　first　of　all　the　queen　should

clear　herself　of　the　death　of　Darnley；　whose　family；　being　subjects

of　the　Queen　of　England；　had　a　right　to　her　protection　and　justice。



Mary　Stuart　was　so　blinded　that　she　did　not　see　the　trap；　and

immediately　offered　to　prove　her　innocence　to　the　satisfaction　of　her

sister　Elizabeth；　but　scarcely　had　she　in　her　hands　Mary　Stuart's

letter；　than　from　arbitress　she　became　judge；　and；　naming

commissioners　to　hear　the　parties；　summoned　Murray　to　appear　and

accuse　his　sister。　　Murray；　who　knew　Elizabeth's　secret　intentions

with　regard　to　her　rival；　did　not　hesitate　a　moment。　　He　came　to

England；　bringing　the　casket　containing　the　three　letters　we　have

quoted；　some　verses　and　some　other　papers　which　proved　that　the　queen

had　not　only　been　Bothwell's　mistress　during　the　lifetime　of　Darnley；

but　had　also　been　aware　of　the　assassination　of　her　husband。　　On

their　side；　Lord　Herries　and　the　Bishop　of　Ross；　the　queen's

advocates；　maintained　that　these　letters　had　been　forged；　that　the

handwriting　was　counterfeited；　and　demanded；　in　verification；　experts

whom　they　could　not　obtain；　so　that　this　great　controversy；　remained

pending　for　future　ages；　and　to　this　hour　nothing　is　yet

affirmatively　settled　in　this　matter　either　by　scholars　or

historians。



After　a　five　months'　inquiry；　the　Queen　of　England　made　known　to　the

parties；　that　not　having；　in　these　proceedings；　been　able　to　discover

anything　to　the　dishonour　of　accuser　or　accused；　everything　would

remain　in　statu　quo　till　one　or　the　other　could　bring　forward　fresh

proofs。



As　a　result　of　this　strange　decision；　Elizabeth　should　have　sent　back

the　regent　to　Scotland；　and　have　left　Mary　Stuart　free　to　go　where

she　would。　　But；　instead　of　that；　she　had　her　prisoner　removed　from

Bolton　Castle　to　Carlisle　Castle；　from　whose　terrace；　to　crown　her

with　grief；　poor　Mary　Stuart　saw　the　blue　mountains　of　her　own

Scotland。



However；　among　the　judges　named　by　Elizabeth　to　examine　into　Mary

Stuart's　conduct　was　Thomas　Howard；　Duke　of　Norfolk。　　Be　it　that　he

was　convinced　of　Mary's　innocence；　be　it　that　he　was　urged　by　the

ambitious　project　which　since　served　as　a　ground　for　his　prosecution；

and　which　was　nothing　else　than　to　wed　Mary　Stuart；　to　affiance　his

daughter　to　the　young　king；　and　to　become　regent　of　Scotland；　he

resolved　to　extricate　her　from　her　prison。　　Several　members　of　the

high　nobility　of　England；　among　whom　were　the　Earls　of　Westmoreland

and　Northumberland；　entered　into　the　plot　and　under；　took　to　support

it　with　all　their　forces。　　But　their　scheme　had　been　communicated　to

the　regent：　he　denounced　it　to　Elizabeth；　who　had　Norfolk　arrested。

Warned　in　time；　Westmoreland　and　Northumberland　crossed　the　frontiers

and　took　refuge　in　the　Scottish　borders　which　were　favourable　to

Queen　Mary。　　The　former　reached　Flanders；　where　he　died　in　exile；　the

latter；　given　up　to　Murray；　was　sent　to　the　castle　of　Lochleven；

which　guarded　him　more　faithfully　than　it　had　done　its　royal

prisoner。　　As　to　Norfolk；　he　was　beheaded。　　As　one　sees；　Mary

Stuart's　star　had　lost　none　of　its　fatal　influence。



Meanwhile　the　regent　had　returned　to　Edinburgh；　enriched　with

presents　from　Elizabeth；　and　having　gained；　in　fact；　his　case　with

her；　since　Mary　remained　a　prisoner。　　He　employed　himself　immediately

in　dispersing　the　remainder　of　her　adherents；　and　had　hardly　shut　the

gates　of　Lochleven　Castle　upon　Westmoreland　than；　in　the　name　of　the

young　King　James　VI；　he　pursued　those　who　had　upheld　his　mother's

cause；　and　among　them　more　particularly　the　Hamiltons；　who　since　the

affair　of　〃sweeping　the　streets　of　Edinburgh；〃　had　been　the　mortal

enemies　of　the　Douglases　personally；　six　of　the　chief　members　of　this

family　were　condemned　to　death；　and　only　obtained　commutation　of　the

penalty　into　an　eternal　exile　on　the　entreaties　of　John　Knox；　at　that

time　so　powerful　in　Scotland　that　Murray　dared　not　refuse　their

pardon。



One　of　the　amnestied　was　a　certain　Hamilton　of　Bothwellhaugh；　a　man

of　ancient　Scottish　times；　wild　and　vindictive　as　the　nobles　in　the

time　of　James　I。　　He　had　withdrawn　into　the　highlands；　where　he　had

found　an　asylum；　when　he　learned　that　Murray；　who　in　virtue　of　the

confiscation　pronounced　against　exiles　had　given　his　lands　to　one　of

his　favourites；　had　had　the　cruelt