mary stuart-第4节

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and　agreeable　appearance；　bright　quick　eyes；　a　dazzlingly　white

complexion；　but　she　had　red　hair；　a　large　foot；＇Elizabeth　bestowed

a　pair　of　her　shoes　on　the　University　of　Oxford；　their　size　would

point　to　their　being　those　of　a　man　of　average　stature。＇and　a

powerful　hand；　while　Mary；　on　the　contrary；　with　her　beautiful　ashy…

fair　hair；＇Several　historians　assert　that　Mary　Stuart　had　black

hair；　but　Brantome；　who　had　seen　it；　since；　as　we　have　said；　he

accompanied　her　to　Scotland；　affirms　tat　it　was　fair。　　And；　so

saying；　he　（the　executioner）　took　off　her　headdress；　in　a

contemptuous　manner；　to　display　her　hair　already　white；　that　while

alive；　however；　she　feared　not　to　show；　nor　yet　to　twist　and　frizz　as

in　the　days　when　it　was　so　beautiful　and　so　fair。〃＇her　noble　open

forehead；　eyebrows　which　could　be　only　blamed　for　being　so　regularly

arched　that　they　looked　as　if　drawn　by　a　pencil；　eyes　continually

beaming　with　the　witchery　of　fire；　a　nose　of　perfect　Grecian　outline；

a　mouth　so　ruby　red　and　gracious　that　it　seemed　that；　as　a　flower

opens　but　to　let　its　perfume　escape；　so　it　could　not　open　but　to　give

passage　to　gentle　words；　with　a　neck　white　and　graceful　as　a　swan's；

hands　of　alabaster；　with　a　form　like　a　goddess's　and　a　foot　like　a

child's；　Mary　was　a　harmony　in　which　the　most　ardent　enthusiast　for

sculptured　form　could　have　found　nothing　to　reproach。



This　was　indeed　Mary's　great　and　real　crime：　one　single　imperfection

in　face　or　figure；　and　she　would　not　have　died　upon　the　scaffold。

Besides；　to　Elizabeth；　who　had　never　seen　her；　and　who　consequently

could　only　judge　by　hearsay；　this　beauty　was　a　great　cause　of

uneasiness　and　of　jealousy；　which　she　could　not　even　disguise；　and

which　showed　itself　unceasingly　in　eager　questions。　　One　day　when　she

was　chatting　with　James　Melville　about　his　mission　to　her　court；

Mary's　offer　to　be　guided　by　Elizabeth　in　her　choice　of　a　husband；a

choice　which　the　queen　of　England　had　seemed　at　first　to　wish　to　see

fixed　on　the　Earl　of　Leicester；she　led　the　Scotch　ambassador　into　a

cabinet；　where　she　showed　him　several　portraits　with　labels　in　her

own　handwriting：　the　first　was　one　of　the　Earl　of　Leicester。　　As　this

nobleman　was　precisely　the　suitor　chosen　by　Elizabeth；　Melville　asked

the　queen　to　give　it　him　to　show　to　his　mistress；　but　Elizabeth

refused；　saying　that　it　was　the　only　one　she　had。　　Melville　then

replied；　smiling；　that　being　in　possession　of　the　original　she　might

well　part　with　the　copy；　but　Elizabeth　would　on　no　account　consent。

This　little　discussion　ended；　she　showed　him　the　portrait　of　Mary

Stuart；　which　she　kissed　very　tenderly；　expressing　to　Melville　a

great　wish　to　see　his　mistress。　　〃That　is　very　easy；　madam；〃　he

replied：　〃keep　your　room；　on　the　pretext　that　you　are　indisposed；　and

set　out　incognito　for　Scotland；　as　King　James　V　set　out　for　France

when　he　wanted　to　see　Madeleine　de　Valois；　whom　he　afterwards

married。〃



〃Alas！〃　replied　Elizabeth；　〃I　would　like　to　do　so；　but　it　is　not　so

easy　as　you　think。　　Nevertheless；　tell　your　queen　that　I　love　her

tenderly；　and　that　I　wish　we　could　live　more　in　friendship　than　we

have　done　up　to　the　present〃。　　Then　passing　to　a　subject　which　she

seemed　to　have　wanted　to　broach　for　a　long　time；　〃Melville；〃　she

continued；　〃tell　me　frankly；　is　my　sister　as　beautiful　as　they　say？〃



〃She　has　that　reputation；〃　replied　Melville；　〃but　I　cannot　give　your

Majesty　any　idea　of　hex　beauty；　having　no　point　of　comparison。〃



〃I　will　give　you　one；〃　the　queen　said。　　〃Is　she　more　beautiful　than

I？〃



〃Madam；〃　replied　Melville；　〃you　are　the　most　beautiful　woman　in

England；　and　Mary　Stuart　is　the　most　beautiful　woman　in　Scotland。〃



〃Then　which　of　the　two　is　the　taller？〃　asked　Elizabeth；　who　was　not

entirely　satisfied　by　this　answer；　clever　as　it　was。



〃My　mistress；　madam；〃　responded　Melville；　〃I　am　obliged　to　confess

it。〃



〃Then　she　is　too　tall；〃　Elizabeth　said　sharply；　〃for　I　am　tall

enough。　　And　what　are　her　favourite　amusements？〃　she　continued。



〃Madam；〃　Melville　replied；　〃hunting；　riding；　performing　on　the　lute

and　the　harpischord。〃



〃Is　she　skilled　upon　the　latter？〃　Elizabeth　inquired。　　〃Oh　yes；

madam；〃　answered　Melville；　〃skilled　enough　for　a　queen。〃



There　the　conversation　stopped；　but　as　Elizabeth　was　herself　an

excellent　musician；　she　commanded　Lord　Hunsdon　to　bring　Melville　to

her　at　a　time　when　she　was　at　her　harpischord；　so　that　he　could　hear

her　without　her　seeming　to　have　the　air　of　playing　for　him。　　In　fact；

the　same　day；　Hunsdon；　agreeably　to　her　instructions；　led　the

ambassador　into　a　gallery　separated　from　the　queen's　apartment　merely

by　tapestry；　so　that　his　guide　having　raised　it。　　Melville　at　his

leisure　could　hear　Elizabeth；　who　did　not　turn　round　until　she　had

finished　the　piece；　which；　however；　she　was　playing　with　much　skill。

When　she　saw　Melville；　she　pretended　to　fly　into　a　passion；　and　even

wanted　to　strike　him；　but　her　anger　calmed　down　by　little　and　little

at　the　ambassador's　compliments；　and　ceased　altogether　when　he

admitted　that　Mary　Stuart　was　not　her　equal。　　But　this　was　not　all：

proud　of　her　triumph；　Elizabeth　desired　also　that　Melville　should　see

her　dance。　　Accordingly；　she　kept　back　her　despatches　for　two　days

that　he　might　be　present　at　a　ball　that　she　was　giving。　　These

despatches；　as　we　have　said；　contained　the　wish　that　Mary　Stuart

should　espouse　Leicester；　but　this　proposal　could　not　be　taken

seriously。　　Leicester；　whose　personal　worth　was　besides　sufficiently

mediocre；　was　of　birth　too　inferior　to　aspire　to　the　hand　of　the

daughter　of　so　many　kings；　thus　Mary　replied　that　such　an　alliance

would　not　become　her。　　Meanwhile；　something　strange　and　tragic　came

to　pass。









CHAPTER　II



Among　the　lords　who　had　followed　Mary　Stuart　to　Scotland　was；　as　we

have　mentioned；　a　young　nobleman　named　Chatelard；　a　true　type　of　the

nobility　of　that　time；　a　nephew　of　Bayard　on　his　mother's　side；　a

poet　and　a　knight；　talented　and　courageous；　and　attached　to　Marshal

Damville；　of　whose　household　he　formed　one。　　Thanks　to　this　high

position；　Chatelard；　throughout　her　stay　in　France；　paid　court　to

Mary　Stuart；　who；　in　the　homage　he　rendered　her　in　verse；　saw　nothing

more　than　those　poetical　declarations　of　gallantry　customary　in　that

age；　and　with　which　she　especially　was　daily　overwhelmed。　　But　it

happened　that　about　the　time　when　Chatelard　was　most　in　love　with　the

queen　she　was　obliged　to　leave　France；　as　we　have　said。　　Then　Marshal

Damville；　who　knew　nothing　of　Chatelard's　passion；　and　who　himself；

encouraged　by　Mary's　kindness；　was　among　the　candidates　to　succeed

Francis　II　as　husband；　set　out　for　Scotland　with　the　poor　exile；

taking　Chatelard　with　him；　and；　not　imagining　he　would　find　a　rival

in　him；　he　made　a　confidant　of　him；　and　left　him　with　Mary　when　he

was　obliged　to　leave　her；　charging　the　young　poet　to　support　with　her

the　interests　of　his　suit。　　This　post　as　confidant　brought　Mary　and

Chatelard　more　together；　and；　as　in　her　capacity　as　poet；　the　queen

treated　him　like　a　brother；　he　made　bold　in　his　passion　to　risk　all

to　obtain　another　title。　　Accordingly；　one　evening　he　got　into　Mary

Stuart's　room；　and　hid　himself　under　the　bed；　but　at　the　moment　when

the　queen　was　beginning　to　undress；　a　little　dog　she　had　began　to

yelp　so　loudly　that　her　women　came　running　at　his　barking；　and；　led

by　this　indication；　perceived　Chatelard。　　A　woman　easily　pardons　a

crime　for　which　too　great　love　is　the　excuse：　Mary　Stuart　was　woman

before　being　queenshe　pardoned。



But　this　kindness　only　increased　Chatelard's　confidence：　he　put　down

the　reprimand　he　had　received　to　the　presence　of　the　queen's　women；

and　supposed　that　if　she　had　been　alone　she　would　have　forgiven　him

still　more　completely；　so　that；　three　weeks　after；　this　same　scene

was　repeated。　　But　this　time；　Chatelard；　discovered　in　a　cupboard；

when　the　queen　was　already　in　bed；　was　placed　under　arrest。



The　moment　was　badly　chosen：　such　a　scandal；　just　when　the　queen　was

about　to　re…marry；　was　fatal　to　Mary；　let　alone　to　Chatelard。　　Murray

took　the　affair　in　hand；　and；　thinking　that　a　public　trial　could

alone　save　his　sister's　reputation；　he　urged　the　prosecution　with

such　vigour；　that　Chatelard；　convicted　of　the　crime　of　lese…majeste；

was　condemned　to　death。　　Mary　entreated　her　brother　that　Chatelard

might　be　sent　back　to　France；　but　Murray　made　her　see　what　terrible

consequences　such　a　use　of　her　right　of　pardon　might　have；　so　that

Mary　was　obliged　to　let　justice　take　its　course：　Chatelard　was　led　to

execution。　　Arrived　on　the　scaffold；　which　was　set　up　before　the

queen's　palace；　Chatelard；　who　had　declined　the　services　of　a　priest；

had　Ronsard's　Ode　on　Death　read；　and　when　the　reading；　which　he

followed　with　evident　pleasure；　was　ended；　he　turnedtowards　the

queen's　windows；　and；　having　cried　out　for　the　last　time；　〃Adieu；

lovelie