mary stuart-第47节

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ancient　Saxon　king；　and　in　which；　on　the　left　of　the　choir；　was

already　interred　good　Queen　Catharine　of　Aragon；　wife　of　Henry　VIII；

and　where　was　her　tomb；　still　decked　with　a　canopy　bearing　her　arms。



On　arriving；　they　found　the　cathedral　all　hung　with　black；　with　a

dome　erected　in　the　middle　of　the　choir；　much　in　the　way　in　which

'chapelles　ardentes'　are　set　up　in　France；　except　that　there　were　no

lighted　candles　round　it。　　This　dome　was　covered　with　black　velvet；

and　overlaid　with　the　arms　of　Scotland　and　Aragon；　with　streamers

like　those　on　the　chariot　yet　again　repeated。　　The　state　coffin　was

already　set　up　under　this　dome：　it　was　a　bier；　covered　like　the　rest

in　black　velvet　fringed　with　silver；　on　which　was　a　pillow　of　the

same　supporting　a　royal　crown。



To　the　right　of　this　dome；　and　in　front　of　the　burial…place　of　Queen

Catharine　of　Aragon；　Mary　of　Scotland's　sepulchre　had　been　dug：　it

was　a　grave　of　brick；　arranged　to　be　covered　later　with　a　slab　or　a

marble　tomb；　and　in　which　was　to　be　deposited　the　coffin；　which　the

Bishop　of　Peterborough；　in　his　episcopal　robes；　but　without　his

mitre；　cross；　or　cope；　was　awaiting　at　the　door；　accompanied　by　his

dean　and　several　other　clergy。　　The　body　was　brought　into　the

cathedral；　without　chant　or　prayer；　and　was　let　down　into　the　tomb

amid　a　profound　silence。　　Directly　it　was　placed　there；　the　masons；

who　had　stayed　their　hands；　set　to　work　again；　closing　the　grave

level　with　the　floor；　and　only　leaving　an　opening　of　about　a　foot　and

a　half；　through　which　could　be　seen　what　was　within；　and　through

which　could　be　thrown　on　the　coffin；　as　is　customary　at　the　obsequies

of　kings；　the　broken　staves　of　the　officers　and　the　ensigns　and

banners　with　their　arms。　　This　nocturnal　ceremony　ended；　Melville；

Bourgoin；　and　the　other　deputies　were　taken　to　the　bishop's　palace；

where　the　persons　appointed　to　take　part　in　the　funeral　procession

were　to　assemble；　in　number　more　than　three　hundred　and　fifty；　all

chosen；　with　the　exception　of　the　servants；　from　among　the

authorities；　the　nobility；　and　Protestant　clergy。



The　day　following；　Thursday；　August　the　9th；　they　began　to　hang　the

banqueting　halls　with　rich　and　sumptuous　stuffs；　and　that　in　the

sight　of　Melville；　Bourgoin；　and　the　others；　whom　they　had　brought

thither；　less　to　be　present　at　the　interment　of　Queen　Mary　than　to

bear　witness　to　the　magnificence　of　Queen　Elizabeth。　　But；　as　one　may

suppose；　the　unhappy　prisoners　were　indifferent　to　this　splendour；

great　and　extraordinary　as　it　was。



On　Friday；　August　10th；　all　the　chosen　persons　assembled　at　the

bishop's　palace：　they　ranged　themselves　in　the　appointed　order；　and

turned　their　steps　to　the　cathedral；　which　was　close　by。　　When　they

arrived　there；　they　took　the　places　assigned　them　in　the　choir；　and

the　choristers　immediately　began　to　chant　a　funeral　service　in

English　and　according　to　Protestant　rites。　　At　the　first　words　of

this　service；　when　he　saw　it　was　not　conducted　by　Catholic　priests；

Bourgoin　left　the　cathedral；　declaring　that　he　would　not　be　present

at　such　sacrilege；　and　he　was　followed　by　all　Mary's　servants；　men

and　women；　except　Melville　and　Barbe　Mowbray；　who　thought　that

whatever　the　tongue　in　which　one　prayed；　that　tongue　was　heard　by　the

Lord。　　This　exit　created　great　scandal；　but　the　bishop　preached　none

the　less。



The　sermon　ended；　the　herald　king　went　to　seek　Bourgoin　and　his

companions；　who　were　walking　in　the　cloisters；　and　told　them　that　the

almsgiving　was　about　to　begin；　inviting　them　to　take　part　in　this

ceremony；　but　they　replied　that　being　Catholics　they　could　not　make

offerings　at　an　altar　of　which　they　disapproved。　　So　the　herald　king

returned；　much　put　out　at　the　harmony　of　the　assembly　being　disturbed

by　this　dissent；　but　the　alms…offering　took　place　no　less　than　the

sermon。　　Then；　as　a　last　attempt；　he　sent　to　them　again；　to　tell　them

that　the　service　was　quite　over；　and　that　accordingly　they　might

return　for　the　royal　ceremonies；　which　belonged　only　to　the　religion

of　the　dead；　and　this　time　they　consented；　but　when　they　arrived；　the

staves　were　broken；　and　the　banners　thrown　into　the　grave　through　the

opening　that　the　workmen　had　already　closed。



Then；　in　the　same　order　in　which　it　had　come；　the　procession　returned

to　the　palace；　where　a　splendid　funeral　repast　had　been　prepared。　　By

a　strange　contradiction；　Elizabeth；　who；　having　punished　the　living

woman　as　a　criminal；　had　just　treated　the　dead　woman　as　a　queen；　had

also　wished　that　the　honours　of　the　funeral　banquet　should　be　for　the

servants；　so　long　forgotten　by　her。　　But；　as　one　can　imagine；　these

ill　accommodated　themselves　to　that　intention；　did　not　seem

astonished　at　this　luxury　nor　rejoiced　at　this　good　cheer；　but；　on

the　contrary；　drowned　their　bread　and　wine　in　tears；　without

otherwise　responding　to　the　questions　put　to　them　or　the　honours

granted　them。　　And　as　soon　as　the　repast　was　ended；　the　poor　servants

left　Peterborough　and　took　the　road　back　to　Fotheringay；　where　they

heard　that　they　were　free　at　last　to　withdraw　whither　they　would。

They　did　not　need　to　be　told　twice；　for　they　lived　in　perpetual　fear；

not　considering　their　lives　safe　so　long　as　they　remained　in　England。

They　therefore　immediately　collected　all　their　belongings；　each

taking　his　own；　and　thus　went　out　of　Fotheringay　Castle　on　foot；

Monday；　13th　August；　1587。



Bourgoin　went　last：　having　reached　the　farther　side　of　the

drawbridge；　he　turned；　and；　Christian　as　he　was；　unable　to　forgive

Elizabeth；　not　for　his　own　sufferings；　but　for　his　mistress's；　he

faced　about　to　those　regicide　walls；　and；　with　hands　outstretched　to

them；　said　in　a　loud　and　threatening　voice；　those　words　of　David：

〃Let　vengeance　for　the　blood　of　Thy　servants；　which　has　been　shed；　O

Lord　God；　be　acceptable　in　Thy　sight〃。　　The　old　man's　curse　was

heard；　and　inflexible　history　is　burdened　with　Elizabeth's

punishment。



We　said　that　the　executioner's　axe；　in　striking　Mary　Stuart's　head；

had　caused　the　crucifix　and　the　book　of　Hours　which　she　was　holding

to　fly　from　her　hands。　　We　also　said　that　the　two　relics　had　been

picked　up　by　people　in　her　following。　　We　are　not　aware　of　what

became　of　the　crucifix；　but　the　book　of　Hours　is　in　the　royal

library；　where　those　curious　about　these　kinds　of　historical

souvenirs　can　see　it：　two　certificates　inscribed　on　one　of　the　blank

leaves　of　the　volume　demonstrate　its　authenticity。　　These　are　they：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FIRST　CERTIFICATE



〃We　the　undersigned　Vicar　Superior　of　the　strict　observance　of　the

Order　of　Cluny；　certify　that　this　book　has　been　entrusted　to　us　by

order　of　the　defunct　Dom　Michel　Nardin；　a　professed　religious　priest

of　our　said　observance；　deceased　in　our　college　of　Saint…Martial　of

Avignon；　March　28th；　1723；　aged　about　eighty　years；　of　which　he　has

spent　about　thirty　among　us；　having　lived　very　religiously：　he　was　a

German　by　birth；　and　had　served　as　an　officer　in　the　army　a　long

time。



〃He　entered　Cluny；　and　made　his　profession　there；　much　detached　from

all　this　world's　goods　and　honours；　he　only　kept；　with　his　superior's

permission；　this　book；　which　he　knew　had　been　in　use　with　Mary

Stuart；　Queen　of　England　and　Scotland；　to　the　end　of　her　life。



〃Before　dying　and　being　parted　from　his　brethren；　he　requested　that；

to　be　safely　remitted　to　us；　it　should　be　sent　us　by　mail；　sealed。

Just　as　we　have　received　it；　we　have　begged　M。　　L'abbe　Bignon；

councillor　of　state　and　king's　librarian；　to　accept　this　precious

relic　of　the　piety　of　a　Queen　of　England；　and　of　a　German　officer　of

her　religion　as　well　as　of　ours。



（Signed）BROTHER　GERARD　PONCET；

Vicar…General　Superior。〃





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SECOND　CERTIFICATE



〃We；　Jean…Paul　Bignon；　king's　librarian；　are　very　happy　to　have　an

opportunity　of　exhibiting　our　zeal；　in　placing　the　said　manuscript　in

His　Majesty's　library。



〃8th　July；　1724。〃



〃（Signed）　JEAN…PAUL　BIGNAN。〃



This　manuscript；　on　which　was　fixed　the　last　gaze　of　the　Queen　of

Scotland；　is　a　duodecimo；　written　in　the　Gothic　character　and

containing　Latin　prayers；　it　is　adorned　with　miniatures　set　off　with

gold；　representing　devotional　subjects；　stories　from　sacred　history；

or　from　the　lives　of　saints　and　martyrs。　　Every　page　is　encircled

with　arabesques　mingled　with　garlands　of　fruit　and　flowers；　amid

which　spring　up　grotesque　figures　of　men　and　animals。



As　to　the　binding；　worn　now；　or　perhaps　even　then；　to　the　woof；　it　is

in　black　velvet；　of　which　the　flat　covers　are　adorned　in　the　centre

with　an　enamelled　pansy；　in　a　silver　setting　surrounded　by　a　wreath；

to　which　are　diagonally　attached　from　one　corner　of　the　cover　to　the

other；　two　twisted　silver…gilt　knotted　cords；　finished　by　a　tuft　at

the　two　ends。











End