mary stuart-第12节

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moment　a　frightful　report　was　heard；　the　pavilion　was　blown　to

pieces；　the　town　and　the　firth　were　lit　up　with　a　clearness　exceeding

the　brightest　daylight；　then　everything　fell　back　into　night；　and　the

silence　was　broken　only　by　the　fall　of　stones　and　joists；　which　came

down　as　fast　as　hail　in　a　hurricane。



Next　day　the　body　of　the　king　was　found　in　a　garden　in　the

neighbourhood：　it　had　been　saved　from　the　action　of　the　fire　by　the

mattresses　on　which　he　was　lying；　and　as；　doubtless；　in　his　terror　he

had　merely　thrown　himself　on　his　bed　wrapped　in　his　dressing…gown　and

in　his　slippers；　and　as　he　was　found　thus；　without　his　slippers；

which　were　flung　some　paces　away；　it　was　believed　that　he　had　been

first　strangled；　then　carried　there；　but　the　most　probable　version

was　that　the　murderers　simply　relied　upon　powderan　auxiliary

sufficiently　powerful　in　itself　for　them　to　have　no　fear　it　would

fail　them。



Was　the　queen　an　accomplice　or　not？　　No　one　has　ever　known　save

herself；　Bothwell；　and　God；　but；　yes　or　no；　her　conduct；　imprudent

this　time　as　always；　gave　the　charge　her　enemies　brought　against　her；

if　not　substance；　at　least　an　appearance　of　truth。　　Scarcely　had　she

heard　the　news　than　she　gave　orders　that　the　body　should　be　brought

to　her；　and；　having　had　it　stretched　out　upon　a　bench；　she　looked　at

it　with　more　curiosity　than　sadness；　then　the　corpse；　embalmed；　was

placed　the　same　evening；　without　pomp；　by　the　side　of　Rizzio's。



Scottish　ceremonial　prescribes　for　the　widows　of　kings　retirement　for

forty　days　in　a　room　entirely　closed　to　the　light　of　day：　on　the

twelfth　day　Mary　had　the　windows　opened；　and　on　the　fifteenth　set　out

with　Bothwell　for　Seaton；　a　country　house　situated　five　miles　from

the　capital；　where　the　French　ambassador；　Ducroc；　went　in　search　of

her；　and　made　her　remonstrances　which　decided　her　to　return　to

Edinburgh；　but　instead　of　the　cheers　which　usually　greeted　her

coming；　she　was　received　by　an　icy　silence；　and　a　solitary　woman　in

the　crowd　called　out；　〃God　treat　her　as　she　deserves！〃



The　names　of　the　murderers　were　no　secret　to　the　people。　　Bothwell

having　brought　a　splendid　coat　which　was　too　large　for　him　to　a

tailor；　asking　him　to　remake　it　to　his　measure；　the　man　recognised　it

as　having　belonged　to　the　king。　　〃That's　right；〃　said　he；　〃it　is　the

custom　for　the　executioner　to　inherit　from　the…condemned〃。

Meanwhile；　the　Earl　of　Lennox；　supported　by　the　people's　murmurs；

loudly　demanded　justice　for　his　son's　death；　and　came　forward　as　the

accuser　of　his　murderers。　　The　queen　was　then　obliged；　to　appease

paternal　clamour　and　public　resentment；　to　command　the　Earl　of

Argyll；　the　Lord　Chief　justice　of　the　kingdom；　to　make

investigations；　the　same　day　that　this　order　was　given；　a

proclamation　was　posted　up　in　the　streets　of　Edinburgh；　in　which　the

queen　promised　two　thousand　pounds　sterling　to　whoever　would　make

known　the　king's　murderers。　　Next　day；　wherever　this　letter　had　been

affixed；　another　placard　was　found；　worded　thus：



〃As　it　has　been　proclaimed　that　those　who　should　make　known　the

king's　murderers　should　have　two　thousand　pounds　sterling；　I；　who

have　made　a　strict　search；　affirm　that　the　authors　of　the　murder　are

the　Earl　of　Bothwell；　James　Balfour；　the　priest　of　Flisk；　David；

Chambers；　Blackmester；　Jean　Spens；　and　the　queen　herself。〃



This　placard　was　torn　down；　but；　as　usually　happens；　it　had　already

been　read　by　the　entire　population。



The　Earl　of　Lennox　accused　Bothwell；　and　public　opinion；　which　also

accused　him；　seconded　the　earl　with　such　violence；　that　Mary　was

compelled　to　bring　him　to　trial：　only　every　precaution　was　taken　to

deprive　the　prosecutor　of　the　power　of　convicting　the　accused。　　On

the　28th　March；　the　Earl　of　Lennox　received　notice　that　the　12th

April　was　fixed　for　the　trial：　he　was　granted　a　fortnight　to　collect

decisive　proofs　against　the　most　powerful　man　in　all　Scotland；　but

the　Earl　of　Lennox；　judging　that　this　trial　was　a　mere　mockery；　did

not　appear。　　Bothwell；　on　the　contrary；　presented　himself　at　the

court；　accompanied　by　five　thousand　partisans　and　two　hundred　picked

fusiliers；　who　guarded　the　doors　directly　he　had　entered；　so　that　he

seemed　to　be　rather　a　king　who　is　about　to　violate　the　law　than　an

accused　who　comes　to　submit　to　it。　　Of　course　there　happened　what　was

certain　to　happenthat　is　to　say；　the　jury　acquitted　Bothwell　of　the

crime　of　which　everyone；　the　judges　included；　knew　him　to　be　guilty。



The　day　of　the　trial；　Bothwell　had　this　written　challenge　placarded：



〃Although　I　am　sufficiently　cleared　of　the　murder　of　the　king；　of

which　I　have　been　falsely　accused；　yet；　the　better　to　prove　my

innocence；　I　am；　ready　to　engage　in　combat　with　whomsoever　will　dare

to　maintain　that　I　have　killed　the　king。〃



The　day　after；　this　reply　appeared：



〃I　accept　the　challenge；　provided　that　you　select　neutral　ground。〃



However；　judgment　had　been　barely　given；　when　rumours　of　a　marriage

between　the　queen　and　the　Earl　of　Bothwell　were　abroad。　　However

strange　and　however　mad　this　marriage；　the　relations　of　the　two

lovers　were　so　well　known　that　no　one　doubted　but　that　it　was　true。

But　as　everyone　submitted　to　Bothwell；　either　through　fear　or　through

ambition；　two　men　only　dared　to　protest　beforehand　against　this

union：　the　one　was　Lord　Herries；　and　the　other　James　Melville。



Mary　was　at　Stirling　when　Lord　Herries；　taking　advantage　of

Bothwell's　momentary　absence；　threw　himself　at　her　feet；　imploring

her　not　to　lose　her　honour　by　marrying　her　husband's　murderer；　which

could　not　fail　to　convince　those　who　still　doubted　it　that　she　was

his　accomplice。　　But　the　queen；　instead　of　thanking　Herries　for　this

devotion；　seemed　very　much　surprised　at　his　boldness；　and　scornfully

signing　to　him　to　rise；　she　coldly　replied　that　her　heart　was　silent

as　regarded　the　Earl　of　Bothwell；　and　that；　if　she　should　ever　re…

marry；　which　was　not　probable；　she　would　neither　forget　what　she　owed

to　her　people　nor　what　she　owed　to　herself。



Melville　did　not　allow　himself　to　be　discouraged　by　this　experience；

and　pretended；　to　have　received　a　letter　that　one　of　his　friends；

Thomas　Bishop；　had　written　him　from　England。　　He　showed　this　letter

to　the　queen；　but　at　the　first　lines　Mary　recognised　the　style；　and

above　all　the　friendship　of　her　ambassador；　and　giving　the　letter　to

the　Earl　of　Livingston；　who　was　present；　〃There　is　a　very　singular

letter；〃　said　she。　　〃Read　it。　　It　is　quite　in　Melvine's　manner。〃



Livingston　glanced　through　the　letter；　but　had　scarcely　read　the　half

of　it　when　he　took　Melville　by　the　hand；　and　drawing　him　into　the

embrasure　of　a　window



〃My　dear　Melville；〃　said　he；　〃you　were　certainly　mad　when　you　just

now　imparted　this　letter　to　the　queen：　as　soon　as　the　Earl　of

Bothwell　gets　wind　of　it；　and　that　will　not　be　long；　he　will　have　you

assassinated。　　You　have　behaved　like　an　honest　man；　it　is　true；　but

at　court　it　is　better　to　behave　as　a　clever　man。　　Go　away；　then；　as

quickly　as　possible；　it　is　I　who　recommend　it。〃



Melville　did　not　require　to　be　told　twice；　and　stayed　away　for　a

week。　　Livingston　was　not　mistaken：　scarcely　had　Bothwell　returned　to

the　queen　than　he　knew　all　that　had　passed。　　He　burst　out　into　curses

against　Melville；　and　sought　for　him　everywhere；　but　he　could　not

find　him。



This　beginning　of　opposition；　weak　as　it　was；　none　the　less

disquieted　Bothwell；　who；　sure　of　Mary's　love；　resolved　to　make　short

work　of　things。　　Accordingly；　as　the　queen　was　returning　from

Stirling　to　Edinburgh　some　days　after　the　scenes　we　have　just

related；　Bothwell　suddenly　appeared　at　the　Bridge　of　Grammont　with　a

thousand　horsemen；　and；　having　disarmed　the　Earl　of　Huntly；

Livingston；　and　Melville；　who　had　returned　to　his　mistress；　he　seized

the　queen's　horse　by　the　bridle；　and　with　apparent　violence　he　forced

Mary　to　turn　back　and　follow　him　to　Dunbar；　which　the　queen　did

without　any　resistancea　strange　thing　for　one　of　Mary's　character。



The　day　following；　the　Earls　of　Huntly；　Livingston；　Melville；　and　the

people　in　their　train　were　set　at　liberty；　then；　ten　days　afterwards；

Bothwell　and　the　queen；　perfectly　reconciled；　returned　to　Edinburgh

together。



Two　days　after　this　return；　Bothwell　gave　a　great　dinner　to　the

nobles　his　partisans　in　a　tavern。　　When　the　meal　was　ended；　on　the

very　same　table；　amid　half…drained　glasses　and　empty　bottles；

Lindsay；　Ruthven；　Morton；　Maitland；　and　a　dozen　or　fifteen　other

noblemen　signed　a　bond　which　not　only　set　forth　that　upon　their　souls

and　consciences　Bothwell　was　innocent；　but　which　further　denoted　him

as　the　most　suitable　husband　for　the　queen。　　This　bond　concluded　with

this　sufficiently　strange　declaration：



〃After　all；　the　queen　cannot　do　otherwise；　since　the　earl　has　carried

her　off　and　has　lain　with　her。〃



Yet　two　circumstances　were　still　opposed　to　this　marriage：　the　first；