mary stuart-第6节

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was　sustained　by　an　outside　influence。　　He　thought　that　in　ridding

himself　of　Rizzio　he　could　not　fail　to　gain　the　day；　since；　as　he

believed；　he　alone　was　opposing　the　grant　of　this　great　desire　of

his；　the　crown　matrimonial。　　Consequently；　as　Rizzio　was　disliked　by

the　nobles　in　proportion　as　his　merits　had　raised　him　above　them；　it

was　easy　for　Darnley　to　organise　a　conspiracy；　and　James　Douglas　of

Morton；　chancellor　of　the　kingdom；　consented　to　act　as　chief。



This　is　the　second　time　since　the　beginning　of　our　narrative　that　we

inscribe　this　name　Douglas；　so　often　pronounced；　in　Scottish　history；

and　which　at　this　time；　extinct　in　the　elder　branch；　known　as　the

Black　Douglases；　was　perpetuated　in　the　younger　branch；　known　as　the

Red　Douglases。　　It　was　an　ancient；　noble；　and　powerful　family；　which；

when　the　descent　in　the　male　line　from　Robert　Bruce　had　lapsed；

disputed　the　royal　title　with　the　first　Stuart；　and　which　since　then

had　constantly　kept　alongside　the　throne；　sometimes　its　support；

sometimes　its　enemy；　envying　every　great　house；　for　greatness　made　it

uneasy；　but　above　all　envious　of　the　house　of　Hamilton；　which；　if　not

its　equal；　was　at　any　rate　after　itself　the　next　most　powerful。



During　the　whole　reign　of　James　V；　thanks　to　the　hatred　which　the

king　bore　them；　the　Douglases　had：　not　only　lost　all　their　influence；

but　had　also　been　exiled　to　England。　　This　hatred　was　on　account　of

their　having　seized　the　guardianship　of　the　young　prince　and　kept　him

prisoner　till　he　was　fifteen。　　Then；　with　the　help　of　one　of　his

pages；　James　V　had　escaped　from　Falkland；　and　had　reached　Stirling；

whose　governor　was　in　his　interests。　　Scarcely　was　he　safe　in　the

castle　than　he　made　proclamation　that　any　Douglas　who　should　approach

within　a　dozen　miles　of　it　would　be　prosecuted　for　high　treason。

This　was　not　all：　he　obtained　a　decree　from　Parliament；　declaring

them　guilty　of　felony；　and　condemning　them　to　exile；　they　remained

proscribed；　then；　during　the　king's　lifetime；　and　returned　to

Scotland　only　upon　his　death。　　The　result　was　that；　although　they　had

been　recalled　about　the　throne；　and　though；　thanks　to　the　past

influence　of　Murray；　who；　one　remembers；　was　a　Douglas　on　the

mother's　side；　they　filled　the　most　important　posts　there；　they　had

not　forgiven　to　the　daughter　the　enmity　borne　them　by　the　father。



This　was　why　James　Douglas；　chancellor　as　he　was；　and　consequently

entrusted　with　the　execution　of　the　laws；　put　himself　at　the　head　of

a　conspiracy　which　had　for　its　aim　the　violation　of　all　laws；　human

and　divine。



Douglas's　first　idea　had　been　to　treat　Rizzio　as　the　favourites　of

James　III　had　been　treated　at　the　Bridge　of　Lauderthat　is　to　say；

to　make　a　show　of　having　a　trial　and　to　hang　him　afterwards。　　But

such　a　death　did　not　suffice　for　Darnley's　vengeance；　as　above

everything　he　wished　to　punish　the　queen　in　Rizzio's　person；　he

exacted　that　the　murder　should　take　place　in　her　presence。



Douglas　associated　with　himself　Lord　Ruthven；　an　idle　and　dissolute

sybarite；　who　under　the　circumstances　promised　to　push　his　devotion

so　far　as　to　wear　a　cuirass；　then；　sure　of　this　important　accomplice；

he　busied　himself　with　finding　other　agents。



However；　the　plot　was　not　woven　with　such　secrecy　but　that　something

of　it　transpired；　and　Rizzio　received　several　warnings　that　he

despised。　　Sir　James　Melville；　among　others；　tried　every　means　to

make　him　understand　the　perils　a　stranger　ran　who　enjoyed　such

absolute　confidence　in　a　wild；　jealous　court　like　that　of　Scotland。

Rizzio　received　these　hints　as　if　resolved　not　to　apply　them　to

himself；　and　Sir　James　Melville；　satisfied　that　he　had　done　enough　to

ease　his　conscience；　did　not　insist　further。　　Then　a　French　priest；

who　had　a　reputation　as　a　clever　astrologer；　got　himself　admitted　to

Rizzio；　and　warned　him　that　the　stars　predicted　that　he　was　in　deadly

peril；　and　that　he　should　beware　of　a　certain　bastard　above　all。

Rizzio　replied　that　from　the　day　when　he　had　been　honoured　with　his

sovereign's　confidence；　he　had　sacrificed　in　advance　his　life　to　his

position；　that　since　that　time；　however；　he　had　had　occasion　to

notice　that　in　general　the　Scotch　were　ready　to　threaten　but　slow　to

act；　that；　as　to　the　bastard　referred　to；　who　was　doubtless　the　Earl

of　Murray；　he　would　take　care　that　he　should　never　enter　Scotland　far

enough　for　his　sword　to　reach　him；　were　it　as　long　as　from　Dumfries

to　Edinburgh；　which　in　other　words　was　as　much　as　to　say　that　Murray

should　remain　exiled　in　England　for　life；　since　Dumfries　was　one　of

the　principal　frontier　towns。



Meanwhile　the　conspiracy　proceeded；　and　Douglas　and　Ruthven；　having

collected　their　accomplices　and　taken　their　measures；　came　to　Darnley

to　finish　the　compact。　　As　the　price　of　the　bloody　service　they

rendered　the　king；　they　exacted　from　him　a　promise　to　obtain　the

pardon　of　Murray　and　the　nobles　compromised　with　him　in　the　affair　of

the　〃run　in　every　sense〃。　　Darnley　granted　all　they　asked　of　him；　and

a　messenger　was　sent　to　Murray　to　inform　him　of　the　expedition　in

preparation；　and　to　invite　him　to　hold　himself　in　readiness　to

reenter　Scotland　at　the　first　notice　he　should　receive。　　Then；　this

point　settled；　they　made　Darnley　sign　a　paper　in　which　he

acknowledged　himself　the　author　and　chief　of　the　enterprise。　　The

other　assassins　were　the　Earl　of　Morton；　the　Earl　of　Ruthven；　；George

Douglas　the　bastard　of　Angus；　Lindley；　and　Andrew；　Carew。　　The

remainder　were　soldiers；　simple　murderers'　tools；　who　did　not　even

know　what　was　afoot。　　Darnley　reserved　it　for　himself　to　appoint　the

time。



Two　days　after　these　conditions　were　agreed　upon；　Darnley　having　been

notified　that　the　queen　was　alone　with　Rizzio；　wished　to　make　himself

sure　of　the　degree　of　her　favour　enjoyed　by　the　minister。　　He

accordingly　went　to　her　apartment　by　a　little　door　of　which　he　always

kept　the　key　upon　him；　but　though　the　key　turned　in　the　lock；　the

door　did　not　open。　　Then　Darnley　knocked；　announcing　himself；　but

such　was　the　contempt　into　which　he　had　fallen　with　the　queen；　that

Mary　left　him　outside；　although；　supposing　she　had　been　alone　with

Rizzio；　she　would　have　had　time　to　send　him　away。　　Darnley；　driven　to

extremities　by　this；　summoned　Morton；　Ruthven；　Lennox；　Lindley；　and

Douglas's　bastard；　and　fixed　the　assassination　of　Rizzio　for　two　days

later。



They　had　just　completed　all　the　details；　and　had；　distributed　the

parts　that　each　must　play　in　this　bloody　tragedy；　when　suddenly；　and

at　the　moment　when　they　least　expected　it；　the　door　opened　and；　Mary

Stuart　appeared　on　the　threshold。



〃My　lords；〃　said　she；　〃your　holding　these　secret　counsels　is　useless。

I　am　informed　of　your　plots；　and　with　God's　help　I　shall　soon　apply　a

remedy〃。



With　these　words；　and　before　the　conspirators　hid　had　time　to　collect

themselves；　she　shut　the　door　again；　and　vanished　like　a　passing　but

threatening　vision。　　All　remained　thunderstruck。　　Morton　was　the

first　to　find　his　tongue。



〃My　lords；〃　said　he；　〃this　is　a　game　of　life　and　death；　and　the

winner　will　not　be　the　cleverest　or　the　strongest；　but　the　readiest。

If　we　do　not　destroy　this　man；　we　are　lost。　　We　must　strike　him　down；

this　very　evening；　not　the　day　after　to…morrow。〃



Everyone　applauded；　even　Ruthven；　who；　still　pale　and　feverish　from

riotous　living；　promised　not　to　be　behindhand。　　The　only　point

changed；　on　Morton's　suggestion；　was　that　the　murder　should　take

place　next　day；　for；　in　the　opinion　of　all；　not　less　than　a　day's

interval　was　needed　to　collect　the　minor　conspirators；　who　numbered

not　less　than　five　hundred。



The　next　day；　which　was　Saturday；　March　9th；　1566；　Mary　Stuart；　who

had　inherited　from　her　father；　James　V；　a　dislike　of　ceremony　and　the

need　of　liberty；　had　invited　to　supper　with　her　six　persons；　Rizzio

among　the　number。　　Darnley；　informed　of　this　in　the　morning；

immediately　gave　notice　of　it　to　the　conspirators；　telling　them　that

he　himself　would　let　them　into　the　palace　between　six　and　seven

o'clock　in　the　evening。　　The　conspirators　replied　that　they　would　be

in　readiness。



The　morning　had　been　dark　and　stormy；　as　nearly　all　the　first　days　of

spring　are　in　Scotland；　and　towards　evening　the　snow　and　wind

redoubled　in　depth　and　violence。　　So　Mary　had　remained　shut　up　with

Rizzio；　and　Darnley；　who　had　gone　to　the　secret　door　several　times；

could　hear　the　sound　of　instruments　and　the　voice　of　the　favourite；

who　was　singing　those　sweet　melodies　which　have　come　down　to　our

time；　and　which　Edinburgh　people　still　attribute　to　him。　　These　songs

were　for　Mary　a　reminder　of　her　stay　in　France；　where　the　artists　in

the　train　of　the　Medicis　had　already　brought　echoes　from　Italy；　but

for　Darnley　they　were　an　insult；　and　each　time　he　had　withdrawn

strengthened　in　his　design。



At　the　appointed　time；　the　conspirators；　who　had　been　given　the

password　during　the　day；　k