mary stuart-第43章

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

had　just　been　pronounced　and　the　death　which　must　soon　follow；　but　to

accuse　M。　de　Chateauneuf　of　having　taken　part　in　a　plot　of　which　the

discovery　alone　had　been　able　to　decide　her　to　consent　to　the　death

of　the　（queen　of　Scotland；　certain　as　she　was　by　experience；　that　so

long　as　her　enemy　lived　her　existence　would　be　hourly　threatened。



On　the　same　day；　Elizabeth　made　haste　to　spread；　not　only　in　London；

but　also　throughout　England；　the　rumour　of　the　fresh　danger　from

which　she　had　just　escaped；　so　that；　when；　two　days　after　the

departure　of　the　French　envoys；　the　Scottish　ambassadors；　who；　as　one

sees；　had　not　used　much　speed；　arrived；　the　queen　answered　them　that

their　request　came　unseasonably；　at　a　time　when　she　had　just　had

proof　that；　so　long　as　Mary　Stuart　existed；　her　own　（Elizabeth's）

life　was　in　danger。　　Robert　Melville　wished　to　reply　to　this；　but

Elizabeth　flew　into　a　passion；　saying　that　it　was　he；　Melville；　who

had　given　the　King　of　Scotland　the　bad　advice　to　intercede　for　his

mother；　and　that　if　she　had　such　an　adviser　she　would　have　him

beheaded。　　To　which　Melville　answered



〃That　at　the　risk　of　his　life　he　would　never　spare　his　master　good

advice；　and　that；　on　the　contrary；　he　who　would　counsel　a　son　to　let

his　mother　perish；　would　deserve　to　be　beheaded。〃



Upon　this　reply；　Elizabeth　ordered　the　Scotch　envoys　to　withdrew；

telling　them　that　she　would　let　them　have　her　answer。



Three　or　four　days　passed；　and　as　they　heard　nothing　further；　they

asked　again　for　a　parting　audience　to　hear　the　last　resolve　of　her　to

whom　they　were　sent：　the　queen　then　decided　to　grant　it；　and　all

passed；　as　with　M。　de　Bellievre；　in　recriminations　and　complaints。

Finally；　Elizabeth　asked　them　what　guarantee　they　would　give　for　her

life　in　the　event　of　her　consenting　to　pardon　the　Queen　of　Scotland。

The　envoys　responded　that　they　were　authorised　to　make　pledges　in　the

name　of　the　King　of　Scotland；　their　master；　and　all　the　lords　of　his

realm；　that　Mary　Stuart　should　renounce　in　favour　of　her　son　all　her

claims　upon　the　English　crown；　and　that　she　should　give　as　security

for　this　undertaking　the　King　of　France；　and　all　the　princes　and

lords；　his　relations　and　friends。



To　this　answer；　the　queen；　without　her　usual　presence　of　mind；　cried；

〃What　are　you　saying；　Melville？　　That　would　be　to　arm　my　enemy　with

two　claims；　while　he　has　only　one〃。



〃Does　your　Majesty　then　regard　the　king；　my　master；　as　your　enemy？〃

replied　Melville。　　〃He　believed　himself　happier；　madam；　and　thought

he　was　your　ally。〃



〃No；　no；〃　Elizabeth　said；　blushing；　〃it　is　a　way　of　speaking：　and　if

you　find　a　means　of　reconciling　everything；　gentlemen；　to　prove　to

you；　on　the　contrary；　that　I　regard　King　James　VI　as　my　good　and

faithful　ally；　I　am　quite　ready　to　incline　to　mercy。　　Seek；　then；　on

your　side〃　added　she；　〃while　I　seek　on　mine。〃



With　these　words；　she　went　out　of　the　room；　and　the　ambassadors

retired；　with　the　light　of　the　hope　of　which　she　had　just　let　them

catch　a　glimpse。



The　same　evening；　a　gentleman　at　the　court　sought　out　the　Master　of

Gray；　the　head　of　the　Embassy；　as　if　to　pay　him　a　civil　visit；　and

while　conversing　said　to　him；　〃That　it　was　very　difficult　to

reconcile　the　safety　of　Queen　Elizabeth　with　the　life　of　her

prisoner；　that　besides；　if　the　Queen　of　Scotland　were　pardoned；　and

she　or　her　son　ever　came　to　the　English　throne；　there　would　be　no

security　for　the　lords　commissioners　who　had　voted　her　death；　that

there　was　then　only　one　way　of　arranging　everything；　that　the　King　of

Scotland　should　himself　give　up　his　claims　to　the　kingdom　of　England；

that　otherwise；　according　to　him；　there　was　no　security　for　Elizabeth

in　saving　the　life　of　the　Scottish　queen〃。　　The　Master　of　Gray　then；

looking　at　him　fixedly；　asked　him　if　his　sovereign　had　charged　him　to

come　to　him　with　this　talk。　　But　the　gentleman　denied　it；　saying　that

all　this　was　on　his　own　account　and　in　the　way　of　opinion。



Elizabeth　received　the　envoys　from　Scotland　once　more；　and　then　told

them



〃That　after　having　well　considered；　she　had　found　no　way　of　saving

the　life　of　the　Queen　of　Scotland　while　securing　her　own；　that

accordingly　she　could　not　grant　it　to　them〃。　　To　this　declaration；

the　Master　of　Gray　replied：　〃That　since　it　was　thus；　he　was；　in　this

case；　ordered　by　his　master　to　say　that　they　protested　in　the　name　of

King　James　that　all　that　had　been　done　against　his　mother　was　of　no

account；　seeing　that　Queen　Elizabeth　had　no　authority　over　a　queen；

as　she　was　her　equal　in　rank　and　birth；　that　accordingly　they

declared　that　immediately　after　their　return；　and　when　their　master

should　know　the　result　of　their　mission；　he　would　assemble　his

Parliament　and　send　messengers　to　all　the　Christian　princes；　to　take

counsel　with　them　as　to　what　could　be　done　to　avenge　her　whom　they

could　not　save。〃



Then　Elizabeth　again　flew　into　a　passion；　saying　that　they　had

certainly　not　received　from　their　king　a　mission　to　speak　to　her　in

such　a　way；　but　they　thereupon　offered　to　give　her　this　protest　in

writing　under　their　signatures；　to　which　Elizabeth　replied　that　she

would　send　an　ambassador　to　arrange　all　that　with　her　good　friend　and

ally；　the　King　of　Scotland。　　But　the　envoys　then　said　that　their

master　would　not　listen　to　anyone　before　their　return。　　Upon　which

Elizabeth　begged　them　not　to　go　away　at　once；　because　she　had　not　yet

come　to　her　final　decision　upon　this　matter。　　On　the　evening

following　this　audience；　Lord　Hingley　having　come　to　see　the　Master

of　Gray；　and　having　seemed　to　notice　some　handsome　pistols　which　came

from　Italy；　Gray；　directly　he　had　gone；　asked　this　nobleman's　cousin

to　take　them　to　him　as　a　gift　from　him。　　Delighted　with　this　pleasant

commission；　the　young　man　wished　to　perform　it　the　same　evening；　and

went　to　the　queen's　palace；　where　his　relative　was　staying；　to　give

him　the　present　which　he　had　been　told　to　take　to　him。　　But　hardly

had　he　passed　through　a　few　rooms　than　he　was　arrested；　searched；　and

the　arms　he　was　taking　were　found　upon　him。　　Although　these　were　not

loaded；　he　was　immediately　arrested；　only　he　was　not　taken　to　the

Tower；　but　kept　a　prisoner　in　his　own　room。



Next　day　there　was　a　rumour　that　the　Scotch　ambassadors　had　wanted　to

assassinate　the　queen　in　their　turn；　and　that　pistols；　given　by　the

Master　of　Gray　himself；　had　been　found　on　the　assassin。



This　bad　faith　could　not　but　open　the　envoys'　eyes。　　Convinced　at

last　that　they　could　do　nothing　for　poor　Mary　Stuart；　they　left　her

to　her　fate；　and　set　out　next　day　for　Scotland。



Scarcely　were　they　gone　than　Elizabeth　sent　her　secretary；　Davison；

to　Sir　Amyas　Paulet。　　He　was　instructed　to　sound　him　again　with

regard　to　the　prisoner；　afraid；　in　spite　of　herself；　of　a　public

execution；　the　queen　had　reverted　to　her　former　ideas　of　poisoning　or

assassination；　but　Sir　Amyas　Paulet　declared　that　he　would　let　no　one

have　access　to　Mary　but　the　executioner；　who　must　in　addition　be　the

bearer　of　a　warrant　perfectly　in　order；　Davison　reported　this　answer

to　Elizabeth；　who；　while　listening　to　him；　stamped　her　foot　several

times；　and　when　he　had　finished；　unable　to　control　herself；　cried；

〃God's　death！　there's　a　dainty　fellow；　always　talking　of　his　fidelity

and　not　knowing　how　to　prove　it！〃



Elizabeth　was　then　obliged　to　make　up　her　mind。　　She　asked　Davison

for　the　warrant；　he　gave　it　to　her；　and；　forgetting　that　she　was　the

daughter　of　a　queen　who　had　died　on　the　scaffold；　she　signed　it

without　any　trace　of　emotion；　then；　having　affixed　to　it　the　great

seal　of　England；　〃Go；〃　said　she；　laughing；　〃tell　Walsingham　that　all

is　ended　for　Queen　Mary；　but　tell　him　with　precautions；　for；　as　he　is

ill；　I　am　afraid　he　will　die　of　grief　when　he　hears　it。〃



The　jest　was　the　more　atrocious　in　that　Walsingham　was　known　to　be

the　Queen　of　Scot