mary stuart-第41章

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

been　secretly　pronounced　already　six　days；　and　submitted　to

Parliament；　which　was　to　deliberate　upon　it　with　closed　doors。



The　French　ambassadors　could　not　have　chosen　a　worse　moment　to

approach　Elizabeth；　and　to　gain　time　she　declined　to　receive　M。　de

Villiers；　returning　the　answer　that　he　would　himself　know　next　day

the　reason　for　this　refusal。　　And　indeed；　next　day；　the　rumour　spread

in　London　that　the　French　Embassy　had　contagion；　and　that　two　of　the

lords　in　it　having　died　of　the　plague　at　Calais；　the　queen；　whatever

wish　she　might　have　to　be　agreeable　to　Henry　III；　could　not　endanger

her　precious　existence　by　receiving　his　envoys。　　Great　was　the

astonishment　of　M。　de　Bellievre　at　learning　this　news　he　protested

that　the　queen　was　led　into　error　by　a　false　report；　and　insisted　on

being　received。　　Nevertheless；　the　delays　lasted　another　six　days；

but　as　the　ambassadors　threatened　to　depart　without　waiting　longer；

and　as；　upon　the　whole；　Elizabeth；　disquieted　by　Spain；　had　no　desire

to　embroil　herself　with　France；　she　had　M。　de　Bellievre　informed　on

the　morning　of　the　7th　of　December　that　she　was　ready　to　receive　him

after　dinner　at　Richmond　Castle；　together　with　the　noblemen　of　his

suite。



At　the　appointed　time　the　French　ambassadors　presented　themselves　at

the　castle　gates；　and；　having　been　brought　to　the　queen；　found　her

seated　on　her　throne　and　surrounded　by　the　greatest　lords　in　her

kingdom。　　Then　MM。　de　Chateauneuf　and　de　Bellievre；　the　one　the

ambassador　in　ordinary　and　the　other　the　envoy　extraordinary；　having

greeted　her　on　the　part　of　the　King　of　France；　began　to　make　her　the

remonstrances　with　which　they　were　charged。　　Elizabeth　replied；　not

only　in　the　same　French　tongue；　but　also　in　the　most　beautiful　speech

in　use　at　that　time；　and；　carried　away　by　passion；　pointed　out　to　the

envoys　of　her　brother　Henry　that　the　Queen　of　Scotland　had　always

proceeded　against　her；　and　that　this　was　the　third　time　that　she　had

wished　to　attempt　her　life　by　an　infinity　of　ways；　which　she　had

already　borne　too　long　and　with　too　much　patience；　but　that　never　had

anything　so　profoundly　cut　her　to　the　heart　as　her　last　conspiracy；

that　event；　added　she　with　sadness；　having　caused　her　to　sigh　more

and　to　shed　more　tears　than　the　loss　of　all　her　relations；　so　much

the　more　that　the　Queen　of　Scotland　was　her　near　relative　and　closely

connected　with　the　King　of　France；　and　as；　in　their　remonstrances；

MM。　de　Chateauneuf　and　de　Bellievre　had　brought　forward　several

examples　drawn　from　history；　she　assumed；　in　reply　to　them　on　this

occasion；　the　pedantic　style　which　was　usual　with　her；　and　told　them

that　she　had　seen　and　read　a　great　many　books　in　her　life；　and　a

thousand　more　than　others　of　her　sex　and　her　rank　were　wont　to；　but

that　she　had　never　found　in　them　a　single　example　of　a　deed　like　that

attempted　on　hera　deed　pursued　by　a　relative；　whom　the　king　her

brother　could　not　and　ought　not　to　support　in　her　wickedness；　when　it

was；　on　the　contrary；　his　duty　to　hasten　the　just　punishment　of　it：

then　she　added；　addressing　herself　specially　to　M。　de　Bellievre；　and

coming　down　again　from　the　height　of　her　pride　to　a　gracious

countenance；　that　she　greatly　regretted　he　was　not　deputed　for　a

better　occasion；　that　in　a　few　days　she　would　reply　to　King　Henry　her

brother；　concerning　whose　health　she　was　solicitous；　as　well　as　that

of　the　queen　mother；　who　must　experience　such　great　fatigue　from　the

trouble　she　took　to　restore　peace　to　her　son's　kingdom；　and　then；　not

wishing　to　hear　more；　she　withdrew　into　her　room。



The　envoys　returned　to　London；　where　they　awaited　the　promised　reply；

but　while　they　were　expecting　it　unavailingly；　they　heard　quietly　the

sentence　of　death　given　against　Queen　Mary；　which　decided　them　to

return　to　Richmond　to　make　fresh　remonstrances　to　Queen　Elizabeth。

After　two　or　three　fruitless　journeys；　they　were　at　last；　December

15th；　admitted　for　the　second　time　to　the　royal　presence。



The　queen　did　not　deny　that　the　sentence　had　been　pronounced；　and　as

it　was　easy　to　see　that　she　did　not　intend　in　this　case　to　use　her

right　of　pardon；　M。　de　Bellievre；　judging　that　there　was　nothing　to

be　done；　asked　for　a　safe…conduct　to　return　to　his　king：　Elizabeth

promised　it　to　him　within　two　or　three　days。



On　the　following　Tuesday；　the　17th　of　the　same　month　of　December；

Parliament　as　well　as　the　chief　lords　of　the　realm　were　convoked　at

the　Palace　of　Westminster；　and　there；　in　full　court　and　before　all；

sentence　of　death　was　proclaimed　and　pronounced　against　Mary　Stuart：

then　this　same　sentence；　with　great　display　and　great　solemnity；　was

read　in　the　squares　and　at　the　cross…roads　of　London；　whence　it

spread　throughout　the　kingdom；　and　upon　this　proclamation　the　bells

rang　for　twenty…four　hours；　while　the　strictest　orders　were　given　to

each　of　the　inhabitants　to　light　bonfires　in　front　of　their　houses；

as　is　the　custom　in　France　on　the　Eve　of　St。　John　the　Baptist。



Then；　amid　this　sound　of　bells；　by　the　light　of　these　bonfires；　M。

de　Bellievre；　wishing　to　make　a　last　effort；　in　order　to　have　nothing

with　which　to　reproach　himself；　wrote　the　following　letter　to　Queen

Elizabeth：



〃MADAM：　We　quitted　your　Majesty　yesterday；　expecting；　as　it　had

pleased　you　to　inform　us；　to　receive　in　a　few　days　your　reply

touching　the　prayer　that　we　made　you　on　behalf　of　our　good　master；

your　brother；　for　the　Queen　of　Scotland；　his　sister　in…law　and

confederate；　but　as　this　morning　we　have　been　informed　that　the

judgment　given　against　the　said　queen　has　been　proclaimed　in　London；

although　we　had　promised　ourselves　another　issue　from　your　clemency

and　the　friendship　your　bear　to　the　said　lord　king　your　good　brother；

nevertheless；　to　neglect　no　part　of　our　duty；　and　believing　in　so

doing　to　serve　the　intentions　of　the　king　our　master；　we　have　not

wanted　to　fail　to　write　to　you　this　present　letter；　in　which　we

supplicate　you　once　again；　very　humbly；　not　to　refuse　his　Majesty　the

very　pressing　and　very　affectionate　prayer　that　he　has　made　you；　that

you　will　be　pleased　to　preserve　the　life　of　the　said　lady　Queen　of

Scotland；　which　the　said　lord　king　will　receive　as　the　greatest

pleasure　your　Majesty　could　do　him；　while；　on　the　contrary；　he　could

not　imagine　anything　which　would　cause　him　more　displeasure；　and

which　would　wound　him　more；　than　if　he　were　used　harshly　with　regard

to　the　said　lady　queen；　being　what　she　is　to　him：　and　as；　madam；　the

said　king　our　master；　your　good　brother；　when　for　this　object　he

despatched　us　to　your　Majesty；　had　not　conceived　that　it　was

possible；　in　any　case；　to　determine　so　promptly　upon　such　an

execution；　we　implore　you；　madam；　very　humbly；　before　permitting　it

to　go　further；　to　grant　us　some　time　in　which　we　can　make　known　to

him　the　state　of　the　affairs　of　the　said　Queen　of　Scotland；　in　order

that　before　your　Majesty　takes　a　final　resolution；　you　may　know　what

it　may　please　his　very　Christian　Majesty　to　tell　you　and　point　out　to

you　on　the　greatest　affair　which；　in　our　memory；　has　been　submitted

to　men's　judgment。　　Monsieur　de　Saint…Cyr；　who　will　give　these

presents　to　your　Majesty；　will　bring　us；　if　it　pleases　you；　your　good

reply。



〃London；　this　16th　day　of　December　1586。



〃（Signed）　DE　BELLIEVRE；



〃And　DE　L'AUBESPINE　CHATEAUNEUF。〃





The　same　day；　M。　de　Saint…Cyr　and　the　other　French　lords　returned　to

Richmond　to　take　this　letter；　but　the　queen　would　not　receive　them；

alleging　indisposition；　so　that　they　were　obliged　to　leave　the　letter

with　Walsingham；　her　first　Secretary　of　State；　who　promised　them　to

send　the　queen's　answer　the　following　day。



In　spite　of　this　promise；　the　French　lords　waited　two　days　more：　at

last；　on　the　second　day；　towards　evening；　two　English　gentlemen

sought　out　M。　de　Fellievre　in　London；　and；　viva　voce；　without　any

letter　to　confirm　wha