mary stuart-第9节

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than　smallpox。



Whatever　it　may　have　been；　the　queen；　in　the　presence　of　the　danger

her　husband　ran；　appeared　to　forget　her　resentment；　and　at　the　risk

of　what　might　prove　troublesome　to　herself；　she　went　to　Darnley；

after　sending　her　doctor　in　advance。　　It　is　true　that　if　one　is　to

believe　in　the　following　letters；　dated　from　Glasgow；　which　Mary　is

accused　of　having　written　to　Bothwell；　she　knew　the　illness　with

which　he　was　attacked　too　well　to　fear　infection。　　As　these　letters

are　little　known；　and　seem　to　us　very　singular　we　transcribe　them

here；　later　we　shall　tell　how　they　fell　into　the　power　of　the

Confederate　lords；　and　from　their　hands　passed　into　Elizabeth's；　who；

quite　delighted；　cried　on　receiving　them；　〃God's　death；　then　I　hold

her　life　and　honour　in　my　hands！〃





FIRST　LETTER



〃When　I　set　out　from　the　place　where　I　had　left　my　heart；　judge　in

what　a　condition　I　was；　poor　body　without　a　soul：　besides；　during　the

whole　of　dinner　I　have　not　spoken　to　anyone；　and　no　one　has　dared　to

approach　me；　for　it　was　easy　to　see　that　there　was　something　amiss。

When　I　arrived　within　a　league　of　the　town；　the　Earl　of　Lennox　sent

me　one　of　his　gentlemen　to　make　me　his　compliments；　and　to　excuse

himself　for　not　having　come　in　person；　he　has　caused　me　to　be

informed；　moreover；　that　he　did　not　dare　to　present　himself　before　me

after　the　reprimand　that　I　gave　Cunningham。　　This　gentleman　begged

me；　as　if　of　his　own　accord；　to　examine　his　master's　conduct；　to

ascertain　if　my　suspicions　were　well　founded。　　I　have　replied　to　him

that　fear　was　an　incurable　disease；　that　the　Earl　of　Lennox　would　not

be　so　agitated　if　his　conscience　reproached　him　with　nothing；　and

that　if　some　hasty　words　had　escaped　me；　they　were　but　just　reprisals

for　the　letter　he　had　written　me。



〃None　of　the　inhabitants　visited　me；　which　makes　me　think　they　are

all　in　his　interests；　besides；　they　speak　of　him　very　favourably；　as

well　as　of　his　son。　　The　king　sent　for　Joachim　yesterday；　and　asked

him　why　I　did　not　lodge　with　him；　adding　that　my　presence　would　soon

cure　him；　and　asked　me　also　with　what　object　I　had　come：　if　it　were

to　be　reconciled　with　him；　if　you　were　here；　if　I　had　taken　Paris　and

Gilbert　as　secretaries；　and　if　I　were　still　resolved　to　dismiss

Joseph？　　I　do　not　know　who　has　given　him　such　accurate　information。

There　is　nothing；　down　to　the　marriage　of　Sebastian；　with　which　he

has　not　made　himself　acquainted。　　I　have　asked　him　the　meaning　of　one

of　his　letters；　in　which　he　complains　of　the　cruelty　of　certain

people。　He　replied　that　he　wasstricken；　but　that　my　presence　caused

him　so　much　joy　that　he　thought　he　should　die　of　it。　　He　reproached

me　several　times　for　being　dreamy；　I　left　him　to　go　to　supper；　he

begged　me　to　return：　I　went　back。　　Then　he　told　me　the　story　of　his

illness；　and　that　he　wished　to　make　a　will　leaving　me　everything；

adding　that　I　was　a　little　the　cause　of　his　trouble；　and　that　he

attributed　it　to　my　coldness。　　'You　ask　me；'　added　he；　'who　are　the

people　of　whom　I　complain：　it　is　of　you；　cruel　one；　of　you；　whom　I

have　never　been　able　to　appease　by　my　tears　and　my　repentance。　　I

know　that　I　have　offended　you；　but　not　on　the　matter　that　you

reproach　me　with：　I　have　also　offended　some　of　your　subjects；　but

that　you　have　forgiven　me。　　I　am　young；　and　you　say　that　I　always

relapse　into　my　faults；　but　cannot　a　young　man　like　me；　destitute　of

experience；　gain　it　also；　break　his　promises；　repent　directly；　and　in

time　improve？　　If　you　will　forgive　me　yet　once　more；　I　will　promise

to　offend　you　never　again。　　All　the　favour　I　ask　of　you　is　that　we

should　live　together　like　husband　and　wife；　to　have　but　one　bed　and

one　board：　if　you　are　inflexible；　I　shall　never　rise　again　from　here。

I　entreat　you；　tell　me　your　decision：　God　alone　knows　what　I　suffer；

and　that　because　I　occupy　myself　with　you　only；　because　I　love　and

adore　only　you。　　If　I　have　offended　you　sometimes；　you　must　bear　the

reproach；　for　when　someone　offends　me；　if　it　were　granted　me　to

complain　to　you；　I　should　not　confide　my　griefs　to　others；　but　when

we　are　on　bad　terms；　I　am　obliged　to　keep　them　to　myself；　and　that

maddens　me。'



〃He　then　urged　me　strongly　to　stay　with　him　and　lodge　in　his　house；

but　I　excused　myself；　and　replied　that　he　ought　to　be　purged；　and

that　he　could　not　be；　conveniently；　at　Glasgow；　then　he　told　me　that

he　knew　I　had　brought　a　letter　for　him；　but　that　he　would　have

preferred　to　make　the　journey　with　me。　　He　believed；　I　think；　that　I

meant　to　send　him　to　some　prison：　I　replied　that　I　should　take　him　to

Craigmiller；　that　he　would　find　doctors　there；　that　I　should　remain

near　him；　and　that　we　should　be　within　reach　of　seeing　my　son。　　He

has　answered　that　he　will　go　where　I　wish　to　take　him；　provided　that

I　grant　him　what　he　has　asked。　　He　does　not；　however；　wish　to　be　seen

by　anyone。



〃He　has　told　me　more　than　a　hundred　pretty　things　that　I　cannot

repeat　to　you；　and　at　which　you　yourself　would　be　surprised：　he　did

not　want　to　let　me　go；　he　wanted　to　make　me　sit　up　with　him　all

night。　　As　for　me；　I　pretended　to　believe　everything；　and　I　seemed　to

interest　myself　really　in　him。　　Besides；　I　have　never　seen　him　so

small　and　humble；　and　if　I　had　not　known　how　easily　his　heart

overflows；　and　how　mine　is　impervious　to　every　other　arrow　than　those

with　which　you　have　wounded　it；　I　believe　that　I　should　have　allowed

myself　to　soften；　but　lest　that　should　alarm　you；　I　would　die　rather

than　give　up　what　I　have　promised　you。　　As　for　you；　be　sure　to　act　in

the　same　way　towards　those　traitors　who　will　do　all　they　can　to

separate　you　from　me。　　I　believe　that　all　those　people　have　been　cast

in　the　same　mould：　this　one　always　has　a　tear　in　his　eye；　he　bows

down　before　everyone；　from　the　greatest　to　the　smallest；　he　wishes　to

interest　them　in　his　favour；　and　make　himself　pitied。　　His　father

threw　up　blood　to…day　through　the　nose　and　mouth；　think　what　these

symptoms　mean。　　I　have　not　seen　him　yet；　for　he　keeps　to　the　house。

The　king　wants　me　to　feed　him　myself；　he　won't　eat　unless　I　do。　　But；

whatever　I　may　do；　you　will　be　deceived　by　it　no　more　than　I　shall　be

deceiving　myself。　　We　are　united；　you　and　I；　to　two　kinds　of　very

detestable　people　＇Mary　means　Miss　Huntly；　Bothwell's　wife；　whom　he

repudiated；　at　the　king's　death；　to　marry　the　queen。＇：　that　hell　may

sever　these　knots　then；　and　that　heaven　may　form　better　ones；　that

nothing　can　break；　that　it　may　make　of　us　the　most　tender　and

faithful　couple　that　ever　was；　there　is　the　profession　of　faith　in

which　I　would　die。



〃Excuse　my　scrawl：　you　must　guess　more　than　the　half　of　it；　but　I

know　no　help　for　this。　　I　am　obliged　to　write　to　you　hastily　while

everyone　is　asleep　here：　but　be　easy；　I　take　infinite　pleasure　in　my

watch；　for　I　cannot　sleep　like　the　others；　not　being　able　to　sleep　as

I　would　likethat　is　to　say；　in　your　arms。



〃I　am　going　to　get　into　bed；　I　shall　finish　my　letter　tomorrow：　I

have　too　many　things　to　tell　to　you；　the　night　is　too　far　advanced：

imagine　my　despair。　　It　is　to　you　I　am　writing；　it　is　of　myself　that

I　converse　with　you；　and　I　am　obliged　to　make　an　end。



〃I　cannot　prevent　myself；　however；　from　filling　up　hastily　the　rest

of　my　paper。　　Cursed　be　the　crazy　creature　who　torments　me　so　much！

Were　it　not　for　him；　I　could　talk　to　you　of　more　agreeable　things：　he

is　not　greatly　changed；　and　yet　he　has　taken　a　great　deal　o　f　％t。

But　he　has　nearly　killed　me　with　the　fetid　smell　of　his　breath；　for

now　his　is　still　worse　than　your　cousin's：　you　guess　that　this　is　a

fresh　reason　for　my　not　approaching　him；　on　the　contrary；　I　go　away

as　far　as　I　can；　and　sit　on　a　chair　at　the　foot　of　his　bed。



〃Let　us　see　if　I　forget　anything。



　　　　　His　father's　messenger　on　the　road；

　　　　　The　question　about　Joachim；

　　　　　The…state　of　my　house；

　　　　　The　people　of　my　suite；

　　　　　Subject　of　my　arrival；

　　　　　Joseph；

　　　　　Conversation　between　him　and　me；

　　　　　His　desire　to　please　me　and　his　repentance；

　　　　　The　explanation　of　his　letter；

　　　　　Mr。　Livingston。



〃Ah！　I　was　forgetting　that。　　Yesterday　Livingston　during　supper　told

de　Rere　in　a　low　voice　to　drink　to　the　health　of　one　I　knew　well；　and

to　beg　me　to　do　him　the　honour。　　After　supper；　as　I　was　leaning　on

his　shoulder　near　the　fire；　he　said　to　me；　'Is　it　not　true　that　there

are　visits　very　agreeable　for　those　who　pay　them　and　those　who

receive　them？　　But；　however　satisfied　they　seem　with　your　arrival；　I

challenge　their　delight　to　equal　the　grief　of　one　whom　you　have　left

alone　to…day；　and　who　will　never　be　content　till　he　sees　you　again。'

I　asked　him　of　whom　he　wished　to　speak　to　me。　　He　then　answered　me　by

pressing　my　arm：　'Of　one　of　those　who　have　not　followed　you；　and

among　those　it　is　easy　for　you　to　guess　of　whom　I　want　to　speak。'



〃I　have　worked　till　two　o'clock　at　the　bracelet；　I　have　enclosed　a

little　key　which　is　att