mary stuart-第9章

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act　was　to　exhume　Rizzio；　who　had　been　quietly　buried　on　the

threshold　of　the　chapel　nearest　Holyrood　Palace；　and　to　have　him

removed　to　the　burial…place　of　the　Scottish　kings；　compromising

herself　still　more　by　the　honours　she　paid　him　dead　；than　by　the

favour　she　had　granted　him　living。



Such　an　imprudent　demonstration　naturally　led　to　fresh　quarrels

between　Mary　and　Darnley：　these　quarrels　were　the　more　bitter　that；

as　one　can　well　understand；　the　reconciliation　between　the　husband

and　wife；　at　least　on　the　latter's　side；　had　never　been　anything　but

a　pretence；　so　that；　feeling　herself　in　a　stronger　position　still　on

account　of　her　pregnancy；　she　restrained　herself　no　longer；　and；

leaving　Darnley；　she　went　from　Dunbar　to　Edinburgh　Castle；　where　on

June　19th；　1566；　three　months　after　the　assassination　of　Rizzio；　she

gave　birth　to　a　son　who　afterwards　became　James　VI。









CHAPTER　III



Directly　she　was　delivered；　Mary　sent　for　James　Melville；　her　usual

envoy　to　Elizabeth；　and　charged　him　to　convey　this　news　to　the　Queen

of　England；　and　to　beg　her　to　be　godmother　to　the　royal　child　at　the

same　time。　　On　arriving　in　London；　Melville　immediately　presented

himself　at　the　palace；　but　as　there　was　a　court　ball；　he　could　not

see　the　queen；　and　contented　himself　with　making　known　the　reason　for

his　journey　to　the　minister　Cecil；　and　with　begging　him　to　ask　his

mistress　for　an　audience　next　day。　　Elizabeth　was　dancing　in　a

quadrille　at　the　moment　when　Cecil；　approaching　her；　said　in　a　low

voice；　〃Queen　Mary　of　Scotland　has　just　given　birth　to　a　son〃。　　At

these　words　she　grew　frightfully　pale；　and；　looking　about　her　with　a

bewildered　air；　and　as　if　she　were　about　to　faint；　she　leaned　against

an　arm…chair；　then；　soon；　not　being　able　to　stand　upright；　she　sat

down；　threw　back　her　head；　and　plunged　into　a　mournful　reverie。　　Then

one　of　the　ladies　of　her　court；　breaking　through　the　circle　which　had

formed　round　the　queen；　approached　her；　ill　at　ease；　and　asked　her　of

what　she　was　thinking　so　sadly。　　〃Ah！　madam；〃　Elizabeth　replied

impatiently；　〃do　you　not　know　that　Mary　Stuart　has　given　birth　to　a

son；　while　I　am　but　a　barren　stock；　who　will　die　without　offspring？〃



Yet　Elizabeth　was　too　good　a　politician；　in　spite　of　her　liability　to

be　carried　away　by　a　first　impulse；　to　compromise　herself　by　a　longer

display　of　her　grief。　　The　ball　was　not　discontinued　on　that　account；

and　the　interrupted　quadrille　was　resumed　and　finished。



The　next　day；　Melville　had　his　audience。　　Elizabeth　received　him　to

perfection；　assuring　him　of　all　the　pleasure　that　the　news　he　brought

had　caused　her；　and　which；　she　said；　had　cured　her　of　a　complaint

from　which　she　had　suffered　for　a　fortnight。　　Melville　replied　that

his　mistress　had　hastened　to　acquaint　her　with　her　joy；　knowing　that

she　had　no　better　friend；　but　he　added　that　this　joy　had　nearly　cost

Mary　her　life；　so　grievous　had　been　her　confinement。　　As　he　was

returning　to　this　point　for　the　third　time；　with　the　object　of　still

further　increasing　the　queen　of　England's　dislike　to　marriage



〃Be　easy；　Melville；〃　Elizabeth　answered　him；　〃you　need　not　insist

upon　it。　　I　shall　never　marry；　my　kingdom　takes　the　place　of　a

husband　for　me；　and　my　subjects　are　my　children。　　When　I　am　dead；　I

wish　graven　on　my　tombstone：　'Here　lies　Elizabeth；　who　reigned　so

many　years；　and　who　died　a　virgin。'



Melville　availed　himself　of　this　opportunity　to　remind　Elizabeth　of

the　desire　she　had　shown　to　see　Mary；　three　or　four　years　before；　but

Elizabeth　said；　besides　her　country's　affairs；　which　necessitated　her

presence　in　the　heart　of　her　possessions；　she　did　not　care；　after　all

she　had　heard　said　of　her　rival's　beauty；　to　expose　herself　to　a

comparison　disadvantageous　to　her　pride。　　She　contented　herself；

then；　with　choosing　as　her　proxy　the　Earl　of　Bedford；　who　set　out

with　several　other　noblemen　for　Stirling　Castle；　where　the　young

prince　was　christened　with　great　pomp；　and　received　the　name　of

Charles　James。



It　was　remarked　that　Darnley　did　not　appear　at　this　ceremony；　and

that　his　absence　seemed　to　scandalise　greatly　the　queen　of　England's

envoy。　　On　the　contrary；　James　Hepburn；　Earl　of　Bothwell；　had　the

most　important　place　there。



This　was　because；　since　the　evening　when　Bothwell；　at　Mary's　cries；

had　run　to　oppose　the　murder　of　Rizzio；　he　had　made　great　way　in　the

queen's　favour；　to　her　party　he　himself　appeared　to　be　really

attached；　to　the　exclusion　of　the　two　others；　the　king's　and　the　Earl

of　Murray's。　　Bothwell　was　already　thirty…five　years　old；　head　of　the

powerful　family　of　Hepburn；　which　had　great　influence　in　East　Lothian

and　the　county　of　Berwick；　for　the　rest；　violent；　rough；　given　to

every　kind　of　debauchery；　and　capable　of　anything　to　satisfy　an

ambition　that　he　did　not　even　give　himself　the　trouble　to　hide。　　In

his　youth　he　had　been　reputed　courageous；　but　for　long　he　had　had　no

serious　opportunity　to　draw　the　sword。



If　the　king's　authority　had　been　shaken　by　Rizzio's　influence；　it　was

entirely　upset　by　Bothwell's。　　The　great　nobles；　following　the

favourite's　example；　no　longer　rose　in　the　presence　of　Darnley；　and

ceased　little　by　little　to　treat　him　as　their　equal：　his　retinue　was

cut　down；　his　silver　plate　taken　from　him；　and　some　officers　who

remained　about　him　made　him　buy　their　services　with　the　most　bitter

vexations。　　As　for　the　queen；　she　no　longer　even　took　the　trouble　to

conceal　her　dislike　for　him；　avoiding　him　without　consideration；　to

such　a　degree　that　one　day　when　she　had　gone　with　Bothwell　to　Alway；

she　left　there　again　immediately；　because　Darnley　came　to　join　her。

The　king；　however；　still　had　patience；　but　a　fresh　imprudence　of

Mary's　at　last　led　to　the　terrible　catastrophe　that；　since　the

queen's　liaison　with　Bothwell；　some　had　already　foreseen。



Towards　the　end　of　the　month　of　October；　1566；　while　the　queen　was

holding　a　court　of　justice　at　Jedburgh；　it　was　announced　to　her　that

Bothwell；　in　trying　to　seize　a　malefactor　called　John　Elliot　of　Park；

had　been　badly　wounded　in　the　hand；　the　queen；　who　was　about　to

attend　the　council；　immediately　postponed　the　sitting　till　next　day；

and；　having　ordered　a　horse　to　be　saddled；　she　set　out　for　Hermitage

Castle；　where　Bothwell　was　living；　and　covered　the　distance　at　a

stretch；　although　it　was　twenty　miles；　and　she　had　to　go　across

woods；　marshes；　and　rivers；　then；　having　remained　some　hours　tete…d…

tete　with　him；　she　set　out　again　with　the　same　sped　for　Jedburgh；　to

which　she　returned　in　the　night。



Although　this　proceeding　had　made　a　great　deal　of　talk；　which　was

inflamed　still　more　by　the　queen's　enemies；　who　chiefly　belonged　to

the　Reformed　religion；　Darnley　did　not　hear　of　it　till　nearly　two

months　afterwardsthat　is　to　say；　when　Bothwell；　completely

recovered；　returned　with　the　queen　to　Edinburgh。



Then　Darnley　thought　that　he　ought　not　to　put　up　any　longer　with　such

humiliations。　　But　as；　since　his　treason　to　his　accomplices；　he　had

not　found　in　all　Scotland　a　noble　who　would　have　drawn　the　sword　for

him；　he　resolved　to　go　and　seek　the　Earl　of　Lennox；　his　father；

hoping　that　through　his　influence　he　could　rally　the　malcontents；　of

whom　there　were　a　great　number　since　Bothwell　had　been　in　favour。

Unfortunately；　Darnley；　indiscreet　and　imprudent　as　usual；　confided

this　plan　to　some　of　his　officers；　who　warned　Bothwell　of　their

master's　intention。　　Bothwell　did　not　seem　to　oppose　the　journey　in

any　way；　but　Darnley　was　scarcely　a　mile　from　Edinburgh　when　he　felt

violent　pains　none　the　less；　he　continued　his　road；　and　arrived　very

ill　at　Glasgow。　　He　immediately　sent　for　a　celebrated　doctor；　called

James　Abrenets；　who　found　his　body　covered　with　pimples；　and　declared

without　any　hesitation　that　he　had　been　poisoned。　　However；　others；

among　them　Walter　Scott；　state　that　this　illness　was　nothing　else

than　smallpox。



Whatever　it　may　have　been；　the