mary stuart-第38章

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confiscation　pronounced　against　exiles　had　given　his　lands　to　one　of

his　favourites；　had　had　the　cruelty　to　expel　his　sick　and　bedridden

wife　from　her　own　house；　and　that　without　giving　her　time　to　dress；

and　although　it　was　in　the　winter　cold。　　The　poor　woman；　besides；

without　shelter；　without　clothes；　and　without　food；　had　gone　out　of

her　mind；　had　wandered　about　thus　for　some　time；　an　object　of

compassion　but　equally　of　dread；　for　everyone　had　been　afraid　of

compromising　himself　by　assisting　her。　　At　last；　she　had　returned　to

expire　of　misery　and　cold　on　the　threshold　whence　she　had　been

driven。



On　learning　this　news；　Bothwellhaugh；　despite　the　violence　of　his

character；　displayed　no　anger：　he　merely　responded；　with　a　terrible

smile；　〃It　is　well；　I　shall　avenge　her。〃



Next　day；　Bothwellhaugh　left　his　highlands；　and　came　down；　disguised；

into　the　plain；　furnished　with　an　order　of　admission　from　the

Archbishop　of　St。　Andrews　to　a　house　which　this　prelatewho；　as　one

remembers；　had　followed　the　queen's　fortunes　to　the　last　momenthad

at　Linlithgow。　　This　house；　situated　in　the　main　street；　had　a　wooden

balcony　looking　on　to　the　square；　and　a　gate　which　opened　out　into

the　country。　　Bothwellhaugh　entered　it　at　night；　installed　himself　on

the　first　floor；　hung　black　cloth　on　the　walls　so　that　his　shadow

should　not　be　seen　from　without；　covered　the　floor　with　mattresses　so

that　his　footsteps　might　not　be　heard　on　the　ground　floor；　fastened　a

racehorse　ready　saddled　and　bridled　in　the　garden；　hollowed　out　the

upper　part　of　the　little　gate　which　led　to　the　open　country　so　that

he　could　pass　through　it　at　a　gallop；　armed　himself　with　a　loaded

arquebuse；　and　shut　himself　up　in　the　room。



All　these　preparations　had　been　made；　one　imagines；　because　Murray

was　to　spend　the　following　day　in　Linlithgow。　　But；　secret　as　they

were；　they　were　to　be　rendered　useless；　for　the　regent's　friends

warned　him　that　it　would　not　be　safe　for　him　to　pass　through　the

town；　which　belonged　almost　wholly　to　the　Hamiltons；　and　advised　him

to　go　by　it。　　However；　Murray　was　courageous；　and；　accustomed　not　to

give　way　before　a　real　danger；　he　chid　nothing　but　laugh　at　a　peril

which　he　looked　upon　as　imaginary；　and　boldly　followed　his　first

plan；　which　was　not　to　go　out　of　his　way。　　Consequently；　as　the

street　into　which　the　Archbishop　of　St。　Andrews'　balcony　looked　was

on　his　road；　he　entered　upon　it；　not　going　rapidly　and　preceded　by

guards　who　would　open　up　a　passage　for　him；　as　his　friends　still

counselled；　but　advancing　at　a　foot's　pace；　delayed　as　he　was　by　the

great　crowd　which　was　blocking　up　the　streets　to　see　him。　　Arrived　in

front　of　the　balcony；　as　if　chance　had　been　in　tune　with　the

murderer；　the　crush　became　so　great　that　Murray　was　obliged　to　halt

for　a　moment：　this　rest　gave　Bothwellhaugh　time　to　adjust　himself　for

a　steady　shot。　　He　leaned　his　arquebuse　on　the　balcony；　and；　having

taken　aim　with　the　necessary　leisure　and　coolness；　fired。

Bothwellhaugh　had　put　such　a　charge　into　the　arquebuse；　that　the

ball；　having　passed　through　the　regent's　heart；　killed　the　horse　of　a

gentleman　on　his　right。　　Murray　fell　directly；　saying；　〃My　God！　I　am

killed。〃



As　they　had　seen　from　which　window　the　shot　was　fired；　the　persons　in

the　regent's　train　had　immediately　thrown　themselves　against　the

great　door　of　the　house　which　looked　on　to　the　street；　and　had

smashed　it　in；　but　they　only　arrived　in　time　to　see　Bothwellhaugh　fly

through　the　little　garden　gate　on　the　horse　he　had　got　ready：　they

immediately　remounted　the　horses　they　had　left　in　the　street；　and；

passing　through　the　house；　pursued　him。　　Bothwellhaugh　had　a　good

horse　and　the　lead　of　his　enemies；　and　yet；　four　of　them；　pistol　in

hand；　were　so　well　mounted　that　they　were　beginning　to　gain　upon　him。

Then　Bothwellhaugh；　seeing　that　whip　and　spur　were　not　enough；　drew

his　dagger　and　used　it　to　goad　on　his　horse。　　His　horse；　under　this

terrible　stimulus；　acquired　fresh　vigour；　and；　leaping　a　gully

eighteen　feet　deep；　put　between　his　master　and　his　pursuers　a　barrier

which　they　dared　not　cross。



The　murderer　sought　an　asylum　in　France；　where　he　retired　under　the

protection　of　the　Guises。　　There；　as　the　bold　stroke　he　had　attempted

had　acquired　him　a　great　reputation；　some　days　before　the　Massacre　of

St。　Bartholomew；　they　made　him　overtures　to　assassinate　Admiral

Coligny。　　But　Bothwellhaugh　indignantly　repulsed　these　proposals；

saying　that　he　was　the　avenger　of　abuses　and　not　an　assassin；　and

that　those　who　had　to　complain　of　the　admiral　had　only　to　come　and

ask　him　how　he　had　done；　and　to　do　as　he。



As　to　Murray；　he　died　the　night　following　his　wound；　leaving　the

regency　to　the　Earl　of　Lennox；　the　father　of　Darnley：　on　learning　the

news　of　his　death；　Elizabeth　wrote　that　she　had　lost　her　best　friend。



While　these　events　were　passing　in　Scotland；　Mary　Stuart　was　still　a

prisoner；　in　spite　of　the　pressing　and　successive　protests　of　Charles

IX　and　Henry　III。　　Taking　fright　at　the　attempt　made　in　her　favour；

Elizabeth　even　had　her　removed　to　Sheffield　Castle；　round　which　fresh

patrols　were　incessantly　in　motion。



But　days；　months；　years　passed；　and　poor　Mary；　who　had　borne　so

impatiently　her　eleven　months'　captivity　in　Lochleven　Castle；　had

been　already　led　from　prison　to　prison　for　fifteen　or　sixteen　years；

in　spite　of　her　protests　and　those　of　the　French　and　Spanish

ambassadors；　when　she　was　finally　taken　to　Tutbury　Castle　and　placed

under　the　care　of　Sir　Amyas　Paulet；　her　last　gaoler：　there　she　found

for　her　sole　lodging　two　low　and　damp　rooms；　where　little　by　little

what　strength　remained　to　her　was　so　exhausted　that　there　were　days

on　which　she　could　not　walk；　on　account　of　the　pain　in　all　her　limbs。

Then　it　was　that　she　who　had　been　the　queen　of　two　kingdoms；　who　was

born　in　a　gilded　cradle　and　brought　up　in　silk　and　velvet；　was　forced

to　humble　herself　to　ask　of　her　gaoler　a　softer　bed　and　warmer

coverings。　　This　request；　treated　as　an　affair　of　state；　gave　rise　to

negotiations　which　lasted　a　month；　after　which　the　prisoner　was　at

length　granted　what　she　asked。　　And　yet　the　unhealthiness；　cold；　and

privations　of　all　kinds　still　did　not　work　actively　enough　on　that

healthy　and　robust　organisation。　　They　tried　to　convey　to　Paulet　what

a　service　he　would　render　the　Queen　of　England　in　cutting　short　the

existence　of　her　who；　already　condemned　in　her　rival's　mind；　yet

delayed　to　die。　　But　Sir　Amyas　Paulet；　coarse　and　harsh　as　he　was　to

Mary　Stuart；　declared　that；　so　long　as　she　was　with　him　she　would

have　nothing　to　fear　from　poison　or　dagger；　because　he　would　taste

all　the　dishes　served　to　his　prisoner；　and　that　no　one　should

approach　her　but　in　his　presence。　　In　fact；　some　assassins；　sent　by

Leicester；　the　very　same　who　had　aspired　for　a　moment　to　the　hand　of

the　lovely　Mary　Stuart；　were　driven　from　the　castle　directly　its

stern　keeper　had　learned　with　what　intentions　they　had　entered　it。

Elizabeth　had　to　be　patient；　then；　in　contenting　herself　with

tormenting　her　whom　she　could　not　kill；　and　still　hoping　that　a　fresh

opportunity　would　occur　for　bringing　her　to　trial。　　That　opportunity；

so　long　delayed；　the　fatal　star　of　Mary　Stuart　at　length　brought。



A　young　Catholic　gentleman；　a　last　scion　of　that　ancient　chivalry

which　was　already　dying　out　at　that　time；　excited　by　the

excommunication　of　Pius　V；　which　pronounced　Elizabeth　fallen　from　her

kingdom　on　earth　and　her　salvation　in　heaven；　resolved　to　restore

liberty　to　Mary；　who　thenceforth　was　beginning　to　be　looked　upon；　no

longer　as　a　political　prisoner；　but　as　a　martyr　for　her　faith。

Accordingly；　braving　the　law　which　Elizabeth　had　had　made　in　1585；

and　which　provided　that；　if　any　attempt　on　her　person　was　meditated

by；　or　for；　a　person　who　thought　he　had　claims　to　the　crown　of

England；　a　commission　would　be　appointed　composed　of　twenty…five

members；　which；　to　the　exclusion　of　ev