mary stuart-第52章

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who　could　place　the　execution　in　the　least　unfavourable　light　for

Elizabeth。　　At　the　same　time　the　scandalous　popular　festivities　which

had　marked　the　announcement　of　the　sentence　again　celebrated　the

tidings　of　the　execution。　　London　was　illuminated；　bonfires　lit；　and

the　enthusiasm　was　such　that　the　French　Embassy　was　broken　into　and

wood　taken　to　revive　the　fires　when　they　began　to　die　down。



Crestfallen　at　this　event；　M。　de　Chateauneuf　was　still　shut　up　at　the

Embassy；　when；　a　fortnight　later；　he　received　an　invitation　from

Elizabeth　to　visit　her　at　the　country　house　of　the　Archbishop　of

Canterbury。　　M。　de　Chateauneuf　went　thither　with　the　firm　resolve　to

say　no　word　to　her　on　what　had　happened；　but　as　soon　as　she　saw　him；

Elizabeth；　dressed　in　black；　rose；　went　to　him；　and；　overwhelming　him

with　kind　attentions；　told　him　that　she　was　ready　to　place　all　the

strength　of　her　kingdom　at　Henry　III's　disposal　to　help　him　put　down

the　League。　　Chateauneuf　received　all　these　offers　with　a　cold　and

severe　expression；　without　saying；　as　he　had　promised　himself；　a

single　word　about　the　event　which　had　put　both　the　queen　and　himself

into　mourning。　　But；　taking　him　by　the　hand；　she　drew　him　aside；　and

there；　with　deep　sighs；　said



〃Ah！　sir；　since　I　saw　you　the　greatest　misfortune　which　could　befall

me　has　happened：　I　mean　the　death　of　my　good　sister；　the　Queen　of

Scotland；　of　which　I　swear　by　God　Himself；　my　soul　and　my　salvation；

that　I　am　perfectly　innocent。　　I　had　signed　the　order；　it　is　true；

but　my　counsellors　have　played　me　a　trick　for　which　I　cannot　calm

myself；　and　I　swear　to　God　that　if　it　were　not　for　their　long　service

I　would　have　them　beheaded。　　I　have　a　woman's　frame；　sir；　but　in　this

woman's　frame　beats　a　man's　heart。〃



Chateauneuf　bowed　without　a　response；　but　his　letter　to　Henry　III　and

Henry's　answer　prove　that　neither　the　one　nor　the　other　was　the　dupe

of　this　female　Tiberius。



Meanwhile；　as　we　have　said；　the　unfortunate　servants　were　prisoners；

and　the　poor　body　was　in　that　great　hall　waiting　for　a　royal

interment。　　Things　remained　thus；　Elizabeth　said；　to　give　her　time　to

order　a　splendid　funeral　for　her　good　sister　Mary；　but　in　reality

because　the　queen　dared　not　place　in　juxtaposition　the　secret　and

infamous　death　and　the　public　and　royal　burial；　then；　was　not　time

needed　for　the　first　reports　which　it　pleased　Elizabeth　to　spread　to

be　credited　before　the　truth　should　be　known　by　the　mouths　of　the

servants？　　For　the　queen　hoped　that　once　this　careless　world　had　made

up　its　mind　about　the　death　of　the　Queen　of　Scots；　it　would　not　take

any　further　trouble　to　change　it。　　Finally；　it　was　only　when　the

warders　were　as　tired　as　the　prisoners；　that　Elizabeth；　having

received　a　report　stating　that　the　ill…embalmed　body　could　no　longer

be　kept；　at　last　ordered　the　funeral　to　take　place。



Accordingly；　after　the　1st　of　August；　tailors　and　dressmakers　arrived

at　Fotheringay　Castle；　sent　by　Elizabeth；　with　cloth　and　black　silk

stuffs；　to　clothe　in　mourning　all　Mary's　servants。　　But　they　refused；

not　having　waited　for　the　Queen　of　England's　bounty；　but　having　made

their　funeral　garments　at　their　own　expense；　immediately　after　their

mistress's　death。　　The　tailors　and　dressmakers；　however；　none　the

less　set　so　actively　to　work　that　on　the　7th　everything　was　finished。



Next　day；　at　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening；　a　large　chariot；　drawn　by

four　horses　in　mourning　trappings；　and　covered　with　black　velvet　like

the　chariot；　which　was；　besides；　adorned　with　little　streamers　on

which　were　embroidered　the　arms　of　Scotland；　those　of　the　queen；　and

the　arms　of　Aragon；　those　of　Darnley；　stopped　at　the　gate　of

Fotheringay　Castle。　　It　was　followed　by　the　herald　king；　accompanied

by　twenty　gentlemen　on　horseback；　with　their　servants　and　lackeys；

all　dressed　in　mourning；　who；　having　alighted；　mounted　with　his　whole

train　into　the　room　where　the　body　lay；　and　had　it　brought　down　and

put　into　the　chariot　with　all　possible　respect；　each　of　the

spectators　standing　with　bared　head　and　in　profound　silence。



This　visit　caused　a　great　stir　among　the　prisoners；　who　debated　a

while　whether　they　ought　not　to　implore　the　favour　of　being　allowed

to　follow　their　mistress's　body；　which　they　could　not　and　should　not

let　go　alone　thus；　but　just　as　they　were　about　to　ask　permission　to

speak　to　the　herald　king；　he　entered　the　room　where　they　were

assembled；　and　told　them　that　he　was　charged　by　his　mistress；　the

august　Queen　of　England；　to　give　the　Queen　of　Scotland　the　most

honourable　funeral　he　could；　that；　not　wishing　to　fail　in　such　a　high

undertaking；　he　had　already　made　most　of　the　preparations　for　the

ceremony；　which　was　to　take　place　on　the　10th　of　August；　that　is　to

say；　two　days　later；but　that　the　leaden　shell　in　which　the　body　was

enclosed　being　very　heavy；　it　was　better　to　move　it　beforehand；　and

that　night；　to　where　the　grave　was　dug；　than　to　await　the　day　of　the

interment　itself；　that　thus　they　might　be　easy；　this　burial　of　the

shell　being　only　a　preparatory　ceremony；　but　that　if　some　of　them

would　like　to　accompany　the　corpse；　to　see　what　was　done　with　it；

they　were　at　liberty；　and　that　those　who　stayed　behind　could　follow

the　funeral　pageant；　Elizabeth's　positive　desire　being　that　all；　from

first　to　last；　should　be　present　in　the　funeral　procession。　　This

assurance　calmed　the　unfortunate　prisoners；　who　deputed　Bourgoin；

Gervais；　and　six　others　to　follow　their　mistress's　body：　these　were

Andrew　Melville；　Stewart；　Gorjon；　Howard；　Lauder；　and　Nicholas

Delamarre。



At　ten　o'clock　at　night　they　set　out；　walking　behind　the　chariot；

preceded　by　the　herald；　accompanied　by　men　on　foot；　who　carried

torches　to　light　the　way；　and　followed　by　twenty　gentlemen　and　their

servants。　　In　this　manner；　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　they

reached　Peterborough；　where　there　is　a　splendid　cathedral　built　by　an

ancient　Saxon　king；　and　in　which；　on　the　left　of　the　choir；　was

already　interred　good　Queen　Catharine　of　Aragon；　wife　of　Henry　VIII；

and　where　was　her　tomb；　still　decked　with　a　canopy　bearing　her　arms。



On　arriving；　they　found　the　cathedral　all　hung　with　black；　with　a

dome　erected　in　the　middle　of　the　choir；　much　in　the　way　in　which

'chapelles　ardentes'　are　set　up　in　France；　except　that　there　were　no

lighted　candles　round　it。　　This　dome　was　covered　with　black　velvet；

and　overlaid　with　the　arms　of　Scotland　and　Aragon；　with　streamers

like　those　on　the　chariot　yet　again　repeated。　　The　state　coffin　was

already　set　up　under　this　dome：　it　was　a　bier；　covered　like　the　rest

in　black　velvet　fringed　with　silver；　on　which　was　a　pillow　of　the

same　supporting　a　royal　crown。



To　the　right　of　this　dome；　and　in　front　of　the　burial…place　of　Queen

Catharine　of　Aragon；　Mary　of　Scotland's　sepulchre　had　been　dug：　it

was　a　grave　of　brick；　arranged　to　be　covered　later　with　a　slab　or　a

marble　tomb；　and　in　which　was　to　be　deposited　the　coffin；　which　the

Bishop　of　Peterborough；　in　his　episcopal　robes；　but　without　his

mitre；　cross；　or　cope；　was　awaiting　at　the　door；　accompanied　by　his

dean　and　several　other　clergy。　　The　body　was　brought　into　the

cathedral；　without　chant　or　prayer；　and　was　let　down　into　the　tomb

amid　a　profound　silence。　　Directly　it　was　placed　there；　the　masons；

who　had　stayed　their　hands；　set　to　work　again；　closing　the　grave

level　with　the　floor；　and　only　leaving　an　opening　of　about　a　foot　and

a　half；　through　which　could　be　seen　what　was　within；　and　through

which　could　be　thrown　on　the　coffin；　as　is　customary　at　the　obsequies

of　kings；　the　broken　staves　of　the　officers　and　the　ensigns　and

banners　with　their　arms。　　This　nocturnal　ceremony　ended；　Melville；

Bourgoin；　and　the　other　deputies　were　taken　to　the　bishop's　palace；

where　the　persons　appointed　to　take　part　in　the　funeral　procession

were　to　assemble；　in　number　more　than　three　hundred　and　fifty；　all

chosen；　with　the　exception　of　the　servants；　from