mary stuart-第37节

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After　two　or　three　fruitless　journeys；　they　were　at　last；　December

15th；　admitted　for　the　second　time　to　the　royal　presence。



The　queen　did　not　deny　that　the　sentence　had　been　pronounced；　and　as

it　was　easy　to　see　that　she　did　not　intend　in　this　case　to　use　her

right　of　pardon；　M。　de　Bellievre；　judging　that　there　was　nothing　to

be　done；　asked　for　a　safe…conduct　to　return　to　his　king：　Elizabeth

promised　it　to　him　within　two　or　three　days。



On　the　following　Tuesday；　the　17th　of　the　same　month　of　December；

Parliament　as　well　as　the　chief　lords　of　the　realm　were　convoked　at

the　Palace　of　Westminster；　and　there；　in　full　court　and　before　all；

sentence　of　death　was　proclaimed　and　pronounced　against　Mary　Stuart：

then　this　same　sentence；　with　great　display　and　great　solemnity；　was

read　in　the　squares　and　at　the　cross…roads　of　London；　whence　it

spread　throughout　the　kingdom；　and　upon　this　proclamation　the　bells

rang　for　twenty…four　hours；　while　the　strictest　orders　were　given　to

each　of　the　inhabitants　to　light　bonfires　in　front　of　their　houses；

as　is　the　custom　in　France　on　the　Eve　of　St。　John　the　Baptist。



Then；　amid　this　sound　of　bells；　by　the　light　of　these　bonfires；　M。

de　Bellievre；　wishing　to　make　a　last　effort；　in　order　to　have　nothing

with　which　to　reproach　himself；　wrote　the　following　letter　to　Queen

Elizabeth：



〃MADAM：　We　quitted　your　Majesty　yesterday；　expecting；　as　it　had

pleased　you　to　inform　us；　to　receive　in　a　few　days　your　reply

touching　the　prayer　that　we　made　you　on　behalf　of　our　good　master；

your　brother；　for　the　Queen　of　Scotland；　his　sister　in…law　and

confederate；　but　as　this　morning　we　have　been　informed　that　the

judgment　given　against　the　said　queen　has　been　proclaimed　in　London；

although　we　had　promised　ourselves　another　issue　from　your　clemency

and　the　friendship　your　bear　to　the　said　lord　king　your　good　brother；

nevertheless；　to　neglect　no　part　of　our　duty；　and　believing　in　so

doing　to　serve　the　intentions　of　the　king　our　master；　we　have　not

wanted　to　fail　to　write　to　you　this　present　letter；　in　which　we

supplicate　you　once　again；　very　humbly；　not　to　refuse　his　Majesty　the

very　pressing　and　very　affectionate　prayer　that　he　has　made　you；　that

you　will　be　pleased　to　preserve　the　life　of　the　said　lady　Queen　of

Scotland；　which　the　said　lord　king　will　receive　as　the　greatest

pleasure　your　Majesty　could　do　him；　while；　on　the　contrary；　he　could

not　imagine　anything　which　would　cause　him　more　displeasure；　and

which　would　wound　him　more；　than　if　he　were　used　harshly　with　regard

to　the　said　lady　queen；　being　what　she　is　to　him：　and　as；　madam；　the

said　king　our　master；　your　good　brother；　when　for　this　object　he

despatched　us　to　your　Majesty；　had　not　conceived　that　it　was

possible；　in　any　case；　to　determine　so　promptly　upon　such　an

execution；　we　implore　you；　madam；　very　humbly；　before　permitting　it

to　go　further；　to　grant　us　some　time　in　which　we　can　make　known　to

him　the　state　of　the　affairs　of　the　said　Queen　of　Scotland；　in　order

that　before　your　Majesty　takes　a　final　resolution；　you　may　know　what

it　may　please　his　very　Christian　Majesty　to　tell　you　and　point　out　to

you　on　the　greatest　affair　which；　in　our　memory；　has　been　submitted

to　men's　judgment。　　Monsieur　de　Saint…Cyr；　who　will　give　these

presents　to　your　Majesty；　will　bring　us；　if　it　pleases　you；　your　good

reply。



〃London；　this　16th　day　of　December　1586。



〃（Signed）　DE　BELLIEVRE；



〃And　DE　L'AUBESPINE　CHATEAUNEUF。〃





The　same　day；　M。　de　Saint…Cyr　and　the　other　French　lords　returned　to

Richmond　to　take　this　letter；　but　the　queen　would　not　receive　them；

alleging　indisposition；　so　that　they　were　obliged　to　leave　the　letter

with　Walsingham；　her　first　Secretary　of　State；　who　promised　them　to

send　the　queen's　answer　the　following　day。



In　spite　of　this　promise；　the　French　lords　waited　two　days　more：　at

last；　on　the　second　day；　towards　evening；　two　English　gentlemen

sought　out　M。　de　Fellievre　in　London；　and；　viva　voce；　without　any

letter　to　confirm　what　they　were　charged　to　say；　announced　to　him；　on

behalf　of　their　queen；　that　in　reply　to　the　letter　that　they　had

written　her；　and　to　do　justice　to　the　desire　they　had　shown　to　obtain

for　the　condemned　a　reprieve　during　which　they　would　make　known　the

decision　to　the　King　of　France；　her　Majesty　would　grant　twelve　days。

As　this　was　Elizabeth's　last　word；　and　it　was　useless　to　lose　time　in

pressing　her　further；　M。　de　Genlis　was　immediately　despatched　to　his

Majesty　the　King　of　France；　to　whom；　besides　the　long　despatch　of　M。

de　Chateauneuf　and　de　Bellievre　which　he　was　charged　to　remit；　he　was

to　say　'viva　voce'　what　he　had　seen　and　heard　relative　to　the　affairs

of　Queen　Mary　during　the　whole　time　he　had　been　in　England。



Henry　III　responded　immediately　with　a　letter　containing　fresh

instructions　for　MM。　de　Chateauneuf　and　de　Bellievre；　but　in　spite　of

all　the　haste　M。　de　Genlis　could　make；　he　did　not　reach　London　till


the　fourteenth　daythat　is　to　say；　forty…eight　hours　after　the

expiration　of　the　delay　granted；　nevertheless；　as　the　sentence　had

not　yet　been　put　into　execution；　MM。　de　Bellievre　and　de　Chateauneuf

set　out　at　once　for　Greenwich　Castle；　some　miles　from　London；　where

the　queen　was　keeping　Christmas；　to　beg　her　to　grant　them　an

audience；　in　which　they　could　transmit　to　her　Majesty　their　king's

reply；　but　they　could　obtain　nothing　for　four　or　five　days；　however；

as　they　were　not　disheartened；　and　returned　unceasingly　to　the

charge；　January　6th；　MM。　de　Bellievre　and　de　Chateauneuf　were　at　last

sent　for　by　the　queen。



As　on　the　first　occasion；　they　were　introduced　with　all　the

ceremonial　in　use　at　that　time；　and　found　Elizabeth　in　an　audience…

chamber。　　The　ambassadors　approached　her；　greeted　her；　and　M。　de

Bellievre　began　to　address　to　her　with　respect；　but　at　the　same　time

with　firmness；　his　master's　remonstrances。　　Elizabeth　listened　to

them　with　an　impatient　air；　fidgeting　in　her　seat；　then　at　last；

unable　to　control　herself；　she　burst　out；　rising　and　growing　red　with

anger



〃M。　de　Bellievre；〃　said　she；　〃are　you　really　charged　by　the　king；　my

brother；　to　speak　to　me　in　such　a　way？〃



〃Yes；　madam；〃　replied　M。　　de　Bellievre；　bowing；　〃I　am　expressly

commanded　to　do　so。〃



〃And　have　you　this　command　under　his　hand？〃　　continued　Elizabeth。



〃Yes；　madam；〃　returned　the　ambassador　with　the　same　calmness；　〃and

the　king；　my　master；　your　good　brother；　has　expressly　charged　me；　in

letters　signed　by　his　own　hand；　to　make　to　your　Majesty　the

remonstrances　which　I　have　had　the　honour　to　address　to　you。〃



〃Well；〃　cried　Elizabeth；　no　longer　containing　herself；　〃I　demand　of

you　a　copy　of　that　letter；　signed　by　you；　and　reflect　that　you　will

answer　for　each　word　that　you　take　away　or　add。〃



〃Madam；〃　answered　M。　de　Bellievre；　〃it　is　not　the　custom　of　the　kings

of　France；　or　of　their　agents；　to　forge　letters　or　documents；　you

will　have　the　copies　you　require　to…morrow　morning；　and　I　pledge

their　accuracy　on　my　honour。〃



〃Enough；　sir；　enough！〃　said　the　queen；　and　signing　to　everyone　in　the

room　to　go　out；　she　remained　nearly　an　hour　with　MM。　de　Chateauneuf

and　de　Bellievre。　　No　one　knows　what　passed　in　that　interview；　except

that　the　queen　promised　to　send　an　ambassador　to　the　King　of　France；

who；　she　promised；　would　be　in　Paris；　if　not　before；　at　least　at　the

same　time　as　M。　de　Bellievre；　and　would　be　the　bearer　of　her　final

resolve　as　to　the　affairs　of　the　Queen　of　Scotland；　Elizabeth　then

withdrew；　giving　the　French　envoys　to　understand　that　any　fresh

attempt　they　might　make　to　see　her　would　be　useless。



On　the　13th　of　January　the　ambassadors　received　their　passports；　and

at　the　same　time　notice　that　a　vessel　of　the　queen's　was　awaiting

them　at　Dover。



The　very　day　of　their　departure　a　strange　incident　occurred。　　A

gentleman　named　Stafford；　a　brother　of　Elizabeth's　ambassador　to　the

King　of　France；　presented　himself　at　M。　de　Trappes's；　one　of　the

officials　in　the　French　chancellery；　telling　him　that　he　was

acquainted　with　a　prisoner　for　debt　who　had　a　matter　of　the　utmost

importance　to　communicate　to　him；　and　that　he　might　pay　the　greater

attention　to　it；　he　told　him　that　this　matter　was　connected　with

the　service　of　the　King　of　France；　and　concerned　the　affairs　of　Queen

Mary　of　Scotland。　　　M。　de　Trappes；　although　mistrusting　this　overture

from　the　first；　did　not　want；　in　case　his　suspicions　deceived　him；　to

have　to　reproach　himself　for　any　neglect　on　such　a　pressing　occasion。

He　repaired；　then；　with；　Mr。　Stafford　to　the　prison；　where　he　who

wished　to　converse　with　him　was　detained。　　When　he　was　with　him；　the

prisoner　told　him　that　he　was　locked　up　for　a　debt　of　only　twenty

crowns；　and　that　his　desire　to　be　at　liberty　was　so　great　that　if

M。　de　Chateauneuf　would　pay　that　sum　for　him　he　would　undertake　to

deliver　the　Queen　of　Scotland　from　her　danger；　by　stabbing　Elizabeth：