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fight; each soldier having a sprig of heather in his cap that his

comrades might recognise him。  This unexpected movement determined

the day: the Highlanders ran down the hillside like a torrent;

dragging along with them everyone who could have wished to oppose

their passage。  Then Murray seeing that the moment had come for

changing the defeat into a rout; charged with his entire cavalry:

Huntly; who was very stout and very heavily armed; fell and was

crushed beneath the horses' feet; John Cordon; taken prisoner in his

flight; was executed at Aberdeen three days afterwards; finally; his

brother; too young to undergo the same fate at this time; was shut up

in a dungeon and executed later; the day he reached the age of

sixteen。



Mary had been present at the battle; and the calm and courage she

displayed had made a lively impression on her wild defenders; who all

along the road had heard her say that she would have liked to be a

man; to pass her days on horseback; her nights under a tent; to wear

a coat of mail; a helmet; a buckler; and at her side a broadsword。



Mary made her entry into Edinburgh amid general enthusiasm; for this

expedition against the Earl of Huntly; who was a Catholic; had been

very popular among the inhabitants; who had no very clear idea of the

real motives which had caused her to undertake it: They were of the

Reformed faith; the earl was a papist; there was an enemy the less;

that is all they thought about。  Now; therefore; the Scotch; amid

their acclamations; whether viva voce or by written demands;

expressed the wish that their queen; who was without issue by Francis

II; should re…marry: Mary agreed to this; and; yielding to the

prudent advice of those about her; she decided to consult upon this

marriage Elizabeth; whose heir she was; in her title of granddaughter

of Henry VII; in the event of the Queen of England's dying without

posterity。  Unfortunately; she had not always acted with like

circumspection; for at the death of Mary Tudor; known as Bloody。

Mary; she had laid claim to the throne of Henry VIII; and; relying on

the illegitimacy of Elizabeth's birth; had with the dauphin assumed

sovereignty over Scotland; England; and Ireland; and had had coins

struck with this new title; and plate engraved with these new

armorial bearings。



Elizabeth was nine years older than Marythat is to say; that at

this time she had not yet attained her thirtieth year; she was not

merely her rival as queen; then; but as woman。  As regards education;

she could sustain comparison with advantage; for if she had less

charm of mind; she had more solidity of judgment: versed in politics;

philosophy; history; rhetoric; poetry and music; besides English; her

maternal tongue; she spoke and wrote to perfection Greek; Latin;

French; Italian and Spanish; but while Elizabeth excelled Mary on

this point; in her turn Mary was more beautiful; and above all more

attractive; than her rival。  Elizabeth had; it is true; a majestic

and agreeable appearance; bright quick eyes; a dazzlingly white

complexion; but she had red hair; a large foot;'Elizabeth bestowed

a pair of her shoes on the University of Oxford; their size would

point to their being those of a man of average stature。'and a

powerful hand; while Mary; on the contrary; with her beautiful ashy…

fair hair;'Several historians assert that Mary Stuart had black

hair; but Brantome; who had seen it; since; as we have said; he

accompanied her to Scotland; affirms tat it was fair。  And; so

saying; he (the executioner) took off her headdress; in a

contemptuous manner; to display her hair already white; that while

alive; however; she feared not to show; nor yet to twist and frizz as

in the days when it was so beautiful and so fair。〃'her noble open

forehead; eyebrows which could be only blamed for being so regularly

arched that they looked as if drawn by a pencil; eyes continually

beaming with the witchery of fire; a nose of perfect Grecian outline;

a mouth so ruby red and gracious that it seemed that; as a flower

opens but to let its perfume escape; so it could not open but to give

passage to gentle words; with a neck white and graceful as a swan's;

hands of alabaster; with a form like a goddess's and a foot like a

child's; Mary was a harmony in which the most ardent enthusiast for

sculptured form could have found nothing to reproach。



This was indeed Mary's great and real crime: one single imperfection

in face or figure; and she would not have died upon the scaffold。

Besides; to Elizabeth; who had never seen her; and who consequently

could only judge by hearsay; this beauty was a great cause of

uneasiness and of jealousy; which she could not even disguise; and

which showed itself unceasingly in eager questions。  One day when she

was chatting with James Melville about his mission to her court;

Mary's offer to be guided by Elizabeth in her choice of a husband;a

choice which the queen of England had seemed at first to wish to see

fixed on the Earl of Leicester;she led the Scotch ambassador into a

cabinet; where she showed him several portraits with labels in her

own handwriting: the first was one of the Earl of Leicester。  As this

nobleman was precisely the suitor chosen by Elizabeth; Melville asked

the queen to give it him to show to his mistress; but Elizabeth

refused; saying that it was the only one she had。  Melville then

replied; smiling; that being in possession of the original she might

well part with the copy; but Elizabeth would on no account consent。

This little discussion ended; she showed him the portrait of Mary

Stuart; which she kissed very tenderly; expressing to Melville a

great wish to see his mistress。  〃That is very easy; madam;〃 he

replied: 〃keep your room; on the pretext that you are indisposed; and

set out incognito for Scotland; as King James V set out for France

when he wanted to see Madeleine de Valois; whom he afterwards

married。〃



〃Alas!〃 replied Elizabeth; 〃I would like to do so; but it is not so

easy as you think。  Nevertheless; tell your queen that I love her

tenderly; and that I wish we could live more in friendship than we

have done up to the present〃。  Then passing to a subject which she

seemed to have wanted to broach for a long time; 〃Melville;〃 she

continued; 〃tell me frankly; is my sister as beautiful as they say?〃



〃She has that reputation;〃 replied Melville; 〃but I cannot give your

Majesty any idea of hex beauty; having no point of comparison。〃



〃I will give you one;〃 the queen said。  〃Is she more beautiful than

I?〃



〃Madam;〃 replied Melville; 〃you are the most beautiful woman in

England; and Mary Stuart is the most beautiful woman in Scotland。〃



〃Then which of the two is the taller?〃 asked Elizabeth; who was not

entirely satisfied by this answer; clever as it was。



〃My mistress; madam;〃 responded Melville; 〃I am obliged to confess

it。〃



〃Then she is too tall;〃 Elizabeth said sharply; 〃for I am tall

enough。  And what are her favourite amusements?〃 she continued。



〃Madam;〃 Melville replied; 〃hunting; riding; performing on the lute

and the harpischord。〃



〃Is she skilled upon the latter?〃 Elizabeth inquired。  〃Oh yes;

madam;〃 answered Melville; 〃skilled enough for a queen。〃



There the conversation stopped; but as Elizabeth was herself an

excellent musician; she commanded Lord Hunsdon to bring Melville to

her at a time when she was at her harpischord; so that he could hear

her without her seeming to have the air of playing for him。  In fact;

the same day; Hunsdon; agreeably to her instructions; led the

ambassador into a gallery separated from the queen's apartment merely

by tapestry; so that his guide having raised it。  Melville at his

leisure could hear Elizabeth; who did not turn round until she had

finished the piece; which; however; she was playing with much skill。

When she saw Melville; she pretended to fly into a passion; and even

wanted to strike him; but 

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