mary stuart-第51章

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The　queen　rose；　and　as　the　executioner　approached　to　assist　her

disrobe



〃Allow　me；　my　friend；〃　said　she；　I　know　how　to　do　it　better　than　you；

and　am　not　accustomed　to　undress　before　so　many　spectators；　nor　to　be

served

by　such　valets。〃



And　then；　calling　her　two　women；　she　began　to　unpin　her　coiffure；　and

as　Jeanne　Kennedy　and　Elspeth　Curle；　while　performing　this　last

service　for　their　mistress；　could　not　help　weeping　bitterly



〃Do　not　weep；〃　she　said　to　them　in　French；　〃for　I　have　promised　and

answered　for　you。〃



With　these　words；　she　made　the　sign　of　the　cross　upon　the　forehead　of

each；　kissed　them；　and　recommended　them　to　pray　for　her。



Then　the　queen　began　to　undress；　herself　assisting；　as　she　was　wont

to　do　when　preparing　for　bed；　and　taking　the　gold　cross　from　her

neck；　she　wished　to　give　it　to　Jeanne；　saying　to　the　executioner



〃My　friend；　I　know　that　all　I　have　upon　me　belongs　to　you；　but　this

is　not　in　your　way：　let　me　bestow　it；　if　you　please；　on　this　young

lady；　and　she　will　give　you　twice　its　value　in　money。〃



But　the　executioner；　hardly　allowing　her　to　finish；　snatched　it　from

her　hands　with



〃It　is　my　right。〃



The　queen　was　not　moved　much　by　this　brutality；　and　went　on　taking

off　her　garments　until　she　was　simply　in　her　petticoat。



Thus　rid　of　all　her　garb；　she　again　sat　down；　and　Jeanne　Kennedy

approaching　her；　took　from　her　pocket　the　handkerchief　of　gold…

embroidered　cambric　which　she　had　prepared　the　night　before；　and

bound　her　eyes　with　it；　which　the　earls；　lords；　and　gentlemen　looked

upon　with　great　surprise；　it　not　being　customary　in　England；　and　as

she　thought　that　she　was　to　be　beheaded　in　the　French　waythat　is　to

say；　seated　in　the　chairshe　held　herself　upright；　motionless；　and

with　her　neck　stiffened　to　make　it　easier　for　the　executioner；　who；

for　his　part；　not　knowing　how　to　proceed；　was　standing；　without

striking；　axe　in　hand：　at　last　the　man　laid　his　hand　on　the　queen's

head；　and　drawing　her　forward；　made　her　fall　on　her　knees：　Mary　then

understood　what　was　required　of　her；　and　feeling　for　the　block　with

her　hands；　which　were　still　holding　her　book　of　Hours　and　her

crucifix；　she　laid　her　neck　on　it；　her　hands　joined　beneath　her　chin；

that　she　might　pray　till　the　last　moment：　the　executioner's　assistant

drew　them　away；　for　fear　they　should　be　cut　off　with　her　head；　and　as

the　queen　was　saying；　〃In　manes　teas；　Domine；〃　the　executioner　raised

his　axe；　which　was　simply　an　axe　far　chopping　wood；　and　struck　the

first　blow；　which　hit　too　high；　and　piercing　the　skull；　made　the

crucifix　and　the　book　fly　from　the　condemned's　hands　by　its　violence；

but　which　did　not　sever　the　head。　　However；　stunned　with　the　blow；

the　queen　made　no　movement；　which　gave　the　executioner　time　to

redouble　it；　but　still　the　head　did　not　fall；　and　a　third　stroke　was

necessary　to　detach　a　shred　of　flesh　which　held　it　to　the　shoulders。



At　last；　when　the　head　was　quite　severed；　the　executioner　held　it　up

to　show　to　the　assembly；　saying



〃God　save　Queen　Elizabeth！〃



〃So　perish　all　Her　Majesty's　enemies！〃　responded　the　Dean　of

Peterborough。



〃Amen；〃　said　the　Earl　of　Kent；　but　he　was　the　only　one：　no　other

voice　could　respond；　for　all　were　choked　with　sobs。



At　that　moment　the　queen's　headdress　falling；　disclosed　her　hair；　cut

very　short；　and　as　white　as　if　she　had　been　aged　seventy：　as　to　her

face；　it　had　so　changed　during　her　death…agony　that　no　one　would　have

recognised　it　had　he　not　known　it　was　hers。　　The　spectators　cried　out

aloud　at　this　sign；　for；　frightful　to　see；　the　eyes　were　open；　and

the　lids　went　on　moving　as　if　they　would　still　pray；　and　this

muscular　movement　lasted　for　more　than　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after　the

head　had　been　cut　off。



The　queen's　servants　had　rushed　upon　the　scaffold；　picking　up　the

book　of　Hours　and　the　crucifix　as　relics；　and　Jeanne　Kennedy；

remembering　the　little　dog　who　had　come　to　his　mistress；　looked　about

for　him　on　all　sides；　seeking　him　and　calling　him；　but　she　sought　and

called　in　vain。　　He　had　disappeared。



At　that　moment；　as　one　of　the　executioners　was　untying　the　queen's

garters；　which　were　of　blue　satin　embroidered　in　silver；　he　saw　the

poor　little　animal；　which　had　hidden　in　her　petticoat；　and　which　he

was　obliged　to　bring　out　by　force；　then；　having　escaped　from　his

hands；　it　took　refuge　between　the　queen's　shoulders　and　her　head；

which　the　executioner　had　laid　down　near　the　trunk。　　Jeanne　took　him

then；　in　spite　of　his　howls；　and　carried　him　away；　covered　with

blood；　for　everyone　had　just　been　ordered　to　leave　the　hall。

Bourgoin　and　Gervais　stayed　behind；　entreating　Sir　Amyas　Paulet　to

let　them　take　the　queen's　heart；　that　they　might　carry　it　to　France；

as　they　had　promised　her；　but　they　were　harshly　refused　and　pushed

out　of　the　hall；　of　which　all　the　doors　were　closed；　and　there　there

remained　only　the　executioner　and　the　corpse。



Brantome　relates　that　something　infamous　took　place　there！









CHAPTER　X



Two　hours　after　the　execution；　the　body　and　the　head　were　taken　into

the　same　hall　in　which　Mary　Stuart　had　appeared　before　the

commissioners；　set　down　on　a　table　round　which　the　judges　had　sat；

and　covered　over　with　a　black　serge　cloth；　and　there　remained　till

three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　when　Waters　the　doctor　from　Stamford

and　the　surgeon　from　Fotheringay　village　came　to　open　and　embalm

theman　operation　which　they　carried　out　under　the　eyes　of　Amyas

Paulet　and　his　soldiers；　without　any　respect　for　the　rank　and　sex　of

the　poor　corpse；　which　was　thus　exposed　to　the　view　of　anyone　who

wanted　to　see　it：　it　is　true　that　this　indignity　did　not　fulfil　its

proposed　aim；　for　a　rumour　spread　about　that　the　queen　had　swollen

limbs　and　was　dropsical；　while；　on　the　contrary；　there　was　not　one　of

the　spectators　but　was　obliged　to　confess　that　he　had　never　seen　the

body　of　a　young　girl　in　the　bloom　of　health　purer　and　lovelier　than

that　of　Mary　Stuart；　dead　of　a　violent　death　after　nineteen　years　of

suffering　and　captivity。



When　the　body　was　opened；　the　spleen　was　in　its　normal　state；　with

the　veins　a　little　livid　only；　the　lungs　yellowish　in　places；　and　the

brain　one…sixth　larger　than　is　usual　in　persons　of　the　same　age　and

sex；　thus　everything　promised　a　long　life　to　her　whose　end　had　just

been　so　cruelly　hastened。



A　report　having　been　made　of　the　above；　the　body　was　embalmed　after　a

fashion；　put　in　a　leaden　coffin　and　that　in　another　of　wood；　which

was　left　on　the　table　till　the　first　day　of　Augustthat　is；　for

nearly　five　monthsbefore　anyone　was　allowed　to　come　near　it；　and

not　only　that；　but　the　English　having　noticed　that　Mary　Stuart's

unhappy　servants；　who　were　still　detained　as　prisoners；　went　to　look

at　it　through　the　keyhole；　stopped　that　up　in　such　a　way　that　they

could　not　even　gaze　at　the　coffin　enclosing　the　body　of　her　whom　they

had　so　greatly　loved。



However；　one　hour　after　Mary　Stuart's　death；　Henry　Talbot；　who　had

been　present　at　it；　set　out　at　full　speed　for　London；　carrying　to

Elizabeth　the　account　of　her　rival's　death；　but　at　the　very　first

lines　she　read；　Elizabeth；　true　to　her　character；　cried　out　in　grief

and　indignation；　saying　that　her　orders　had　been　misunderstood；　that

there　had　been　too　great　haste；　and　that　all　this　was　the　fault　of

Davison　the　Secretary　of　State；　to　whom　she　had　given　the　warrant　to

keep　till　she　had　made　up　her　mind；　but　not　to　send　to　Fotheringay。

Accordingly；　Davison　was　sent　to　the　Tower　and　condemned　to　pay　a

fine　of　ten　thousand　pounds　sterling；　for　having　deceived　the　queen。

Meanwhile；　amid　all　this　grief；　an　embargo　was　laid　on　all　vessels　in

all　the　ports　of　the　realm；　so　that　the　news　of　the　death　should　not

reach　abroad；　especially　France；　except　through　skilful　emissaries

who　could　place　the　execution　in　the　least　unfavourable　light　for

Elizabeth。　　At　the　same　time　the　scandalous　popular　f