mary stuart-第6章

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on　her　side；　Mary；　who　had　fallen　in　love　with　him　at　first　sight；

fearing　some　new　intrigue　of　Elizabeth's；　hastened　on　this　union　so

far　as　the　proprieties　permitted；　the　affair　moved　forward　with

wonderful　rapidity；　and　in　the　midst　of　public　rejoicing；　with　the

approbation　of　the　nobility；　except　for　a　small　minority；　with　Murray

at　its　head；　the　marriage　was　solemnised　under　the　happiest　auspices；

29th　July　1565。　　Two　days　before；　Darnley　and　his　father；　the　Earl　of

Lennox；　had　received　a　command　to　return　to　London；　and　as　they　had

not　obeyed　it；　a　week　after　the　celebration　of　the　marriage　they

learned　that　the　Countess　of　Lennox；　the　only　one　of　the　family

remaining　in　Elizabeth's　power；　had　been　arrested　and　taken　to　the

Tower。　　Thus　Elizabeth；　in　spite　of　her　dissimulation；　yielding　to

that　first　impulse　of　violence　that　she　always　had　such　trouble　to

overcome；　publicly　displayed　her　resentment。



However；　Elizabeth　was　not　the　woman　to　be　satisfied　with　useless

vengeance：　she　soon　released　the　countess；　and　turned　her　eyes

towards　Murray；　the　most　discontented　of　the　nobles　in　opposition；

who　by　this　marriage　was　losing　all　his　personal　influence。　　It　was

thus　easy　for　Elizabeth　to　put　arms　in　his　hand。　　In　fact；　when　he

had　failed　in　his　first　attempt　to　seize　Darnley；　he　called　to　his

aid　the　Duke　of　Chatellerault；　Glencairn；　Argyll；　and　Rothes；　and

collecting　what　partisans　they　could；　they　openly　rebelled　against

the　queen。　　This　was　the　first　ostensible　act　of　that　hatred　which

was　afterwards　so　fatal　to　Mary。



The　queen；　on　her　side；　appealed　to　her　nobles；　who　in　response

hastened　to　rally　to　her；　so　that　in　a　month's　time　she　found　herself

at　the　head　of　the　finest　army　that　ever　a　king　of　Scotland　had

raised。　　Darnley　assumed　the　command　of　this　magnificent　assembly；

mounted　on　a　superb　horse；　arrayed　in　gilded　armour；　and　accompanied

by　the　queen；　who；　in　a　riding　habit；　with　pistols　at　her　saddle…bow；

wished　to　make　the　campaign　with　him；　that　she　might　not　quit　his

side　for　a　moment。　　Both　were　young；　both　were　handsome；　and　they

left　Edinburgh　amidst　the　cheers　of　the　people　and　the　army。



Murray　and　his　accomplices　did　not　even　try　to　stand　against　them；

and　the　campaign　consisted　of　such　rapid　and　complex　marches　and

counter…marches；　that　this　rebellion　is　called　the　Run…about　Raid…

that　is　to　say；　the　run　in　every　sense　of　the　word。　　Murray　and　the

rebels　withdrew　into　England；　where　Elizabeth；　while　seeming　to

condemn　their　unlucky　attempt；　afforded　them　all　the　assistance　they

needed。



Mary　returned　to　Edinburgh　delighted　at　the　success　of　her　two　first

campaigns；　not　suspecting　that　this　new　good　fortune　was　the　last　she

would　have；　and　that　there　her　short…lived　prosperity　would　cease。

Indeed；　she　soon　saw　that　in　Darnley　she　had　given　herself　not　a

devoted　and　very　attentive　husband；　as　she　had　believed；　but　an

imperious　and　brutal　master；　who；　no　longer　having　any　motive　for

concealment；　showed　himself　to　her　just　as　he　was；　a　man　of

disgraceful　vices；　of　which　drunkenness　and　debauchery　was　the　least。

Accordingly；　serious　differences　were　not　long　in　springing　up　in

this　royal　household。



Darnley　in　wedding　Mary　had　not　become　king；　but　merely　the　queen's

husband。　　To　confer　on　him　authority　nearly　equalling　a　regent's；　it

was　necessary　that　Mary　should　grant　him　what　was　termed　the　crown

matrimoniala　crown　Francis　II　had　worn　during　his　short　royalty；

and　that　Mary；　after　Darnley's　conduct　to　herself；　had　not　the

slightest　intention　of　bestowing　on　him。　　Thus；　to　whatever

entreaties　he　made；　in　whatever　form　they　were　wrapped；　Mary　merely

replied　with　an　unvaried　and　obstinate　refusal。　　Darnley；　amazed　at

this　force　of　will　in　a　young　queen　who　had　loved　him　enough　to　raise

him　to　her；　and　not　believing　that　she　could　find　it　in　herself；

sought　in　her　entourage　for　some　secret　and　influential　adviser　who

might　have　inspired　her　with　it。　　His　suspicions　fell　on　Rizzio。



In　reality；　to　whatever　cause　Rizzio　owed　his　power　（and　to　even　the

most　clear…sighted　historians　this　point　has　always　remained

obscure）；　be　it　that　he　ruled　as　lover；　be　it　that　he　advised　as

minister；　his　counsels　as　long　as　he　lived　were　always　given　for　the

greater　glory　of　the　queen。　　Sprung　from　so　low；　he　at　least　wished

to　show　himself　worthy；　of　having　risen　so　high；　and　owing　everything

to　Mary；　he　tried　to　repay　her　with　devotion。　　Thus　Darnley　was　not

mistaken；　and　it　was　indeed　Rizzio　who；　in　despair　at　having　helped

to　bring　about　a　union　which　he　foresaw　must　become　so　unfortunate；

gave　Mary　the　advice　not　to　give　up　any　of　her　power　to　one　who

already　possessed　much　more　than　he　deserved；　in　possessing　her

person。



Darnley；　like　all　persons　of　both　weak　and　violent　character；

disbelieved　in　the　persistence　of　will　in　others；　unless　this　will

was　sustained　by　an　outside　influence。　　He　thought　that　in　ridding

himself　of　Rizzio　he　could　not　fail　to　gain　the　day；　since；　as　he

believed；　he　alone　was　opposing　the　grant　of　this　great　desire　of

his；　the　crown　matrimonial。　　Consequently；　as　Rizzio　was　disliked　by

the　nobles　in　proportion　as　his　merits　had　raised　him　above　them；　it

was　easy　for　Darnley　to　organise　a　conspiracy；　and　James　Douglas　of

Morton；　chancellor　of　the　kingdom；　consented　to　act　as　chief。



This　is　the　second　time　since　the　beginning　of　our　narrative　that　we

inscribe　this　name　Douglas；　so　often　pronounced；　in　Scottish　history；

and　which　at　this　time；　extinct　in　the　elder　branch；　known　as　the

Black　Douglases；　was　perpetuated　in　the　younger　branch；　known　as　the

Red　Douglases。　　It　was　an　ancient；　noble；　and　powerful　family；　which；

when　the　descent　in　the　male　line　from　Robert　Bruce　had　lapsed；

disputed　the　royal　title　with　the　first　Stuart；　and　which　since　then

had　constantly　kept　alongside　the　throne；　sometimes　its　support；

sometimes　its　enemy；　envying　every　great　house；　for　greatness　made　it

uneasy；　but　above　all　envious　of　the　house　of　Hamilton；　which；　if　not

its　equal；　was　at　any　rate　after　itself　the　next　most　powerful。



During　the　whole　reign　of　James　V；　thanks　to　the　hatred　which　the

king　bore　them；　the　Douglases　had：　not　only　lost　all　their　influence；

but　had　also　been　exiled　to　England。　　This　hatred　was　on　account　of

their　having　seized　the　guardianship　of　the　young　prince　and　kept　him

prisoner　till　he　was　fifteen。　　Then；　with　the　help　of　one　of　his

pages；　James　V　had　escaped　from　Falkland；　and　had　reached　Stirling；

whose　governor　was　in　his　interests。　　Scarcely　was　he　safe　in　the

castle　than　he　made　proclamation　that　any　Douglas　who　should　approach

within　a　dozen　miles　of　it　would　be　prosecuted　for　high　treason。

This　was　not　all：　he　obtained　a　decree　from　Parliament；　declaring

them　guilty　of　felony；　and　condemning　them　to　exile；　they　remained

proscribed；　then；　during　the　king's　lifetime；　and　returned　to

Scotland　only　upon　his　death。　　The　result　was　that；　although　they　had

been　recalled　about　the　throne；　and　though；　thanks　to　the　past

influence　of　Murray；　who；　one　remembers；　was　a　Douglas　on　the

mother's　side；　they　filled　the　most　important　posts　there；　they　had

not　forgiven　to　the　daughter　the　enmity　borne　them　by　the　father。



This　was　why　James　Douglas；　chancellor　as　he　was；　and　consequently

entrusted　with　the　execution　of　the　laws；　put　himself　at　the　head　of

a　conspiracy　which　had　for　its　aim　the　violation　of　all　laws；　human

and　divine。



Douglas's　first　idea　had　been　to　treat　Rizzio　as　the　favourites　of

James　III　had　been　treated　at　the　Bridge　of　Lauderthat　is　to　say；

to　make　a　show　of　having　a　trial　and　to　hang　him　afterwards。　　But

such　a　death　did　not　suffice　for　Darnley's　vengeance；　as　above

everything　he　wished　to　punish　the　queen　in　Rizzio's　person；　he

exacted　that　the　murder　should　take　place　in　her　presence。



Douglas　associated　with　himself　Lord　Ruthven；　an　idle　and　dissolute

sybarite；　who　under　t