mary stuart-第7章

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exacted　that　the　murder　should　take　place　in　her　presence。



Douglas　associated　with　himself　Lord　Ruthven；　an　idle　and　dissolute

sybarite；　who　under　the　circumstances　promised　to　push　his　devotion

so　far　as　to　wear　a　cuirass；　then；　sure　of　this　important　accomplice；

he　busied　himself　with　finding　other　agents。



However；　the　plot　was　not　woven　with　such　secrecy　but　that　something

of　it　transpired；　and　Rizzio　received　several　warnings　that　he

despised。　　Sir　James　Melville；　among　others；　tried　every　means　to

make　him　understand　the　perils　a　stranger　ran　who　enjoyed　such

absolute　confidence　in　a　wild；　jealous　court　like　that　of　Scotland。

Rizzio　received　these　hints　as　if　resolved　not　to　apply　them　to

himself；　and　Sir　James　Melville；　satisfied　that　he　had　done　enough　to

ease　his　conscience；　did　not　insist　further。　　Then　a　French　priest；

who　had　a　reputation　as　a　clever　astrologer；　got　himself　admitted　to

Rizzio；　and　warned　him　that　the　stars　predicted　that　he　was　in　deadly

peril；　and　that　he　should　beware　of　a　certain　bastard　above　all。

Rizzio　replied　that　from　the　day　when　he　had　been　honoured　with　his

sovereign's　confidence；　he　had　sacrificed　in　advance　his　life　to　his

position；　that　since　that　time；　however；　he　had　had　occasion　to

notice　that　in　general　the　Scotch　were　ready　to　threaten　but　slow　to

act；　that；　as　to　the　bastard　referred　to；　who　was　doubtless　the　Earl

of　Murray；　he　would　take　care　that　he　should　never　enter　Scotland　far

enough　for　his　sword　to　reach　him；　were　it　as　long　as　from　Dumfries

to　Edinburgh；　which　in　other　words　was　as　much　as　to　say　that　Murray

should　remain　exiled　in　England　for　life；　since　Dumfries　was　one　of

the　principal　frontier　towns。



Meanwhile　the　conspiracy　proceeded；　and　Douglas　and　Ruthven；　having

collected　their　accomplices　and　taken　their　measures；　came　to　Darnley

to　finish　the　compact。　　As　the　price　of　the　bloody　service　they

rendered　the　king；　they　exacted　from　him　a　promise　to　obtain　the

pardon　of　Murray　and　the　nobles　compromised　with　him　in　the　affair　of

the　〃run　in　every　sense〃。　　Darnley　granted　all　they　asked　of　him；　and

a　messenger　was　sent　to　Murray　to　inform　him　of　the　expedition　in

preparation；　and　to　invite　him　to　hold　himself　in　readiness　to

reenter　Scotland　at　the　first　notice　he　should　receive。　　Then；　this

point　settled；　they　made　Darnley　sign　a　paper　in　which　he

acknowledged　himself　the　author　and　chief　of　the　enterprise。　　The

other　assassins　were　the　Earl　of　Morton；　the　Earl　of　Ruthven；　；George

Douglas　the　bastard　of　Angus；　Lindley；　and　Andrew；　Carew。　　The

remainder　were　soldiers；　simple　murderers'　tools；　who　did　not　even

know　what　was　afoot。　　Darnley　reserved　it　for　himself　to　appoint　the

time。



Two　days　after　these　conditions　were　agreed　upon；　Darnley　having　been

notified　that　the　queen　was　alone　with　Rizzio；　wished　to　make　himself

sure　of　the　degree　of　her　favour　enjoyed　by　the　minister。　　He

accordingly　went　to　her　apartment　by　a　little　door　of　which　he　always

kept　the　key　upon　him；　but　though　the　key　turned　in　the　lock；　the

door　did　not　open。　　Then　Darnley　knocked；　announcing　himself；　but

such　was　the　contempt　into　which　he　had　fallen　with　the　queen；　that

Mary　left　him　outside；　although；　supposing　she　had　been　alone　with

Rizzio；　she　would　have　had　time　to　send　him　away。　　Darnley；　driven　to

extremities　by　this；　summoned　Morton；　Ruthven；　Lennox；　Lindley；　and

Douglas's　bastard；　and　fixed　the　assassination　of　Rizzio　for　two　days

later。



They　had　just　completed　all　the　details；　and　had；　distributed　the

parts　that　each　must　play　in　this　bloody　tragedy；　when　suddenly；　and

at　the　moment　when　they　least　expected　it；　the　door　opened　and；　Mary

Stuart　appeared　on　the　threshold。



〃My　lords；〃　said　she；　〃your　holding　these　secret　counsels　is　useless。

I　am　informed　of　your　plots；　and　with　God's　help　I　shall　soon　apply　a

remedy〃。



With　these　words；　and　before　the　conspirators　hid　had　time　to　collect

themselves；　she　shut　the　door　again；　and　vanished　like　a　passing　but

threatening　vision。　　All　remained　thunderstruck。　　Morton　was　the

first　to　find　his　tongue。



〃My　lords；〃　said　he；　〃this　is　a　game　of　life　and　death；　and　the

winner　will　not　be　the　cleverest　or　the　strongest；　but　the　readiest。

If　we　do　not　destroy　this　man；　we　are　lost。　　We　must　strike　him　down；

this　very　evening；　not　the　day　after　to…morrow。〃



Everyone　applauded；　even　Ruthven；　who；　still　pale　and　feverish　from

riotous　living；　promised　not　to　be　behindhand。　　The　only　point

changed；　on　Morton's　suggestion；　was　that　the　murder　should　take

place　next　day；　for；　in　the　opinion　of　all；　not　less　than　a　day's

interval　was　needed　to　collect　the　minor　conspirators；　who　numbered

not　less　than　five　hundred。



The　next　day；　which　was　Saturday；　March　9th；　1566；　Mary　Stuart；　who

had　inherited　from　her　father；　James　V；　a　dislike　of　ceremony　and　the

need　of　liberty；　had　invited　to　supper　with　her　six　persons；　Rizzio

among　the　number。　　Darnley；　informed　of　this　in　the　morning；

immediately　gave　notice　of　it　to　the　conspirators；　telling　them　that

he　himself　would　let　them　into　the　palace　between　six　and　seven

o'clock　in　the　evening。　　The　conspirators　replied　that　they　would　be

in　readiness。



The　morning　had　been　dark　and　stormy；　as　nearly　all　the　first　days　of

spring　are　in　Scotland；　and　towards　evening　the　snow　and　wind

redoubled　in　depth　and　violence。　　So　Mary　had　remained　shut　up　with

Rizzio；　and　Darnley；　who　had　gone　to　the　secret　door　several　times；

could　hear　the　sound　of　instruments　and　the　voice　of　the　favourite；

who　was　singing　those　sweet　melodies　which　have　come　down　to　our

time；　and　which　Edinburgh　people　still　attribute　to　him。　　These　songs

were　for　Mary　a　reminder　of　her　stay　in　France；　where　the　artists　in

the　train　of　the　Medicis　had　already　brought　echoes　from　Italy；　but

for　Darnley　they　were　an　insult；　and　each　time　he　had　withdrawn

strengthened　in　his　design。



At　the　appointed　time；　the　conspirators；　who　had　been　given　the

password　during　the　day；　knocked　at　the　palace　gate；　and　were

received　there　so　much　the　more　easily　that　Darnley　himself；　wrapped

in　a　great　cloak；　awaited　them　at　the　postern　by　which　they　were

admitted。　　The　five　hundred　soldiers　immediately　stole　into　an　inner

courtyard；　where　they　placed　themselves　under　some　sheds；　as　much　to

keep　themselves　from　the　cold　as　that　they　might　not　be　seen　on　the

snow…covered　ground。　　A　brightly　lighted　window　looked　into　this

courtyard；　it　was　that　of　the　queen's　study：　at　the　first　signal　give

them　from　this　window；　the　soldiers　were　to　break　in　the　door　and　go

to　the　help　of　the　chief　conspirators。



These　instructions　given；　Darnley　led　Morton；　Ruthven；　Lennox；

Lindley；　Andrew　Carew；　and　Douglas's　bastard　into　the　room　adjoining

the　study；　and　only　separated　from　it　by　a　tapestry　hanging　before

the　door。　　From　there　one　could　overhear　all　that　was　being　said；　and

at　a　single　bound　fall　upon　the　guests。



Darnley　left　them　in　this　room；　enjoining　silence；　then；　giving　them

as　a　signal　to　enter　the　moment　when　they　should　hear　him　cry；　〃To

me；　Douglas！〃　he　went　round　by　the　secret　passage；　so　that　seeing　him

come　in　by　his　usual　door　the　queen's　suspicions　might　not　be　roused

by　his　unlooked…for　visit。



Mary　was　at　supper　with　six　persons；　having；　say　de　Thou　and

Melville；　Rizzio　seated　on　her　right；　while；　on　the　contrary；

Carapden　assures　us　that　he　was　eating　standing　at　a　sideboard。　　The

talk　was　gay　and　intimate；　for　all　were　giving　themselves　up　to　the

ease　one　feels　at　being　safe　and　warm；　at　a　hospitable　board；　while

the　snow　is　beating　against　the　windows　and　the　wind　roaring　in　the

chimneys。　　Suddenly　Mary；　surprised　that　the　most　profound　silence

had　succeeded　to　the　lively　and　animated　flow　of　words　among　her

guests　since　the　beginning　of　supper；　and　suspecting；　from　their

glances；　that　the　cause　of　their　uneasiness　was　behind　her；　turned

round　and　saw　Darnl