mary stuart-第43节

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and　to　perform　the　necessary　charities。



〃This　Wednesday；　two　hours　after　midnight

Your　affectionate　and　good　sister；



〃MARY；　R。。。。〃





Of　all　these　recommendations；　the　will　and　the　letters；　the　queen　at

once　had　copies　made　which　she　signed；　so　that；　if　some　should　be

seized　by　the　English；　the　others　might　reach　their　destination。

Bourgoin　pointed　out　to　her　that　she　was　wrong　to　be　in　such　a　hurry

to　close　them；　and　that　perhaps　in　two　or　three　hours　she　would

remember　that　she　had　left　something　out。　　But　the　queen　paid　no

attention；　saying　she　was　sure　she　had　not　forgotten　anything；　and

that　if　she　had；　she　had　only　time　now　to　pray　and　to　look　to　her

conscience。　　So　she　shut　up　all　the　several　articles　in　the　drawers

of　a　piece　of　furniture　and　gave　the　key　to　Bourgoin；　then　sending

for　a　foot…bath；　in　which　she　stayed　for　about　ten　minutes；　she　lay

down　in　bed；　where　she　was　not　seen　to　sleep；　but　constantly　to

repeat　prayers　or　to　remain　in　meditation。



Towards　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　the　queen；　who　was　accustomed；

after　evening　prayers；　to　have　the　story　of　some　male　or　female　saint

read　aloud　to　her；　did　not　wish　to　depart　from　this　habit；　and；　after

having　hesitated　among　several　for　this　solemn　occasion；　she　chose

the　greatest　sinner　of　all；　the　penitent　thief；　saying　humbly



〃If；　great　sinner　as　he　was；　he　has　yet　sinned　less　than　I；　I　desire

to　beg　of　him；　in　remembrance　of　the　passion　of　Jesus　Christ；　to；

have　pity　on　me　in　the　hour　of　my　death；　as　Our　Lord　had　pity　on

him。〃



Then；　when　the　reading　was　over；　she　had　all　her　handkerchiefs

brought；　and　chose　the　finest；　which　was　of　delicate　cambric　all

embroidered　in　gold；　to　bandage　her　eyes　with。



At　daybreak；　reflecting　that　she　had　only　two　hours　to　live；　she　rose

and　began　dressing；　but　before　she　had　finished；　Bourgoin　came　into

her　room；　and；　afraid　lest　the　absent　servants　might　murmur　against

the　queen；　if　by　chance　they　were　discontented　at　the　will；　and　might

accuse　those　who　had　been　present　of　having　taken　away　from　their

share　to　add　to　their　own；　he　begged　Mary　to　send　for　them　all　and　to

read　it　in　their　presence；　to　which　Mary　agreed；　and　consented　to　do

so　at　once。



All　the　servants　were　then　summoned；　and　the　queen　read　her

testament；　saying　that　it　was　done　of　her　own　free；　full　and　entire

will；　written　and　signed　with　her　own　hand；　and　that　accordingly　she

begged　those　present　to　give　all　the　help　in　their　power　in　seeing　it

carried　out　without　change　or　omission；　then；　having　read　it　over；

and　having　received　a　promise　from　all；　she　gave　it　to　Bourgoin；

charging　him　to　send　it　to　M。　　de　Guise；　her　chief　executor；　and　at

the　same　time　to　forward　her　letters　to　the　king　and　her　principal

papers　and　memorandums：　after　this；　she　had　the　casket　brought　in

which　she　had　put　the　purses　which　we　mentioned　before；　she　opened

them　one　after　another；　and　seeing　by　the　ticket　within　for　whom　each

was　intended；　she　distributed　them　with　her　own　hand；　none　of　the

recipients　being　aware　of　their　contents。　　These　gifts　varied　from

twenty　to　three　hundred　crowns；　and　to　these　sums　she　added　seven

hundred　livres　for　the　poor；　namely；　two　hundred　for　the　poor　of

England　and　five　hundred　for　the　poor　of　France；　then　she　gave　to

each　man　in　her　suite　two　rose　nobles　to　be　distributed　in　alms　for

her　sake；　and　finally　one　hundred　and　fifty　crowns　to　Bourgoin　to　be

divided　among　them　all　when　they　should　separate；　and　thus　twenty…six

or　twenty…seven　people　had　money　legacies。



The　queen　performed　all　this　with　great　composure　and　calmness；　with

no　apparent　change　of　countenance；　so　that　it　seemed　as　if　she　were

only　preparing　for　a　journey　or　change　of　dwelling；　then　she　again

bade　her　servants　farewell；　consoling　them　and　exhorting　them　to　live

in　peace；　all　this　while　finishing　dressing　as　well　and　as　elegantly

as　she　could。



Her　toilet　ended；　the　queen　went　from　her　reception…room　to　her　ante…

room；　where　there　was　an　altar　set　up　and　arranged；　at　which；　before

he　had　been　taken　from　her；　her　chaplain　used　to　say　mass；　and

kneeling　on　the　steps；　surrounded　by　all　her　servants；　she　began　the

communion　prayers；　and　when　they　were　ended；　drawing　from　a　golden

box　a　host　consecrated　by　Pius　V；　which　she　had　always　scrupulously

preserved　for　the　occasion　of　her　death；　she　told　Bourgoin　to　take

it；　and；　as　he　was　the　senior；　to　take　the　priest's　place；　old　age

being　holy　and　sacred；　and　in　this　manner　in　spite　of　all　the

precautions　taken　to　deprive　her　of　it；　the　queen　received　the　holy

sacrament　of　the　eucharist。



This　pious　ceremony　ended；　Bourgoin　told　the　queen　that　in　her　will

she　had　forgotten　three　peopleMesdemoiselles　Beauregard；　de

Montbrun；　and　her　chaplain。　　The　queen　was　greatly　astonished　at　this

oversight；　which　was　quite　involuntary；　and；　taking　back　her　will；

she　wrote　her　wishes　with　respect　to　them　in　the　first　empty　margin；

then　she　kneeled　down　again　in　prayer；　but　after　a　moment；　as　she

suffered　too　much　in　this　position；　she　rose；　and　Bourgoin　having　had

brought　her　a　little　bread　and　wine；　she　ate　and　drank；　and　when　she

had　finished；　gave　him　her　hand　and　thanked　him　for　having　been

present　to　help　her　at　her　last　meal　as　he　was　accustomed；　and

feeling　stronger；　she　kneeled　down　and　began　to　pray　again。



Scarcely　had　she　done　so；　than　there　was　a　knocking　at　the　door：　the

queen　understood　what　was　required　of　her；　but　as　she　had　not

finished　praying；　she　begged　those　who　were　come　to　fetch　her　to　wait

a　moment；　and　in　a　few　minutes'　she　would　be　ready。



The　Earls　of　Kent　and　Shrewsbury；　remembering　the　resistance　she　had

made　when　she　had　had　to　go　down　to　the　commissioners　and　appear

before　the　lawyers；　mounted　some　guards　in　the　ante…room　where　they

were　waiting　themselves；　so　that　they　could　take　her　away　by　force　if

necessary；　should　she　refuse　to　come　willingly；　or　should　her

servants　want　to　defend　her；　but　it　is　untrue　that　the　two　barons

entered　her　room；　as　some　have　said。　　They　only　set　foot　there　once；

on　the　occasion　which　we　have　related；　when　they　came　to　apprise　her

of　her　sentence。



They　waited　some　minutes；　nevertheless；　as　the　queen　had　begged　them；

then；　about　eight　o'clock；　they　knocked　again；　accompanied　by　the

guards；　but　to　their　great　surprise　the　door　was　opened　immediately；

and　they　found　Mary　on　her　knees　in　prayer。　　Upon　this；　Sir　Thomas

Andrew；　who　was　at　the　time　sheriff　of　the　county　of　Nottingham；

entered　alone；　a　white　wand　in　his　hand；　and　as　everyone　stayed　on

their　knees　praying；　he　crossed　the　room　with　a　slow　step　and　stood

behind　the　queen：　he　waited　a　moment　there；　and　as　Mary　Stuart　did

not　seem　to　see　him



〃Madam；〃　said　he；　〃the　earls　have　sent　me　to　you。〃



At　these　words　the　queen　turned　round；　and　at　once　rising　in　the

middle　of　her　prayer；　〃Let　us　go；〃　she　replied；　and　she　made　ready　to

follow　him；　then　Bourgoin；　taking　the　cross　of　black　wood　with　an

ivory　Christ　which　was　over　the　altar；　said



〃Madam；　would　you　not　like　to　take　this　little　cross？〃



〃Thank　you　for　having　reminded　me；〃　Mary　answered；　〃I　had　intended

to；　but　I　forgot〃。　　Then；　giving　it　to　Annibal　Stewart；　her　footman；

that　he　might　present　it　when　she　should　ask　for　it；　she　began　to

move　to　the　door；　and　on　account　of　the　great　pain　in　her　limbs；

leaning　on　Bourgoin；　who；　as　they　drew　near；　suddenly　let　her　go；

saying



〃Madam；　your　Majesty　knows　if　we　love　you；　and　all；　such　as　we　are；

are　ready　to　obey　you；　should　you　command　us　to　die　for　you；　but　I；

I　have　not　the　strength　to　lead　you　farther；　besides；　it　is　not

becoming　that　we；　who　should　be　defending　you　to　the　last　drop　of　our

blood；　should　seem　to　be　betraying　you　in　giving　you　thus　into　the

hands　of　these　infamous　English。〃



〃You　are　right；　Bourgoin；〃　said　the　queen；　〃moreover；　my　death　would

be　a　sad　sight　for　you；　which　I　ought　to　spare　your　age　and　your

friendship。　　Mr。　Sheriff；〃　added　she；　〃call　someone　to　support　me；

for　you　see　that　I　cannot　walk。〃



The　sheriff　bowed；　and　signed　to　two　guards　whom　he　had　kept　hidden

behind　the　door　to　lend　him　assistance　in　case　the　queen　should

resist；　to　approach　and　support　her；　which　they　at　once　did；　and　Mary

Stuart　went　on　her　way；　preceded　and　followed　by　her　servants　weeping

and　wringing　their　hands。　　But　at　the　second　door　other　guards

stopped　them；　telling　them　they　must　go　no　farther。　　They　all　cried

out　against　such　a　prohibition：　they　said　that　for　the　nineteen　years

they　had　been　shut　up　with　the　queen　they　had　always　accompanied　her

wherever　she　went；　that　it　was　frightful　to　deprive　their　mistress　of

their　services　at　the　last　moment；　and　that　such　an　order　had

doubtless　been　given　because　they　wanted　to　practise　some　shocking

cruelty　on　her；　of　which　they　desired　no　witnesses。　　Bourgoin；　who

was　at　their　head；　seeing　that　he　could　obtain　noth