mary stuart-第42章

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

letter　to　confirm　what　they　were　charged　to　say；　announced　to　him；　on

behalf　of　their　queen；　that　in　reply　to　the　letter　that　they　had

written　her；　and　to　do　justice　to　the　desire　they　had　shown　to　obtain

for　the　condemned　a　reprieve　during　which　they　would　make　known　the

decision　to　the　King　of　France；　her　Majesty　would　grant　twelve　days。

As　this　was　Elizabeth's　last　word；　and　it　was　useless　to　lose　time　in

pressing　her　further；　M。　de　Genlis　was　immediately　despatched　to　his

Majesty　the　King　of　France；　to　whom；　besides　the　long　despatch　of　M。

de　Chateauneuf　and　de　Bellievre　which　he　was　charged　to　remit；　he　was

to　say　'viva　voce'　what　he　had　seen　and　heard　relative　to　the　affairs

of　Queen　Mary　during　the　whole　time　he　had　been　in　England。



Henry　III　responded　immediately　with　a　letter　containing　fresh

instructions　for　MM。　de　Chateauneuf　and　de　Bellievre；　but　in　spite　of

all　the　haste　M。　de　Genlis　could　make；　he　did　not　reach　London　till


the　fourteenth　daythat　is　to　say；　forty…eight　hours　after　the

expiration　of　the　delay　granted；　nevertheless；　as　the　sentence　had

not　yet　been　put　into　execution；　MM。　de　Bellievre　and　de　Chateauneuf

set　out　at　once　for　Greenwich　Castle；　some　miles　from　London；　where

the　queen　was　keeping　Christmas；　to　beg　her　to　grant　them　an

audience；　in　which　they　could　transmit　to　her　Majesty　their　king's

reply；　but　they　could　obtain　nothing　for　four　or　five　days；　however；

as　they　were　not　disheartened；　and　returned　unceasingly　to　the

charge；　January　6th；　MM。　de　Bellievre　and　de　Chateauneuf　were　at　last

sent　for　by　the　queen。



As　on　the　first　occasion；　they　were　introduced　with　all　the

ceremonial　in　use　at　that　time；　and　found　Elizabeth　in　an　audience…

chamber。　　The　ambassadors　approached　her；　greeted　her；　and　M。　de

Bellievre　began　to　address　to　her　with　respect；　but　at　the　same　time

with　firmness；　his　master's　remonstrances。　　Elizabeth　listened　to

them　with　an　impatient　air；　fidgeting　in　her　seat；　then　at　last；

unable　to　control　herself；　she　burst　out；　rising　and　growing　red　with

anger



〃M。　de　Bellievre；〃　said　she；　〃are　you　really　charged　by　the　king；　my

brother；　to　speak　to　me　in　such　a　way？〃



〃Yes；　madam；〃　replied　M。　　de　Bellievre；　bowing；　〃I　am　expressly

commanded　to　do　so。〃



〃And　have　you　this　command　under　his　hand？〃　　continued　Elizabeth。



〃Yes；　madam；〃　returned　the　ambassador　with　the　same　calmness；　〃and

the　king；　my　master；　your　good　brother；　has　expressly　charged　me；　in

letters　signed　by　his　own　hand；　to　make　to　your　Majesty　the

remonstrances　which　I　have　had　the　honour　to　address　to　you。〃



〃Well；〃　cried　Elizabeth；　no　longer　containing　herself；　〃I　demand　of

you　a　copy　of　that　letter；　signed　by　you；　and　reflect　that　you　will

answer　for　each　word　that　you　take　away　or　add。〃



〃Madam；〃　answered　M。　de　Bellievre；　〃it　is　not　the　custom　of　the　kings

of　France；　or　of　their　agents；　to　forge　letters　or　documents；　you

will　have　the　copies　you　require　to…morrow　morning；　and　I　pledge

their　accuracy　on　my　honour。〃



〃Enough；　sir；　enough！〃　said　the　queen；　and　signing　to　everyone　in　the

room　to　go　out；　she　remained　nearly　an　hour　with　MM。　de　Chateauneuf

and　de　Bellievre。　　No　one　knows　what　passed　in　that　interview；　except

that　the　queen　promised　to　send　an　ambassador　to　the　King　of　France；

who；　she　promised；　would　be　in　Paris；　if　not　before；　at　least　at　the

same　time　as　M。　de　Bellievre；　and　would　be　the　bearer　of　her　final

resolve　as　to　the　affairs　of　the　Queen　of　Scotland；　Elizabeth　then

withdrew；　giving　the　French　envoys　to　understand　that　any　fresh

attempt　they　might　make　to　see　her　would　be　useless。



On　the　13th　of　January　the　ambassadors　received　their　passports；　and

at　the　same　time　notice　that　a　vessel　of　the　queen's　was　awaiting

them　at　Dover。



The　very　day　of　their　departure　a　strange　incident　occurred。　　A

gentleman　named　Stafford；　a　brother　of　Elizabeth's　ambassador　to　the

King　of　France；　presented　himself　at　M。　de　Trappes's；　one　of　the

officials　in　the　French　chancellery；　telling　him　that　he　was

acquainted　with　a　prisoner　for　debt　who　had　a　matter　of　the　utmost

importance　to　communicate　to　him；　and　that　he　might　pay　the　greater

attention　to　it；　he　told　him　that　this　matter　was　connected　with

the　service　of　the　King　of　France；　and　concerned　the　affairs　of　Queen

Mary　of　Scotland。　　　M。　de　Trappes；　although　mistrusting　this　overture

from　the　first；　did　not　want；　in　case　his　suspicions　deceived　him；　to

have　to　reproach　himself　for　any　neglect　on　such　a　pressing　occasion。

He　repaired；　then；　with；　Mr。　Stafford　to　the　prison；　where　he　who

wished　to　converse　with　him　was　detained。　　When　he　was　with　him；　the

prisoner　told　him　that　he　was　locked　up　for　a　debt　of　only　twenty

crowns；　and　that　his　desire　to　be　at　liberty　was　so　great　that　if

M。　de　Chateauneuf　would　pay　that　sum　for　him　he　would　undertake　to

deliver　the　Queen　of　Scotland　from　her　danger；　by　stabbing　Elizabeth：

to　this　proposal；　M。　de　Trappes；　who　saw　the　pitfall　laid　for　the

French　ambassador；　was　greatly　astonished；　and　said　that　he　was

certain　that　M。　de　Chateauneuf　would　consider　as　very　evil　every

enterprise　having　as　its　aim　to　threaten　in　any　way　the　life　of　Queen

Elizabeth　or　the　peace　of　the　realm；　then；　not　desiring　to　hear　more；

he　returned　to　M。　de　Chateauneuf　and　related　to　him　what　had　just

happened。　　M。　de　Chateauneuf；　who　perceived　the　real　cause　of　this

overture；　immediately　said　to　Mr。　Stafford　that　he　thought　it　strange

that　a　gentleman　like　himself　should　undertake　with　another　gentleman

such　treachery；　and　requested　him　to　leave　the　Embassy　at　once；　and

never　to　set　foot　there　again。　　Then　Stafford　withdrew；　and；

appearing　to　think　himself　a　lost　man；　he　implored　M。　de　Trappes　to

allow　him　to　cross　the　Channel　with　him　and　the　French　envoys。　　M。

de　Trappes　referred　him　to　M。　de　Chateauneuf；　who　answered　Mr。

Stafford　directly　that　he　had　not　only　forbidden　him　his　house；　but

also　all　relations　with　any　person　from　the　Embassy；　that　he　must

thus　very　well　see　that　his　request　could　not　be　granted；　he　added

that　if　he　were　not　restrained　by　the　consideration　he　desired　to

keep　for　his　brother；　the　Earl　of　Stafford；　his　colleague；　he　would

at　once　denounce　his　treason　to　Elizabeth。　　The　same　day　Stafford　was

arrested。



After　this　conference；　M。　de　Trappes　set　out　to　rejoin　his　travelling

companions；　who　were　some　hours　in　advance　of　him；　when；　on　reaching

Dover　he　was　arrested　in　his　turn　and　brought　hack　to　prison　in

London。　　Interrogated　the　same　day；　M。　　de　Trappes　frankly　related

what　had　passed；　appealing　to　M。　　de　Chateauneuf　as　to　the　truth　of

what　he　said。



The　day　following　there　was　a　second　interrogatory；　and　great　was　his

amazement　when；　on　requesting　that　the　one　of　the　day　before　should

be　shown　him；　he　was　merely　shown；　according　to　custom　in　English

law；　counterfeit　copies；　in　which　were　avowals　compromising　him　as

well　as　M。　de　Chateauneuf　：　he　objected　and　protested；　refused　to

answer　or　to　sign　anything　further；　and　was　taken　back　to　the　Tower

with　redoubled　precaution；　the　object　of　which　was　the　appearance　of

an　important　accusation。



Next　day；　M。　de　Chateauneuf　was　summoned　before　the　queen；　and　there

confronted　with　Stafford；　who　impudently　maintained　that　he　had

treated　of　a　plot　with　M。　de　Trappes　and　a　certain　prisoner　for　debt

a　plot　which　aimed　at　nothing　less　than　endangering　the　queen's

life。　　M。　de　Chateauneuf　defended　himself　with　the　warmth　of

indignation；　but　Elizabeth　had　too　great　an　interest　in　being

unconvinced　even　to　attend　to　the　evidence。　　She　then　said　to　M。　de

Chateauneuf　that　his　character　of　ambassador　alone　prevented　her

having　him　arrested　like　his　accomplice　M。　de　Trappes　；　and

immediately　despatching；　as　she　had　promised；　an　ambassador　to　King

Henry　III；　she　charged　him　not　to　excuse　her　for　the　sentence　which

had　just　bee