mary stuart-第46章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



will　prepare　you　for　your　salvation；　which　you　risk　to　our　great

grief　and　that　of　our　august　queen；　by　all　the　papistical　follies；

abominations；　and　childish　nonsense　which　keep　Catholics　away　from

the　holy　word　of　God　and　the　knowledge　of　the　truth。〃



〃You　mistake；　my　lord；〃　replied　the　queen　gently；　〃if　you　have

believed　that　I　have　grown　up　careless　in　the　faith　of　my　fathers；

and　without　seriously　occupying　myself　with　a　matter　so　important　as

religion。　　I　have；　on　the　contrary；　spent　my　life　with　learned　and

wise　men　who　taught　me　what　one　must　learn　on　this　subject；　and　I

have　sustained　myself　by　reading　their　works；　since　the　means　of

hearing　them　has　been　taken　from　me。　　Besides；　never　having　doubted

in　my　lifetime；　doubt　is　not　likely　to　seize　me　in　my　death…hour。

And　there　is　the　Earl　of　Shrewsbury；　here　present；　who　will　tell　you

that；　since　my　arrival　in　England；　I　have；　for　an　entire　Lent；　of

which　I　repent；　heard　your　wisest　doctors；　without　their　arguments

having　made　any　impression　on　my　mind。　　It　will　be　useless；　then；　my

lord；〃　she　added；　smiling；　〃to　summon　to　one　so　hardened　as　I　the

Dean　of　Peterborough；　learned　as　he　is。　　The　only　thing　I　ask　you　in

exchange；　my　lord；　and　for　which　I　shall　be　grateful　to　you　beyond

expression；　is　that　you　will　send　me　my　almoner；　whom　you　keep　shut

up　in　this　house；　to　console　me　and　prepare　me　for　death；　or；　in　his

stead；　another　priest；　be　he　who　he　may；　if　only　a　poor　priest　from　a

poor　village；　I　being　no　harder　to　please　than　God；　and　not　asking

that　he　have　knowledge；　provided　that　he　has　faith。〃



〃It　is　with　regret；　madam；〃　replied　the　Earl　of　Kent；　〃that　I　find

myself　obliged　to　refuse　your　Grace's；　request；　but　it　would　be

contrary　to　our　religion　and　our　conscience；　and　we　should　be

culpable　in　doing　it；　this　is　why　we　again　offer　you　the　venerable

Dean　of　Peterborough；　certain　that　your　Grace　will　find　more

consolation　and　content　in　him　than　in　any　bishop；　priest；　or　vicar

of　the　Catholic　faith。〃



〃Thank　you；　my　lord；〃　said　the　queen　again；　〃but　I　have　nothing　to…do

with　him；　and　as　I　have　a　conscience　free　of　the　crime　for　which　I　am

about　to　die；　with　God's　help；　martyrdom　will　take　the　place　of

confession　for　me。　　And　now；　I　will　remind　you；　my　lord；　of　what　you

told　me　yourself；　that　I　have　but　a　few　hours　to　live；　and　these　few

hours；　to　profit　me；　should　be　passed　in　prayer　and　meditation；　and

not　in　idle　disputes。〃



With　these　words；　she　rose；　and；　bowing　to　the　earls；　Sir　Robert

Beale；　Amyas；　and　Drury；　she　indictated；　by　a　gesture　full　of

dignity；　that　she　wished　to　be　alone　and　in　peace；　then；　as　they

prepared　to　go　out



〃Apropos；　my　lords；〃　said　she；　〃for　what　o'clock　should　I　make　ready

to　die？〃



〃For　eight　o'clock　to…morrow；　madam；〃　answered　the　Earl　of

Shrewsbury；　stammering。



〃It　is　well；〃　said　Mary；　〃but　have　you　not　some　reply　to　make　me；

from　my　sister　Elizabeth；　relative　to　a　letter　which　I　wrote　to　her

about　a　month　ago？〃



〃And　of　what　did　this　letter　treat；　if　it　please　you；　madam？　　〃asked

the　Earl　of　Kent。



〃Of　my　burial　and　my　funeral　ceremony；　my　lord：　I　asked　to　be

interred　in　France；　in　the　cathedral　church　of　Rheims；　near　the　late

queen　my　mother。〃



〃That　may　not　be；　madam；〃　replied　the　Earl　of　Kent；　〃but　do　not

trouble　yourself　as　to　all　these　details：　the　queen；　my　august

mistress；　will　provide　for　them　as　is　suitable。　　Has　your　grace

anything　else　to　ask　us？〃



〃I　would　also　like　to　know；〃　said　Mary；　〃if　my　servants　will　be

allowed　to　return；　each　to　his　own　country；　with　the　little　that　I

can　give　him；　which　will　hardly　be　enough；　in　any　case；　for　the　long

service　they　have　done　me；　and　the　long　imprisonment　they　have　borne

on　my　account。〃



〃We　have　no　instructions　on　that　head；　madam；〃　the　Earl　of　Kent　said；

〃but　we　think　that　an　order　will　be　given　for　this　as　for　the　other

things；　in　accordance　with　your　wishes。　　Is　this　all　that　your　Grace

has　to　say　to　us？〃



〃Yes；　my　lord；〃　replied　the　queen；　bowing　a　second　time；　〃and　now　you

may　withdraw。〃



〃One　moment；　my　lords；　in　Heaven's　name；　one　moment！〃　cried　the　old

physician；　coming　forward　and　throwing　himself　on　his　knees　before

the　two　earls。



〃What　do　you　want？〃　asked　Lord　Shrewsbury。



〃To　point　out　to　you；　my　lords；〃　replied　the　aged　Bourgoin；　weeping；

〃that　you　have　granted　the　queen　but　a　very　short　time　for　such　an

important　matter　as　this　of　her　life。　　Reflect；　my　lords；　what　rank

and　degree　she　whom　you　have　condemned　has　held　among　the　princes　of

this　earth；　and　consider　if　it　is　well　and　seemly　to　treat　her　as　an

ordinary　condemned　person　of　middling　estate。　　And　if　not　for　the

sake　of　this　noble　queen；　my　lords；　do　this　for　the　sake　of　us　her

poor　servants；　who；　having　had　the　honour　of　living　near　her　so　long；

cannot　thus　part　from　her　so　quickly　and　without　preparation。

Besides；　my　lords；　think　of　it；　a　woman　of　her　state　and　position

ought　to　have　some　time　in　which　to　set　in　order　her　last　affairs。

And　what　will　become　of　her；　and　of　us；　if　before　dying；　our　mistress

has　not　time　to　regulate　her　jointure　and　her　accounts　and　to　put　in

order　her　papers　and　her　title…deeds？　　She　has　services　to　reward　and

offices　of　piety　to　perform。　　She　should　not　neglect　the　one　or　the

other。　　Besides；　we　know　that　she　will　only　concern　herself　with　us；

and；　through　this；　my　lords；　neglect　her　own　salvation。　　Grant　her；

then；　a　few　more　days；　my　lords；　and　as　our　mistress　is　too　proud　to

ask　of　you　such　a　favour；　I　ask　you　in　all　our　names；　and　implore　you

not　to　refuse　to　poor　servants　a　request　which　your　august　queen

would　certainly　not　refuse　them；　if　they　had　the　good　fortune　to　be

able　to　lay　it　at　her　feet。〃



〃Is　it　then　true；　madam；〃　Sir　Robert　Beale　asked；　〃that　you　have　not

yet　made　a　will？〃



〃I　have　not；　sir；〃　the　queen　answered。



〃In　that　case；　my　lords；〃　said　Sir　Robert　Beale；　turning　to　the　two

earls；　〃perhaps　it　would　be　a　good　thing　to　put　it　off　for　a　day　or

two。〃



〃Impossible；　sir；〃　replied　the　Earl　of　Shrewsbury：　〃the　time　is

fixed；　and　we　cannot　change　anything；　even　by　a　minute；　now。〃



〃Enough；　Bourgoin；　enough；〃　said　the　queen；　〃rise；　I　command　you。〃



Bourgoin　obeyed；　and　the　Earl　of　Shrewsbury；　turning　to　Sir　Amyas

Paulet；　who　was　behind　him



〃Sir　Amyas；〃　said　he；　〃we　entrust　this　lady　to　your　keeping：　you　will

charge　yourself　with　her；　and　keep　her　safe　till　our　return。〃



With　these　words　he　went　out；　followed　by　the　Earl　of　Kent；　Sir

Robert　Beale；　Amyas　Paulet；　and　Drury；　and　the　queen　remained　alone

with　her　servants。



Then；　turning　to　her　women　with　as　serene　a　countenance　as　if　the

event　which　had　just　taken　place　was　of　little　importance



〃Well；　Jeanne；〃　said　she；　speaking　to　Kennedy；　〃have　I　not　always

told　you；　and　was　I　not　right；　that　at　the　bottom　of　their　hearts

they　wanted　to　do　this？　and　did　I　not　see　clearly　through　all　their

procedure　the　end　they　had　in　view；　and　know　well　enough　that　I　was

too　great　an　obstacle　to　their　false　religion　to　be　allowed　to　live？

Come；〃　continued　she；　〃hasten　supper　now；　that　I　may　put　my　affairs

in　order〃。　　Then；　seeing　that　instead　of　obeying　her；　her　servants

were　weeping　and　lamenting；　〃My　children；〃　said　she；　with　a　sad

smile；　but　without　a　tear　in　her　eye；　〃it　is　no　time　for　weeping；

quite　the　contrary；　for　if　you　love　me；　you　ought　to　rejoice　that　the

Lord；　in　making　me　die　for　His　cause；　relieves　me　from　the　torments　I

have　endured　for　nineteen　years。　　As　for　me；　I　thank　Him　for　allowing

me　to　die　for　the　glory　of　His　faith　and　His　Church。　　Let　each　have

patience；　then；　and　while　the　men　prepare　supper；　we　women　will　pray

to　God。〃



The　men　immediately　went　out；　weeping　and　sobbing；　and　the　queen　and

her　women　fell　on　their　knees。　　When　they　had　recited　some　prayers；

Mary　rose；　and　sending　for　all　the　money　she　had　left；　she　counted　it

and　divide