mary stuart-第47章

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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　divided　it　into　portions；　which　she　put　into　purses　with　the　name

of　the　destined　recipient；　in　her　handwriting；　with　the　money。



At　that　moment；　supper　being　served；　she　seated　herself　at　table　with

her　women　as　usual；　the　other　servants　standing　or　coming　and　going；

her　doctor　waiting　on　her　at　table　as　he　was　accustomed　since　her

steward　had　been　taken　from　her。　　She　ate　no　more　nor　less　than

usual；　speaking；　throughout　supper；　of　the　Earl　of　Kent；　and　of　the

way　in　which　he　betrayed　himself　with　respect　to　religion；　by　his

insisting　on　wanting　to　give　the　queen　a　pastor　instead　of　a　priest。

〃Happily；〃　she　added；　laughing；　〃one　more　skilful　than　he　was　needed

to　change　me〃。　　Meanwhile　Bourgoin　was　weeping　behind　the　queen；　for

he　was　thinking　that　he　was　serving　her　for　the　last　time；　and　that

she　who　was　eating；　talking；　and　laughing　thus；　next　day　at　the　same

hour　would　be　but　a　cold　and　insensible　corpse。



When　the　meal　was　over；　the　queen　sent　for　all　her　servants；　then；

before　the　table　was　cleared　of　anything；　she　poured　out　a　cup　of

wine；　rose　and　drank　to　their　health；　asking　them　if　they　would　not

drink　to　her　salvation。　　Then　she　had　a　glass　given　to　each　one：　all

kneeled　down；　and　all；　says　the　account　from　which　we　borrow　these

details；　drank；　mingling　their　tears　with　the　wine；　and　asking　pardon

of　the　queen　for　any　wrongs　they　had　done　her。　　The　queen　granted　it

heartily；　and　asked　them　to　do　as　much　for　her；　and　to　forget　her

impatient　ways；　which　she　begged　them　to　put　down　to　her

imprisonment。　　Then；　having　given　them　a　long　discourse；　in　which　she

explained　to　them　their　duties　to　God；　and　exhorted　them　to　persevere

in　the　Catholic　faith；　she　begged　them；　after　her　death；　to　live

together　in　peace　and　charity；　forgetting　all　the　petty　quarrels　and

disputes　which　they　had　had　among　one　another　in　the　past。



This　speech　ended；　the　queen　rose　from　table；　and　desired　to　go　into

her　wardrobe…room；　to　see　the　clothes　and　jewels　she　wished　to

dispose　of；　but　Bourgoin　observed　that　it　would　be　better　to　have　all

these　separate　objects　brought　into　her　chamber；　that　there　would　be

a　double　advantage　in　this；　she　would　be　less　tired　for　one　thing；

and　the　English　would　not　see　them　for　another。　　This　last　reason

decided　her；　and　while　the　servants　were　supping；　she　had　brought

into　her　ante…room；　first　of　all；　all　her　robes；　and　took　the

inventory　from　her　wardrobe　attendant；　and　began　to　write　in　the

margin　beside　each　item　the　name　of　the　person　it　was　to　be　given　to。

Directly；　and　as　fast　as　she　did　it；　that　person　to　whom　it　was　given

took　it　and　put　it　aside。　　As　for　the　things　which　were　too　personal

to　her　to　be　thus　bestowed；　she　ordered　that　they　should　be　sold；　and

that　the　purchase…money　should　be　used　for　her　servants'　travelling

expenses；　when　they　returned　to　their　own　countries；　well　knowing　how

great　the　cost　would　be　and　that　no　one　would　have　sufficient　means。

This　memorandum　finished；　she　signed　it；　and　gave　it　as　a　discharge

to　her　wardrobe　attendant。



Then；　that　done；　she　went　into　her　room；　where　had　been　brought　her

rings；　her　jewels；　and　her　most　valuable　belongings；　inspected　them

all；　one　after　the　other；　down　to　the　very　least；　and　distributed

them　as　she　had　done　her　robes；　so　that；　present　or　absent；　everyone

had　something。　　Then　she　furthermore　gave；　to　her　most　faithful

people；　the　jewels　she　intended　for　the　king　and　queen　of　France；　for

the　king　her　son；　for　the　queen…mother；　for　Messieurs　de　Guise　and　de

Lorraine；　without　forgetting　in　this　distribution　any　prince　or

princess　among　her　relatives。　　She　desired；　besides；　that　each　should

keep　the　things　then　in　his　care；　giving　her　linen　to　the　young　lady

who　looked　after　it；　her　silk　embroideries　to　her　who　took　charge　of

them；　her　silver　plate　to　her　butler；　and　so　on　with　the　rest。



Then；　as　they　were　asking　her　for　a　discharge；　〃It　is　useless；〃　said

she；　〃you　owe　an　account　to　me　only；　and　to…morrow；　therefore；　you

will　no　longer　owe　it　to　anyone〃；　but；　as　they　pointed　out　that　the

king　her　son　could　claim　from　them；　〃You　are　right；〃　said　she；　and

she　gave　them　what　they　asked。



That　done；　and　having　no　hope　left　of　being　visited　by　her　confessor；

she　wrote　him　this　letter　：



〃I　have　been　tormented　all　this　day　on　account　of　my　religion；　and

urged　to　receive　the　consolations　of　a　heretic：　you　will　learn；

through　Bourgoin　and　the　others；　that　everything　they　could　say　on

this　matter　has　been　useless；　that　I　have　faithfully　made

protestation　of　the　faith　in　which　I　wish　to　die。　　I　requested　that

you　should　be　allowed　to　receive　my　confession　and　to　give　me　the

sacrament；　which　has　been　cruelly　refused；　as　well　as　the　removal　of

my　body；　and　the　power　to　make　my　will　freely；　so　that　I　cannot　write

anything　except　through　their　hands；　and　with　the　good　pleasure　of

their　mistress。　　For　want　of　seeing　you；　then；　I　confess　to　you　my

sins　in　general；　as　I　should　have　done　in　particular；　begging　you；　in

God's　name；　to　watch　and　pray　this　night　with　me；　for　the　remission

of　my　sins；　and　to　send　me　your　absolution　and　forgiveness　for　all

the　wrongs　I　have　done　you。　　I　shall　try　to　see　you　in　their

presence；　as　they　permitted　it　to　my　steward；　and　if　it　is　allowed；

before　all；　and　on　my　knees；　I　shall　ask　your　blessing。　　Send　me　the

best　prayers　you　know　for　this　night　and　for　to…morrow　morning；　for

the　time　is　short；　and　I　have　not　the　leisure　to　write；　but　be　calm；

I　shall　recommend　you　like　the　rest　of　my　servants；　and　your

benefices　above　all　will　be　secured　to　you。　　Farewell；　for　I　have　not

much　more　time。　　Send　to　me　in　writing　everything　you　can　find；　best

for　my　salvation；　in　prayers　and　exhortations；　I　send　you　my　last

little　ring。〃



Directly　she　had　written　this　letter　the　queen　began　to　make　her

will；　and　at　a　stroke；　with　her　pen　running　on　and　almost　without

lifting　it　from　the　paper；　she　wrote　two　large　sheets；　containing

several　paragraphs；　in　which　no　one　was　forgotten；　present　as　absent；

distributing　the　little　she　had　with　scrupulous　fairness；　and　still

more　according　to　need　than　according　to　service。　　The　executors　she

chose　were：　the　Duke　of　Guise；　her　first　cousin；　the　Archbishop　of

Glasgow；　her　ambassador；　the　Bishop　of　Ross；　her　chaplain　in　chief；

and　M。　du　Ruysseau；　her　chancellor；　all　four　certainly　very　worthy　of

the　charge；　the　first　from　his　authority；　the　two　bishops　by　piety

and　conscience；　and　the　last　by　his　knowledge　of　affairs。　　Her　will

finished；　she　wrote　this　letter　to　the　King　of　France：



SIR　MY　BROTHER…IN…LAW；Having；　by　God's　permission　and　for　my　sins；

I　believe；　thrown　myself　into　the　arms　of　this　queen；　my　cousin；

where　I　have　had　much　to　endure　for　more　than　twenty　years；　I　am　by

her　and　by　her　Parliament　finally　condemned　to　death；　and　having

asked　for　my　papers；　taken　from　me；　to　make　my　will；　I　have　not　been

able　to　obtain　anything　to　serve　me；　not　even　permission　to　write　my

last　wishes　freely；　nor　leave　that　after　my　death　my　body　should　be

transported；　as　was　my　dearest　desire；　into　your　kingdom；　where　I　had

had　the　honour　of　being　queen；　your　sister　and　your　ally。　　To…day；

after　dinner；　without　more　respect；　my　sentence　has　been　declared　to

me；　to　be　executed　to…morrow；　like　a　criminal；　at　eight　o'clock　in

the　morning。　　I　have　not　the　leisure　to　give　you　a　full　account　of

what　has　occurred；　but　if　it　please　you　to　believe　my　doctor　and

these　others　my　distressed　servants；　you　will　hear　the　truth；　and

that；　thanks　to　God；　I　despise　death；　which　I　protest　I　receive

innocent　of　every　crime；　even　if　I　were　their　subject；　which　I　never

was。　　But　my　faith　in　the　Catholic　religion　and　my　claims　to　the

crown　of　England　are　the　real　causes　for　my　condemnation；　and　yet

they　will　not　allow