mary stuart-第5章

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When　she　saw　Melville；　she　pretended　to　fly　into　a　passion；　and　even

wanted　to　strike　him；　but　her　anger　calmed　down　by　little　and　little

at　the　ambassador's　compliments；　and　ceased　altogether　when　he

admitted　that　Mary　Stuart　was　not　her　equal。　　But　this　was　not　all：

proud　of　her　triumph；　Elizabeth　desired　also　that　Melville　should　see

her　dance。　　Accordingly；　she　kept　back　her　despatches　for　two　days

that　he　might　be　present　at　a　ball　that　she　was　giving。　　These

despatches；　as　we　have　said；　contained　the　wish　that　Mary　Stuart

should　espouse　Leicester；　but　this　proposal　could　not　be　taken

seriously。　　Leicester；　whose　personal　worth　was　besides　sufficiently

mediocre；　was　of　birth　too　inferior　to　aspire　to　the　hand　of　the

daughter　of　so　many　kings；　thus　Mary　replied　that　such　an　alliance

would　not　become　her。　　Meanwhile；　something　strange　and　tragic　came

to　pass。









CHAPTER　II



Among　the　lords　who　had　followed　Mary　Stuart　to　Scotland　was；　as　we

have　mentioned；　a　young　nobleman　named　Chatelard；　a　true　type　of　the

nobility　of　that　time；　a　nephew　of　Bayard　on　his　mother's　side；　a

poet　and　a　knight；　talented　and　courageous；　and　attached　to　Marshal

Damville；　of　whose　household　he　formed　one。　　Thanks　to　this　high

position；　Chatelard；　throughout　her　stay　in　France；　paid　court　to

Mary　Stuart；　who；　in　the　homage　he　rendered　her　in　verse；　saw　nothing

more　than　those　poetical　declarations　of　gallantry　customary　in　that

age；　and　with　which　she　especially　was　daily　overwhelmed。　　But　it

happened　that　about　the　time　when　Chatelard　was　most　in　love　with　the

queen　she　was　obliged　to　leave　France；　as　we　have　said。　　Then　Marshal

Damville；　who　knew　nothing　of　Chatelard's　passion；　and　who　himself；

encouraged　by　Mary's　kindness；　was　among　the　candidates　to　succeed

Francis　II　as　husband；　set　out　for　Scotland　with　the　poor　exile；

taking　Chatelard　with　him；　and；　not　imagining　he　would　find　a　rival

in　him；　he　made　a　confidant　of　him；　and　left　him　with　Mary　when　he

was　obliged　to　leave　her；　charging　the　young　poet　to　support　with　her

the　interests　of　his　suit。　　This　post　as　confidant　brought　Mary　and

Chatelard　more　together；　and；　as　in　her　capacity　as　poet；　the　queen

treated　him　like　a　brother；　he　made　bold　in　his　passion　to　risk　all

to　obtain　another　title。　　Accordingly；　one　evening　he　got　into　Mary

Stuart's　room；　and　hid　himself　under　the　bed；　but　at　the　moment　when

the　queen　was　beginning　to　undress；　a　little　dog　she　had　began　to

yelp　so　loudly　that　her　women　came　running　at　his　barking；　and；　led

by　this　indication；　perceived　Chatelard。　　A　woman　easily　pardons　a

crime　for　which　too　great　love　is　the　excuse：　Mary　Stuart　was　woman

before　being　queenshe　pardoned。



But　this　kindness　only　increased　Chatelard's　confidence：　he　put　down

the　reprimand　he　had　received　to　the　presence　of　the　queen's　women；

and　supposed　that　if　she　had　been　alone　she　would　have　forgiven　him

still　more　completely；　so　that；　three　weeks　after；　this　same　scene

was　repeated。　　But　this　time；　Chatelard；　discovered　in　a　cupboard；

when　the　queen　was　already　in　bed；　was　placed　under　arrest。



The　moment　was　badly　chosen：　such　a　scandal；　just　when　the　queen　was

about　to　re…marry；　was　fatal　to　Mary；　let　alone　to　Chatelard。　　Murray

took　the　affair　in　hand；　and；　thinking　that　a　public　trial　could

alone　save　his　sister's　reputation；　he　urged　the　prosecution　with

such　vigour；　that　Chatelard；　convicted　of　the　crime　of　lese…majeste；

was　condemned　to　death。　　Mary　entreated　her　brother　that　Chatelard

might　be　sent　back　to　France；　but　Murray　made　her　see　what　terrible

consequences　such　a　use　of　her　right　of　pardon　might　have；　so　that

Mary　was　obliged　to　let　justice　take　its　course：　Chatelard　was　led　to

execution。　　Arrived　on　the　scaffold；　which　was　set　up　before　the

queen's　palace；　Chatelard；　who　had　declined　the　services　of　a　priest；

had　Ronsard's　Ode　on　Death　read；　and　when　the　reading；　which　he

followed　with　evident　pleasure；　was　ended；　he　turnedtowards　the

queen's　windows；　and；　having　cried　out　for　the　last　time；　〃Adieu；

loveliest　and　most　cruel　of　princesses！〃　he　stretched　out　his　neck　to

the　executioner；　without　displaying　any　repentance　or　uttering　any

complaint。　　This　death　made　all　the　more　impression　upon　Mary；　that

she　did　not　dare　to　show　her　sympathy　openly。



Meanwhile　there　was　a　rumour　that　the　queen　of　Scotland　was

consenting　to　a　new　marriage；　and　several　suitors　came　forward；

sprung　from　the　principal　reigning　families　of　Europe：　first；　the

Archduke　Charles；　third　son　of　the　Emperor　of　Germany；　then　the　Duke

of　Anjou；　who　afterwards　became　Henry　III。　　But　to　wed　a　foreign

prince　was　to　give　up　her　claims　to　the　English　crown。　　So　Mary

refused；　and；　making　a　merit　of　this　to　Elizabeth；　she　cast　her　eyes

on　a　relation　of　the　latter's；　Henry　Stuart；　Lord　Darnley；　son　of　the

Earl　of　Lennox。　　Elizabeth；　who　had　nothing　plausible　to　urge　against

this　marriage；　since　the　Queen　of　Scotland　not　only　chose　an

Englishman　for　husband；　but　was　marrying　into　her　own　family；　allowed

the　Earl　of　Lennox　and　his　son　to　go　to　the　Scotch　court；　reserving

it　to　herself；　if　matters　appeared　to　take　a　serious　turn；　to　recall

them　botha　command　which　they　would　be　constrained　to　obey；　since

all　their　property　was　in　England。



Darnley　was　eighteen　years　of　age：　he　was　handsome；　well…made；

elegant；　he　talked　in　that　attractive　manner　of　the　young　nobles　of

the　French　and　English　courts　that　Mary　no　longer　heard　since　her

exile　in　Scotland；　she　let　herself　be　deceived　by　these　appearances；

and　did　not　see　that　under　this　brilliant　exterior　Darnley　hid　utter

insignificance；　dubious　courage；　and　a　fickle　and　churlish　character。

It　is　true　that　he　came　to　her　under　the　auspices　of　a　man　whose

influence　was　as　striking　as　the　risen　fortune　which　gave　him　the

opportunity　to　exert　it。　　We　refer　to　David　Rizzio。



David　Rizzio；　who　played　such　a　great　part　in　the　life　of　Mary

Stuart；　whose　strange　favour　for　him　has　given　her　enemies；　probably

without　any　cause；　such　cruel　weapons　against　her；　was　the　son　of　a

Turin　musician　burdened　with　a　numerous　family；　who；　recognising　in

him　a　pronounced　musical　taste；　had　him　instructed　in　the　first

principles　of　the　art。　　At　the　age　of　fifteen　he　had　left　his

father's　house　and　had　gone　on　foot　to　Nice；　where　the　Duke　of　Savoy

held　his　court；　there　he　entered　the　service　of　the　Duke　of　Moreto；

and　this　lord　having　been　appointed；　some　years　afterwards；　to　the

Scottish　embassy；　Rizzio　followed　him　to　Scotland。　　As　this　young　man

had　a　very　fine　voice；　and　accompanied　on　the　viol　and　fiddle　songs

of　which　both　the　airs　and　the　words　were　of　his　own　composition；　the

ambassador　spoke　of　him　to　Mary；　who　wished　to　see　him。　　Rizzio；　full

of　confidence　in　himself；　and　seeing　in　the　queen's　desire　a　road　to

success；　hastened　to　obey　her　command；　sang　before　her；　and　pleased

her。　　She　begged　him　then　of　Moreto；　making　no　more　of　it　than　if　she

had　asked　of　him　a　thoroughbred　dog　or　a　well…trained　falcon。　　Moreta

presented　him　to　her；　delighted　at　finding　such　an　opportunity　to　pay

his　court；　but　scarcely　was　Rizzio　in　her　service　than　Mary

discovered　that　music　was　the　least　of　his　gifts；　that　he　possessed；

besides　that；　education　if　not　profound　at　least　varied；　a　supple

mind；　a　lively　imagination；　gentle　ways；　and　at　the　same　time　much

boldness　and　presumption。　　He　reminded　her　of　those　Italian　artists

whom　she　had　seen　at　the　French　court；　and　spoke　to　her　the　tongue　of

Marot　and　Ronsard；　whose　most　beautiful　poems　he　knew　by　heart：　this

was　more　than　enough　to　please　Mary　Stuart。　　In　a　short　time　he

became　her　favourite；　and　meanwhile　the　place　of　secretary　for　the

French　despatches　falling　vacant；　Rizzio　was　provided　for　with　it。



Darnley；　who　wished　to　succeed　at　all　costs；　enlisted　Rizzio　in　his

interests；　unconscious　that　he　had　no　need　of　this　support；　and　as；

on　her　side；　Mary；　who　had　fallen　in