mary stuart-第31节

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troops　who　were　to　conduct　the　queen　to　that　town　was　entrusted　to

the　Earl　of　Argyll；　and　the　11th　of　May　she　took　the　road　with　an

army　of　nearly　ten　thousand　men。



Murray　was　at　Glasgow　when　he　heard　of　the　queen's　escape：　the　place

was　strong；　he　decided　to　hold　it；　and　summoned　to　him　his　bravest

and　most　devoted　partisans。　　Kirkcaldy　of　Grange；　Morton；　Lindsay　of

Byres；　Lord　Lochleven；　and　William　Douglas　hastened　to　him；　and　six

thousand　of　the　best　troops　in　the　kingdom　gathered　round　them；　while

Lord　Ruthven　in　the　counties　of　Berwick　and　Angus　raised　levies　with

which　to　join　them。



The　13th　May；　Morton　occupied　from　daybreak　the　village　of　Langside；

through　which　the　queen　must　pass　to　get　to　Dumbarton。　　The　news　of

the　occupation　reached　the　queen　as　the　two　armies　were　yet　seven

miles　apart。　　Mary's　first　instinct　was　to　escape　an　engagement：　she

remembered　her　last　battle　at　Carberry　Hill；　at　the　end　of　which　she

had　been　separated　from　Bothwell　and　brought　to　Edinburgh；　so　she

expressed　aloud　this　opinion；　which　was　supported　by　George　Douglas；

who；　in　black　armour；　without　other　arms；　had　continued　at　the

queen's　side。



〃Avoid　an　engagement！〃　cried　Lord　Seyton；　not　daring　to　answer　his

sovereign；　and　replying　to　George　as　if　this　opinion　had　originated

with　him。　　〃We　could　do　it；　perhaps；　if　we　were　one　to　ten；　but　we

shall　certainly　not　do　so　when　we　are　three　to　two。　　You　speak　a

strange　tongue；　my　young　master；〃　continued　he；　with　some　contempt；

〃and　you　forget；　it　seems　to　me；　that　you　are　a　Douglas　and　that　you

speak　to　a　Seyton。〃



〃My　lord；〃　returned　George　calmly；　〃when　we　only　hazard　the　lives　of

Douglases　and　Seytons；　you　will　find　me；　I　hope；　as　ready　to　fight　as

you；　be　it　one　to　ten；　be　it　three　to　two；　but　we　are　now　answerable

for　an　existence　dearer　to　Scotland　than　that　of　all　the　Seytons　and

all　the　Douglases。　　My　advice　is　then　to　avoid　battle。〃



〃Battle！　battle！〃　cried　all　the　chieftains。



〃You　hear；　madam？〃　said　Lord　Seyton　to　Mary　Stuart：　〃I　believe　that


to　wish　to　act　against　such　unanimity　would　be　dangerous。　　In

Scotland；　madam；　there　is　an　ancient　proverb　which　has　it　that　'there

is　most　prudence　in　courage。'〃



〃But　have　you　not　heard　that　the　regent　has　taken　up　an　advantageous

position？〃　the　queen　said。



〃The　greyhound　hunts　the　hare　on　the　hillside　as　well　as　in　the

plain；〃　replied　Seyton：　〃we　will　drive　him　out；　wherever　he　is。〃



〃Let　it　be　as　you　desire；　then；　my　lords。　　It　shall　not　be　said　that

Mary　Stuart　returned　to　the　scabbard　the　sword　her　defenders　had

drawn　for　her。〃



Then；　turning　round　to　Douglas



〃George；〃　she　said　to　him；　〃choose　a　guard　of　twenty　men　for　me；　and

take　command　of　them：　you　will　not　quit　me。〃



George　bent　low　in　obedience；　chose　twenty　from　among　the　bravest

men；　placed　the　queen　in　their　midst；　and　put　himself　at　their　head；

then　the　troops；　which　had　halted；　received　the　order　to　continue

their　road。　　In　two　hours'　time　the　advance　guard　was　in　sight　of　the

enemy；　it　halted；　and　the　rest　of　the　army　rejoined　it。



The　queen's　troops　then　found　themselves　parallel　with　the　city　of

Glasgow；　and　the　heights　which　rose　in　front　of　them　were　already

occupied　by　a　force　above　which　floated；　as　above　that　of　Mary；　the

royal　banners　of　Scotland；　On　the　other　side；　and　on　the　opposite

slope；　stretched　the　village　of　Langside；　encircled　with　enclosures

and　gardens。　　The　road　which　led　to　it；　and　which　followed　all　the

variations　of　the　ground；　narrowed　at　one　place　in　such　a　way　that

two　men　could　hardly　pass　abreast；　then；　farther　on；　lost　itself　in　a

ravine；　beyond　which　it　reappeared；　then　branched　into　two；　of　which

one　climbed　to　the　village　of　Langside；　while　the　other　led　to

Glasgow。



On　seeing　the　lie　of　the　ground；　the　Earl　of　Argyll　immediately

comprehended　the　importance　of　occupying　this　village；　and；　turning

to　Lord　Seyton；　he　ordered　him　to　gallop　off　and　try　to　arrive　there

before　the　enemy；　who　doubtless；　having　made　the　same　observation　as

the　commander　of　the　royal　forces；　was　setting　in　motion　at　that　very

moment　a　considerable　body　of　cavalry。



Lord　Seyton　called　up　his　men　directly；　but　while　he　was　ranging　them

round　his　banner；　Lord　Arbroath　drew　his　sword；　and　approaching　the

Earl　of　Argyll



〃My　lord；〃　said　he；　〃you　do　me　a　wrong　in　charging　Lord　Seyton　to

seize　that　post：　as　commander　of　the　vanguard；　it　is　to　me　this

honour　belongs。　　Allow　me；　then；　to　use　my　privilege　in　claiming　it。〃



〃It　is　I　who　received　the　order　to　seize　it；　I　will　seize　it！〃　cried

Seyton。



〃Perhaps；〃　returned　Lord　Arbroath；　〃but　not　before　me！〃



〃Before　you　and　before　every　Hamilton　in　the　world！〃　exclaimed

Seyton；　putting　his　horse　to　the　gallop　and　rushing　down　into　the

hollow　road



〃Saint　Bennet！　and　forward！〃



〃Come；　my　faithful　kinsmen！〃cried　Lord　Arbroath；　dashing　forward　on

his　side　with　the　same　object；　〃come；　my　men…at…arms！　For　God　and　the

queen！〃



The　two　troops　precipitated　themselves　immediately　in　disorder　and

ran　against　one　another　in　the　narrow　way；　where；　as　we　have　said；

two　men　could　hardly　pass　abreast。　　There　was　a　terrible　collision

there；　and　the　conflict　began　among　friends　who　should　have　been

united　against　the　enemy。　　Finally；　the　two　troops；　leaving　behind

them　some　corpses　stifled　in　the　press；　or　even　killed　by　their

companions；　passed　through　the　defile　pell…mell　and　were　lost　sight

of　in　the　ravine。　　But　during　this　struggle　Seyton　and　Arbroath　had

lost　precious　time；　and　the　detachment　sent　by　Murray；　which　had

taken　the　road　by　Glasgow；　had　reached　the　village　beforehand；　it　was

now　necessary　not　to　take　it；　but　to　retake　it。



Argyll　saw　that　the　whole　day's　struggle　would　be　concentrated　there；

and；　understanding　more　and　more　the　importance　of　the　village；

immediately　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the　body　of　his　army；

commanding　a　rearguard　of　two　thousand　men　to　remain　there　and　await

further　orders　to　take　part　in　the　fighting。　　But　whether　the　captain

who　commanded　them　had　ill　understood；　or　whether　he　was　eager　to

distinguish　himself　in　the　eyes　of　the　queen；　scarcely　had　Argyll

vanished　into　the　ravine；　at　the　end　of　which　the　struggle　had

already　commenced　between　Kirkcaldy　of　Grange　and　Morton　on　the　one

side；　and　on　the　other　between　Arbroath　and　Seyton；　than；　without

regarding　the　cries　of　Mary　Stuart；　he　set　off　in　his　turn　at　a

gallop；　leaving　the　queen　without　other　guard　than　the　little　escort

of　twenty　men　which　Douglas　had　chosen　for　her。　　Douglas　sighed。



〃Alas！〃　said　the　queen；　hearing　him；　〃I　am　not　a　soldier；　but　there

it　seems　to　me　is　a　battle　very　badly　begun。〃



〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　replied　Douglas。　　〃We　are　every　one　of　us

infatuated；　from　first　to　last；　and　all　these　men　are　behaving　to…day

like　madmen　or　children。〃



〃Victory！　victory！〃　said　the　queen；　〃the　enemy　is　retreating；

fighting。　　I　see　the　banners　of　Seyton　and　Arbroath　floating　near　the

first　houses　in　the　village。　　Oh！　my　brave　lords；〃　cried　she；

clapping　her　hands。　　〃Victory！　victory！〃



But　she　stopped　suddenly　on　perceiving　a　body　of　the　enemy's　army

advancing　to　charge　the　victors　in　flank。



〃It　is　nothing；　it　is　nothing；〃　said　Douglas；　〃so　long　as　there　is

only　cavalry　we　have　nothing　much　to　fear；　and　besides　the　Earl　of

Argyll　will　fall　in　in　time　to　aid　them。〃



〃George；〃　said　Little　William。



〃Well？〃　asked　Douglas。



〃Don't　you　see？　　〃the　child　went　on；　stretching　out　his　arms　towards

the　enemy's　force；　which　was　coming　on　at　a　gallop。



〃What？〃



〃Each　horseman　carries　a　footman　armed　with　an　arquebuse　behind　him；

so　that　the　troop　is　twice　as　numerous　as　it　appears。〃



〃That's　true；　upon　my　soul；　the　child　has　good　sight。　　Let　someone　go

at　once　full　gallop　and　take　news　of　this　to　the　Earl　or　Argyll。〃



〃I！　I！〃　cried　Little　William。　　〃I　saw　them　first；　it　is　my　right　to

bear　the　tidings。〃



〃Go；　then；　my　child；〃　said　Douglas；　〃and　may　God　preserve　thee！〃



The　child　flew；　quick　as　lightning；　not　hearing　or　feigning　not　to

hear　the　queen；　who　was　recalling　him。　　He　was　seen　to　cross　the

gorge　and　plunge　into　the　hollow　road　at　the　moment　when　Argyll　was

debouching　at　the　end　and　coming　to　the　aid　of　Seyton　and　Arbroath。

Meanwhile；　the　enemy's　detachment　had　dismounted　its　infantry；　which；

immediately　formed　up；　was　scattering　on　the　sides　of　the　ravine　by

paths　impracticable　for　horses。



〃William　will　come　too　late！〃　cried　Douglas；　〃or　even；　should　he

arrive　in　time；　the　news　is　now　useless　to　them。　　Oh　madmen；　madmen

that　we　are！　　This　is　how　we　have　always　lost　all　our　battles！〃



〃Is　the　battle　lost；　then？〃　demanded　Mary；　growing　pale。



〃No；　madam；　no；〃　cried　Douglas；　〃Heaven　be　thanked；　not　yet；　but

through　too　great　haste　we　have　begun　badly。〃



〃And　William？〃　said　Mary　Stuart。



〃He　is　n