mary stuart-第42节

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hour　would　be　but　a　cold　and　insensible　corpse。



When　the　meal　was　over；　the　queen　sent　for　all　her　servants；　then；

before　the　table　was　cleared　of　anything；　she　poured　out　a　cup　of

wine；　rose　and　drank　to　their　health；　asking　them　if　they　would　not

drink　to　her　salvation。　　Then　she　had　a　glass　given　to　each　one：　all

kneeled　down；　and　all；　says　the　account　from　which　we　borrow　these

details；　drank；　mingling　their　tears　with　the　wine；　and　asking　pardon

of　the　queen　for　any　wrongs　they　had　done　her。　　The　queen　granted　it

heartily；　and　asked　them　to　do　as　much　for　her；　and　to　forget　her

impatient　ways；　which　she　begged　them　to　put　down　to　her

imprisonment。　　Then；　having　given　them　a　long　discourse；　in　which　she

explained　to　them　their　duties　to　God；　and　exhorted　them　to　persevere

in　the　Catholic　faith；　she　begged　them；　after　her　death；　to　live

together　in　peace　and　charity；　forgetting　all　the　petty　quarrels　and

disputes　which　they　had　had　among　one　another　in　the　past。



This　speech　ended；　the　queen　rose　from　table；　and　desired　to　go　into

her　wardrobe…room；　to　see　the　clothes　and　jewels　she　wished　to

dispose　of；　but　Bourgoin　observed　that　it　would　be　better　to　have　all

these　separate　objects　brought　into　her　chamber；　that　there　would　be

a　double　advantage　in　this；　she　would　be　less　tired　for　one　thing；

and　the　English　would　not　see　them　for　another。　　This　last　reason

decided　her；　and　while　the　servants　were　supping；　she　had　brought

into　her　ante…room；　first　of　all；　all　her　robes；　and　took　the

inventory　from　her　wardrobe　attendant；　and　began　to　write　in　the

margin　beside　each　item　the　name　of　the　person　it　was　to　be　given　to。

Directly；　and　as　fast　as　she　did　it；　that　person　to　whom　it　was　given

took　it　and　put　it　aside。　　As　for　the　things　which　were　too　personal

to　her　to　be　thus　bestowed；　she　ordered　that　they　should　be　sold；　and

that　the　purchase…money　should　be　used　for　her　servants'　travelling

expenses；　when　they　returned　to　their　own　countries；　well　knowing　how

great　the　cost　would　be　and　that　no　one　would　have　sufficient　means。

This　memorandum　finished；　she　signed　it；　and　gave　it　as　a　discharge

to　her　wardrobe　attendant。



Then；　that　done；　she　went　into　her　room；　where　had　been　brought　her

rings；　her　jewels；　and　her　most　valuable　belongings；　inspected　them

all；　one　after　the　other；　down　to　the　very　least；　and　distributed

them　as　she　had　done　her　robes；　so　that；　present　or　absent；　everyone

had　something。　　Then　she　furthermore　gave；　to　her　most　faithful

people；　the　jewels　she　intended　for　the　king　and　queen　of　France；　for

the　king　her　son；　for　the　queen…mother；　for　Messieurs　de　Guise　and　de

Lorraine；　without　forgetting　in　this　distribution　any　prince　or

princess　among　her　relatives。　　She　desired；　besides；　that　each　should

keep　the　things　then　in　his　care；　giving　her　linen　to　the　young　lady

who　looked　after　it；　her　silk　embroideries　to　her　who　took　charge　of

them；　her　silver　plate　to　her　butler；　and　so　on　with　the　rest。



Then；　as　they　were　asking　her　for　a　discharge；　〃It　is　useless；〃　said

she；　〃you　owe　an　account　to　me　only；　and　to…morrow；　therefore；　you

will　no　longer　owe　it　to　anyone〃；　but；　as　they　pointed　out　that　the

king　her　son　could　claim　from　them；　〃You　are　right；〃　said　she；　and

she　gave　them　what　they　asked。



That　done；　and　having　no　hope　left　of　being　visited　by　her　confessor；

she　wrote　him　this　letter　：



〃I　have　been　tormented　all　this　day　on　account　of　my　religion；　and

urged　to　receive　the　consolations　of　a　heretic：　you　will　learn；

through　Bourgoin　and　the　others；　that　everything　they　could　say　on

this　matter　has　been　useless；　that　I　have　faithfully　made

protestation　of　the　faith　in　which　I　wish　to　die。　　I　requested　that

you　should　be　allowed　to　receive　my　confession　and　to　give　me　the

sacrament；　which　has　been　cruelly　refused；　as　well　as　the　removal　of

my　body；　and　the　power　to　make　my　will　freely；　so　that　I　cannot　write

anything　except　through　their　hands；　and　with　the　good　pleasure　of

their　mistress。　　For　want　of　seeing　you；　then；　I　confess　to　you　my

sins　in　general；　as　I　should　have　done　in　particular；　begging　you；　in

God's　name；　to　watch　and　pray　this　night　with　me；　for　the　remission

of　my　sins；　and　to　send　me　your　absolution　and　forgiveness　for　all

the　wrongs　I　have　done　you。　　I　shall　try　to　see　you　in　their

presence；　as　they　permitted　it　to　my　steward；　and　if　it　is　allowed；

before　all；　and　on　my　knees；　I　shall　ask　your　blessing。　　Send　me　the

best　prayers　you　know　for　this　night　and　for　to…morrow　morning；　for

the　time　is　short；　and　I　have　not　the　leisure　to　write；　but　be　calm；

I　shall　recommend　you　like　the　rest　of　my　servants；　and　your

benefices　above　all　will　be　secured　to　you。　　Farewell；　for　I　have　not

much　more　time。　　Send　to　me　in　writing　everything　you　can　find；　best

for　my　salvation；　in　prayers　and　exhortations；　I　send　you　my　last

little　ring。〃



Directly　she　had　written　this　letter　the　queen　began　to　make　her

will；　and　at　a　stroke；　with　her　pen　running　on　and　almost　without

lifting　it　from　the　paper；　she　wrote　two　large　sheets；　containing

several　paragraphs；　in　which　no　one　was　forgotten；　present　as　absent；

distributing　the　little　she　had　with　scrupulous　fairness；　and　still

more　according　to　need　than　according　to　service。　　The　executors　she

chose　were：　the　Duke　of　Guise；　her　first　cousin；　the　Archbishop　of

Glasgow；　her　ambassador；　the　Bishop　of　Ross；　her　chaplain　in　chief；

and　M。　du　Ruysseau；　her　chancellor；　all　four　certainly　very　worthy　of

the　charge；　the　first　from　his　authority；　the　two　bishops　by　piety

and　conscience；　and　the　last　by　his　knowledge　of　affairs。　　Her　will

finished；　she　wrote　this　letter　to　the　King　of　France：



SIR　MY　BROTHER…IN…LAW；Having；　by　God's　permission　and　for　my　sins；

I　believe；　thrown　myself　into　the　arms　of　this　queen；　my　cousin；

where　I　have　had　much　to　endure　for　more　than　twenty　years；　I　am　by

her　and　by　her　Parliament　finally　condemned　to　death；　and　having

asked　for　my　papers；　taken　from　me；　to　make　my　will；　I　have　not　been

able　to　obtain　anything　to　serve　me；　not　even　permission　to　write　my

last　wishes　freely；　nor　leave　that　after　my　death　my　body　should　be

transported；　as　was　my　dearest　desire；　into　your　kingdom；　where　I　had

had　the　honour　of　being　queen；　your　sister　and　your　ally。　　To…day；

after　dinner；　without　more　respect；　my　sentence　has　been　declared　to

me；　to　be　executed　to…morrow；　like　a　criminal；　at　eight　o'clock　in

the　morning。　　I　have　not　the　leisure　to　give　you　a　full　account　of

what　has　occurred；　but　if　it　please　you　to　believe　my　doctor　and

these　others　my　distressed　servants；　you　will　hear　the　truth；　and

that；　thanks　to　God；　I　despise　death；　which　I　protest　I　receive

innocent　of　every　crime；　even　if　I　were　their　subject；　which　I　never

was。　　But　my　faith　in　the　Catholic　religion　and　my　claims　to　the

crown　of　England　are　the　real　causes　for　my　condemnation；　and　yet

they　will　not　allow　me　to　say　that　it　is　for　religion　I　die；　for　my

religion　kills　theirs；　and　that　is　so　true；　that　they　have　taken　my

chaplain　from　me；　who；　although　a　prisoner　in　the　same　castle；　may

not　come　either　to　console　me；　or　to　give　me　the　holy　sacrament　of

the　eucharist；　but；　on　the　contrary；　they　have　made　me　urgent

entreaties　to　receive　the　consolations　of　their　minister　whom　they

have　brought　for　this　purpose。　　He　who　will　bring　you　this　letter；

and　the　rest　of　my　servants；　who　are　your　subjects　for　the　most　part；

will　bear　you　witness　of　the　way　in　which　I　shall　have　performed　my

last　act。　　Now　it　remains　to　me　to　implore　you；　as　a　most　Christian

king；　as　my　brother…in…law；　as　my　ancient　ally；　and　one　who　has　so

often　done　me　the　honour　to　protest　your　friendship　for　me；　to　give

proof　of　this　friendship；　in　your　virtue　and　your　charity；　by　helping

me　in　that　of　which　I　cannot　without　you　discharge　my　conscience

that　is　to　say；　in　rewarding　my　good　distressed　servants；　by　giving

them　their　dues；　then；　in　having　prayers　made　to　God　for　a　queen　who

has　been　called　most　Christian；　and　who　dies　a　Catholic　and　deprived

of　all　her　goods。　　As　to　my　son；　I　commend　him　to　you　as　much　as　he

shall　deserve；　for　I　cannot　answer　for　him；　but　as　to　my　servants；　I

commend　them　with　clasped　hands。　　I　have　taken　the　liberty　of　sending

you　two　rare　stones　good　for　the　health；　hoping　that　yours　may　be

perfect　during　a　long　life；　you　will　receive　them　as　coming　from　your

very　affectionate　sister…in…law；　at　the　point　of　death　and　giving

proof　of　her；　good　disposition　towards　you。



〃I　shall　commend　my　servants　to　you　in　a　memorandum；　and　will　order

you；　for　the　good　of　my　soul；　for　whose　salvation　it　will　be

employed；　to　pay　me　a　portion　of　what　you　owe　me；　if　it　please　you；

and　I　conjure　you　for　the　honour　of　Jesus；　to　whom　I　shall　pray　to…

morrow　at　my　death；　that　you　leave　me　the　wherewithal　to　found　a　mass

and　to　perform　the　necessary　charities。



〃This　Wednesday；　two　hours　after　midn