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第53章

mary stuart-第53章

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

chosen; with the exception of the servants; from among the

authorities; the nobility; and Protestant clergy。



The day following; Thursday; August the 9th; they began to hang the

banqueting halls with rich and sumptuous stuffs; and that in the

sight of Melville; Bourgoin; and the others; whom they had brought

thither; less to be present at the interment of Queen Mary than to

bear witness to the magnificence of Queen Elizabeth。  But; as one may

suppose; the unhappy prisoners were indifferent to this splendour;

great and extraordinary as it was。



On Friday; August 10th; all the chosen persons assembled at the

bishop's palace: they ranged themselves in the appointed order; and

turned their steps to the cathedral; which was close by。  When they

arrived there; they took the places assigned them in the choir; and

the choristers immediately began to chant a funeral service in

English and according to Protestant rites。  At the first words of

this service; when he saw it was not conducted by Catholic priests;

Bourgoin left the cathedral; declaring that he would not be present

at such sacrilege; and he was followed by all Mary's servants; men

and women; except Melville and Barbe Mowbray; who thought that

whatever the tongue in which one prayed; that tongue was heard by the

Lord。  This exit created great scandal; but the bishop preached none

the less。



The sermon ended; the herald king went to seek Bourgoin and his

companions; who were walking in the cloisters; and told them that the

almsgiving was about to begin; inviting them to take part in this

ceremony; but they replied that being Catholics they could not make

offerings at an altar of which they disapproved。  So the herald king

returned; much put out at the harmony of the assembly being disturbed

by this dissent; but the alms…offering took place no less than the

sermon。  Then; as a last attempt; he sent to them again; to tell them

that the service was quite over; and that accordingly they might

return for the royal ceremonies; which belonged only to the religion

of the dead; and this time they consented; but when they arrived; the

staves were broken; and the banners thrown into the grave through the

opening that the workmen had already closed。



Then; in the same order in which it had come; the procession returned

to the palace; where a splendid funeral repast had been prepared。  By

a strange contradiction; Elizabeth; who; having punished the living

woman as a criminal; had just treated the dead woman as a queen; had

also wished that the honours of the funeral banquet should be for the

servants; so long forgotten by her。  But; as one can imagine; these

ill accommodated themselves to that intention; did not seem

astonished at this luxury nor rejoiced at this good cheer; but; on

the contrary; drowned their bread and wine in tears; without

otherwise responding to the questions put to them or the honours

granted them。  And as soon as the repast was ended; the poor servants

left Peterborough and took the road back to Fotheringay; where they

heard that they were free at last to withdraw whither they would。

They did not need to be told twice; for they lived in perpetual fear;

not considering their lives safe so long as they remained in England。

They therefore immediately collected all their belongings; each

taking his own; and thus went out of Fotheringay Castle on foot;

Monday; 13th August; 1587。



Bourgoin went last: having reached the farther side of the

drawbridge; he turned; and; Christian as he was; unable to forgive

Elizabeth; not for his own sufferings; but for his mistress's; he

faced about to those regicide walls; and; with hands outstretched to

them; said in a loud and threatening voice; those words of David:

〃Let vengeance for the blood of Thy servants; which has been shed; O

Lord God; be acceptable in Thy sight〃。  The old man's curse was

heard; and inflexible history is burdened with Elizabeth's

punishment。



We said that the executioner's axe; in striking Mary Stuart's head;

had caused the crucifix and the book of Hours which she was holding

to fly from her hands。  We also said that the two relics had been

picked up by people in her following。  We are not aware of what

became of the crucifix; but the book of Hours is in the royal

library; where those curious about these kinds of historical

souvenirs can see it: two certificates inscribed on one of the blank

leaves of the volume demonstrate its authenticity。  These are they:



                         FIRST CERTIFICATE



〃We the undersigned Vicar Superior of the strict observance of the

Order of Cluny; certify that this book has been entrusted to us by

order of the defunct Dom Michel Nardin; a professed religious priest

of our said observance; deceased in our college of Saint…Martial of

Avignon; March 28th; 1723; aged about eighty years; of which he has

spent about thirty among us; having lived very religiously: he was a

German by birth; and had served as an officer in the army a long

time。



〃He entered Cluny; and made his profession there; much detached from

all this world's goods and honours; he only kept; with his superior's

permission; this book; which he knew had been in use with Mary

Stuart; Queen of England and Scotland; to the end of her life。



〃Before dying and being parted from his brethren; he requested that;

to be safely remitted to us; it should be sent us by mail; sealed。

Just as we have received it; we have begged M。  L'abbe Bignon;

councillor of state and king's librarian; to accept this precious

relic of the piety of a Queen of England; and of a German officer of

her religion as well as of ours。



(Signed)BROTHER GERARD PONCET;

Vicar…General Superior。〃





                         SECOND CERTIFICATE



〃We; Jean…Paul Bignon; king's librarian; are very happy to have an

opportunity of exhibiting our zeal; in placing the said manuscript in

His Majesty's library。



〃8th July; 1724。〃



〃(Signed) JEAN…PAUL BIGNAN。〃



This manuscript; on which was fixed the last gaze of the Queen of

Scotland; is a duodecimo; written in the Gothic character and

containing Latin prayers; it is adorned with miniatures set off with

gold; representing devotional subjects; stories from sacred history;

or from the lives of saints and martyrs。  Every page is encircled

with arabesques mingled with garlands of fruit and flowers; amid

which spring up grotesque figures of men and animals。



As to the binding; worn now; or perhaps even then; to the woof; it is

in black velvet; of which the flat covers are adorned in the centre

with an enamelled pansy; in a silver setting surrounded by a wreath;

to which are diagonally attached from one corner of the cover to the

other; two twisted silver…gilt knotted cords; finished by a tuft at

the two ends。











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