mary stuart-第40章

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personage。〃



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

the　next　day；　when　the　queen　was　again　obliged　to　appear　before　the

commissioners。



And；　being　seated　at　the　end　of　the　table　of　the　said　hall；　and　the

said　commissioners　about　her；　she　began　to　speak　in　a　loud　voice。



〃You　are　not　unaware；　my　lords　and　gentlemen；　that　I　am　a　sovereign

queen；　anointed　and　consecrated　in　the　church　of　God；　and　cannot；　and

ought　not；　for　any　reason　whatever；　be　summoned　to　your　courts；　or

called　to　your　bar；　to　be　judged　by　the　law　and　statutes　that　you　lay

down；　for　I　am　a　princess　and　free；　and　I　do　not　owe　to　any　prince

more　than　he　owes　to　me；　and　on　everything　of　which　I　am　accused

towards　my　said　sister；　I　cannot；　reply　if　you　do　not　permit　me　to　be

assisted　by　counsel。　　And　if　you　go　further；　do　what　you　will；　but

from　all　your　procedure；　in　reiterating　my　protestations；　I　appeal　to

God；　who　is　the　only　just　and　true　judge；　and　to　the　kings　and

princes；　my　allies　and　confederates。〃



This　protestation　was　once　more　registered；　as　she　had　required　of

the　commissioners。　　Then　she　was　told　that　she　had　further　written

several　letters　to　the　princes　of　Christendom；　against　the　queen　and

the　kingdom　of　England。



〃As　to　that；〃　replied　Mary　Stuart；　〃it　is　another　matter；　and　I　do

not　deny　it；　and　if　it　was　again　to　do；　I　should　do　as　I　have　done；

to　gain　my　liberty；　for　there　is　not　a　man　or　woman　in　the　world；　of

less　rank　than　I；　who　would　not　do　it；　and　who　would　not　make　use　of

the　help　and　succour　of　their　friends　to　issue　from　a　captivity　as

harsh　as　mine　was。　　You　charge　me　with　certain　letters　from

Babington：　well；　I　do　not　deny　that　he　has　written　to　me　and　that　I

have　replied　to　him；　but　if　you　find　in　my　answers　a　single　word

about　the　queen　my　sister；　well；　yes；　there　will　be　good　cause　to

prosecute　me。　　I　replied　to　him　who　wrote　to　me　that　he　would　set　me

at　liberty；　that　I　accepted　his　offer；　if　he　could　do　it　without

compromising　the　one　or　the　other　of　us：　that　is　all。



〃As　to　my　secretaries；〃　added　the　queen；　〃not　they；　but　torture　spoke

by　their　mouths：　and　as　to　the　confessions　of　Babington　and　his

accomplices；　there　is　not　much　to　be　made　of　them；　for　now　that　they

are　dead　you　can　say　all　that　seems　good　to　you；　and　let　who　will

believe　you。〃



With　these　words；　the　queen　refused　to　answer　further　if　she　were　not

given　counsel；　and；　renewing　her　protestation；　she　withdrew　into　her

apartment；　but；　as　the　chancellor　had　threatened；　the　trial　was

continued　despite　her　absence。



However；　M。　de　Chateauneuf；　the　French　ambassador　to　London；　saw

matters　too　near　at　hand　to　be　deceived　as　to　their　course：

accordingly；　at　the　first　rumour　which　came　to　him　of　bringing　Mary

Stuart　to　trial；　he　wrote　to　King　Henry　III；　that　he　might　intervene

in　the　prisoner's　favour。　　Henry　III　immediately　despatched　to　Queen

Elizabeth　an　embassy　extraordinary；　of　which　M。　de　Bellievre　was　the

chief；　and　at　the　same　time；　having　learned　that　James　VI；　Mary's

son；　far　from　interesting　himself　in　his　mother's　fate；　had　replied

to　the　French　minister；　Courcelles；　who　spoke　to　him　of　her；　〃I　can

do　nothing；　let　her　drink　what　she　has　spilled；〃　he　wrote　him　the

following　letter；　to　decide　the　young　prince　to　second　him　in　the

steps　he　was　going　to　take：



〃21st　November；　1586。



〃COURCELLES；　I　have　received　your　letter　of　the　4th　October　last；　in

which　I　have　seen　the　discourse　that　the　King　of　Scotland　has　held

with　you　concerning　what　you　have　witnessed　to　him　of　the　good

affection　I　bear　him；　discourse　in　which　he　has　given　proof　of

desiring　to　reciprocate　it　entirely；　but　I　wish　that　that　letter　had

informed　me　also　that　he　was　better　disposed　towards　the　queen　his

mother；　and　that　he　had　the　heart　and　the　desire　to　arrange

everything　in　a　way　to　assist　her　in　the　affliction　in　which　she　now

is；　reflecting　that　the　prison　where　she　has　been　unjustly　detained

for　eighteen　years　and　more　has　induced　her　to　lend　an　ear　to　many

things　which　have　been　proposed　to　her　for　gaining　her　liberty；　a

thing　which　is　naturally　greatly　desired　by　all　men；　and　more　still

by　those　who　are　born　sovereigns　and　rulers；　who　bear　being　kept

prisoners　thus　with　less　patience。　　He　should　also　consider　that　if

the　Queen　of　England；　my　good　sister；　allows　herself　to　be　persuaded

by　the　counsels　of　those　who　wish　that　she　should　stain　herself　with

Queen　Mary's　blood；　it　will　be　a　matter　which　will　bring　him　to　great

dishonour；　inasmuch　as　one　will　judge　that　he　will　have　refused　his

mother　the　good　offices　that　he　should　render　her　with　the　said　Queen

of　England；　and　which　would　have　perhaps　been　sufficient　to　move　her；

if　he　would　have　employed　them；　as　warmly；　and　as　soon　as　his　natural

duty　commanded　him。　　Moreover；　it　is　to　be　feared　for　him；　that；　his

mother　dead；　his　own　turn　may　come；　and　that　one　may　think　of　doing

as　much　for　him；　by　some　violent　means；　to　make　the　English

succession　easier　to　seize　for　those　who　are　likely　to　have　it　after

the　said　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　not　only　to　defraud　the　said　King　of

Scotland　of　the　claim　he　can　put　forward；　but　to　render　doubtful　even

that　which　he　has　to　his　own　crown。　　I　do　not　know　in　what　condition

the　affairs　of　my　said　sister…in…law　will　be　when　you　receive　this

letter；　but　I　will　tell　you　that　in　every　case　I　wish　you　to　rouse

strongly　the　said　King　of　Scotland；　with　remonstrances；　and

everything　else　which　may　bear　on　this　subject；　to　embrace　the

defence　and　protection　of　his　said　mother；　and　to　express　to　him；　on

my　part；　that　as　this　will　be　a　matter　for　which　he　will　be　greatly

praised　by　all　the　other　kings　and　sovereign　princes；　he　must　be

assured　that　if　he　fails　in　it　there　will　be　great　censure　for　him；

and　perhaps　notable　injury　to　himself　in　particular。　　Furthermore；　as

to　the　state　of　my　own　affairs；　you　know　that　the　queen；　madam　and

mother；　is　about　to　see　very　soon　the　King　of　Navarre；　and　to　confer

with　him　on　the　matter　of　the　pacification　of　the　troubles　of　this

kingdom；　to　which；　if　he　bear　as　much　good　affection　as　I　do　for　my

part；　I　hope　that　things　may　come　to　a　good　conclusion；　and　that　my

subjects　will　have　some　respite　from　the　great　evils　and　calamities

that　the　war　occasions　them：　supplicating　the　Creator；　Courcelles；

that　He　may　have　you　in　His　holy　keeping。



〃Written　at　St。　Germain…en…Laye；　the　21st　day

of　November　1586。（Signed）　HENRI；



〃And　below；　BRULART。〃





This　letter　finally　decided　James　VI　to　make　a　kind　of　demonstration

in　his　mother's　favour：　he　sent　Gray；　Robert　Melville；　and　Keith　to

Queen　Elizabeth。　　But　although　London　was　nearer　Edinburgh　than　was

Paris；　the　French　envoys　reached　it　before　the　Scotch。



It　is　true　that　on　reaching　Calais；　the　27th　of　November；　M。　de

Bellievre　had　found　a　special　messenger　there　to　tell　him　not　to　lose

an　instant；　from　M。　de　Chateauneuf；　who；　to　provide　for　every

difficulty；　had　chartered　a　vessel　ready　in　the　harbour。　　But　however

great　the　speed　these　noble　lords　wished　to　make；　they　were　obliged

to　await　the　wind's　good…will；　which　did　not　allow　them　to　put　to　sea

till　Friday　28th　at　midnight；　next　day　also；　on　reaching　Dover　at

nine　o'clock；　they　were　so　shaken　by　sea…sickness　that　they　were

forced　to　stay　a　whole　day　in　the　town　to　recover；　so　that　it　was　not

till　Sunday　30th　that　M。　　de　Bellievre　was　able　to　set　out　in　the

coach　that　M。　Chateauneuf　sent　him　by　M。　　de　Brancaleon；　and　take　the

road　to　London；　accompanied　by　the　gentlemen　of　his　suite；　who　rode

on　post…horses；　but　resting　only　a　few　hours　on　the　way　to　make　up

for　lost　time；　they　at　last　arrived　in　London；　Sunday　the　1st　of

December　at　midday。　　M。　de　Bellievre　immediately　sent　one　of　the

gentlemen　of　his　suite；　named　M。　　de　Villiers；　to　the　Queen　of

England；　who　was　holding　her　court　at　Richmond　Castle：　the　decree　had

been　secretly　pronounced　alrea