mary stuart-第39章

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

members；　which；　to　the　exclusion　of　every　other　tribunal；　would　be

empowered　to　examine　into　the　offence；　and　to　condemn　the　guilty

persons；　whosoever　they　might　be。　　Babington；　not　at　all　discouraged

by　the　example　of　his　predecessors；　assembled　five　of　his　friends；

Catholics　as　zealous　as　himself；　who　engaged　their　life　and　honour　in

the　plot　of　which　he　was　the　head；　and　which　had　as　its　aim　to

assassinate　Elizabeth；　and　as　a　result　to　place　Mary　Stuart　on　the

English　throne。　　But　this　scheme；　well　planned　as　it　was；　was

revealed　to　Walsingham；　who　allowed　the　conspirators　to　go　as　far　as

he　thought　he　could　without　danger；　and　who；　the　day　before　that

fixed　for　the　assassination；　had　them　arrested。



This　imprudent　and　desperate　attempt　delighted　Elizabeth；　for；

according　to　the　letter　of　the　law；　it　finally　gave　her　rival's　life

into　her　hands。　　Orders　were　immediately　given　to　Sir　Amyas　Paulet　to

seize　the　prisoner's　papers　and　to　move　her　to　Fotheringay　Castle。

The　gaoler；　then；　hypocritically　relaxing　his　usual　severity；

suggested　to　Mary　Stuart　that　she　should　go　riding；　under　the　pretext

that　she　had　need　of　an　airing。　　The　poor　prisoner；　who　for　three

years　had　only　seen　the　country　through　her　prison　bars；　joyfully

accepted；　and　left　Tutbury　between　two　guards；　mounted；　for　greater

security；　on　a　horse　whose　feet　were　hobbled。　　These　two　guards　took

her　to　Fotheringay　Castle；　her　new　habitation；　where　she　found　the

apartment　she　was　to　lodge　in　already　hung　in　black。　　Mary　Stuart　had

entered　alive　into　her　tomb。　　As　to　Babington　and　his　accomplices；

they　had　been　already　beheaded。



Meanwhile；　her　two　secretaries；　Curle　and　Nau；　were　arrested；　and　all

her　papers　were　seized　and　sent　to　Elizabeth；　who；　on　her　part；

ordered　the　forty　commissioners　to　assemble；　and　proceed　without

intermission　to　the　trial　of　the　prisoner。　　They　arrived　at

Fotheringay　the　14th　October　1586；　and　next　day；　being　assembled　in

the　great　hall　of　the　castle；　they　began　the　examination。



At　first　Mary　refused　to　appear　before　them；　declaring　that　she　did

not　recognise　the　commissioners　as　judges；　they　not　being　her　peers；

and　not　acknowledging　the　English　law；　which　had　never　afforded　her

protection；　and　which　had　constantly　abandoned　her　to　the　rule　of

force。　　But　seeing　that　they　proceeded　none　the　less；　and　that　every

calumny　was　allowed；　no　one　being　there　to　refute　it；　she　resolved　to

appear　before　the　commissioners。　　We　quote　the　two　interrogatories　to

which　Mary　Stuart　submitted　as　they　are　set　down　in　the　report　of　M。

de　Bellievre　to　M。　de　Villeroy。　　M。　de　Bellievre；　as　we　shall　see

later；　had　been　specially　sent　by　King　Henry　III　to　Elizabeth。

＇Intelligence　for　M。　Villeroy　of　what　was　done　in　England　by　M。　de

Bellievre　about　the　affairs　of　the　Queen　of　Scotland；　in　the　months

of　November　and　December　1586　and　January　1587。＇



The　said　lady　being　seated　at　the　end　of　the　table　in　the　said　hall；

and　the　said　commissioners　about　her



The　Queen　of　Scotland　began　to　speak　in　these　terms：



〃I　do　not　admit　that　any　one　of　you　here　assembled　is　my　peer　or　my

judge　to　examine　me　upon　any　charge。　　Thus　what　I　do；　and　now　tell

you；　is　of　my　own　free　will；　taking　God　to　witness　that　I　am　innocent

and　pure　in　conscience　of　the　accusations　and　slanders　of　which　they

wish　to　accuse　me。　　For　I　am　a　free　princess　and　born　a　queen；

obedient　to　no　one；　save　to　God；　to　whom　alone　I　must　give　an　account

of　my　actions。　　This　is　why　I　protest　yet　again　that　my　appearance

before　you　be　not　prejudicial　either　to　me；　or　to　the　kings；　princes

and　potentates；　my　allies；　nor　to　my　son；　and　I　require　that　my

protest　be　registered；　and　I　demand　the　record　of　it。〃



Then　the　chancellor；　who　was　one　of　the　commissioners；　replied　in　his

turn；　and　protested　against　the　protestation；　then　he　ordered　that

there　should　be　read　over　to　the　Queen　of　Scotland　the　commission　in

virtue　of　which　they　were　proceedinga　commission　founded　on　the

statutes　and　law　of　the　kingdom。



But　to　this　Mary　Stuart　made　answer　that　she　again　protested；　that

the　said　statutes　and　laws　were　without　force　against　her；　because

these　statutes　and　laws　are　not　made　for　persons　of　her　condition。



To　this　the　chancellor　replied　that　the　commission　intended　to

proceed　against　her；　even　if　she　refused　to　answer；　and　declared　that

the　trial　should　proceed；　for　she　was　doubly　subject　to　indictment；

the　conspirators　having　not　only　plotted　in　her　favour；　but　also　with

her　consent：　to　which　the　said　Queen　of　Scotland　responded　that　she

had　never　even　thought　of　it。



Upon　this；　the　letters　it　was　alleged　she　had　written　to　Babington

and　his　answers　were　read　to　her。



Mary　Stuart　then　affirmed　that　she　had　never　seen　Babington；　that　she

had　never　had　any　conference　with　him；　had　never　in　her　life　received

a　single　letter　from　him；　and　that　she　defied　anyone　in　the　world　to

maintain　that　she　had　ever　done　anything　to　the　prejudice　of　the　said

Queen　of　England；　that　besides；　strictly　guarded　as　she　was；　away

from　all　news；　withdrawn　from　and　deprived　of　those　nearest　her；

surrounded　with　enemies；　deprived　finally　of　all　advice；　she　had　been

unable　to　participate　in　or　to　consent　to　the　practices　of　which　she

was　accused；　that　there　are；　besides；　many　persons　who　wrote　to　her

what　she　had　no　knowledge　of；　and　that　she　had　received　a　number　of

letters　without　knowing　whence　they　came　to　her。



Then　Babington's　confession　was　read　to　her；　but　she　replied　that　she

did　not　know　what　was　meant；　that　besides；　if　Babington　and　his

accomplices　had　said　such　things；　they　were　base　men；　false　and

liars。



〃Besides；〃　added　she；　〃show　me　my　handwriting　and　my　signature；　since

you　say　that　I　wrote　to　Babington；　and　not　copies　counterfeited　like

these　which　you　have　filled　at　your　leisure　with　the　falsehoods　it

has　pleased　you　to　insert。〃



Then　she　was　shown　the　letter　that　Babington；　it　was　said；　had

written　her。　　She　glanced　at　it；　then　said；　〃I　have　no　knowledge　of

this　letter〃。　　Upon　this；　she　was　shown　her　reply；　and　she　said

again；　〃I　have　no　more　knowledge　of　this　answer。　　If　you　will　show　me

my　own　letter　and　my　own　signature　containing　what　you　say；　I　will

acquiesce　in　all；　but　up　to　the　present；　as　I　have　already　told　you；

you　have　produced　nothing　worthy　of　credence；　unless　it　be　the　copies

you　have　invented　and　added　to　with　what　seemed　good　to　you。〃



With　these　words；　she　rose；　and　with　her　eyes　full　of　tears



〃If　I　have　ever；〃　said　she；　〃consented　to　such　intrigues；　having　for

object　my　sister's　death；　I　pray　God　that　He　have　neither　pity　nor

mercy　on　me。　　I　confess　that　I　have　written　to　several　persons；　that

I　have　implored　them　to　deliver　me　from　my　wretched　prisons；　where　I

languished；　a　captive　and　ill…treated　princess；　for　nineteen　years

and　seven　months；　but　it　never　occurred　to　me；　even　in　thought；　to

write　or　even　to　desire　such　things　against　the　queen。　　Yes；　I　also

confess　to　having　exerted　myself　for　the　deliverance　of　some

persecuted　Catholics；　and　if　I　had　been　able；　and　could　yet；　with　my

own　blood；　protect　them　and　save　them　from　their　pains；　I　would　have

done　it；　and　would　do　it　for　them　with　all　my　power；　in　order　to　save

them　from　destruction。〃



Then；　turning　to　the　secretary；　Walsingham



〃But；　my　lord；〃　said　she；　〃from　the　moment　I　see　you　here；　I　know

whence　comes　this　blow：　you　have　always　been　my　greatest　enemy　and　my

son's；　and　you　have　moved　everyone　against　me　and　to　my　prejudice。〃



Thus　accused　to　his　face；　Walsingham　rose。



〃Madam；〃　he　replied；　〃I　protest　before　God；　who　is　my　witness；　that

you　deceive　yourself；　and　that　I　have　never　done　anything　against　you

unworthy　of　a　good　man；　either　as　an　individual　or　as　a　public

personage。〃



This　is　all　that　was　said　and　done　that　day　in　the　proceedings；　till

th