登陆注册
15444300000062

第62章 CHAPTER IX(1)

Queen Mary had known the decree of the commissioners these two months. The very day it had been pronounced she had learned the news through her chaplain, whom they had allowed her to see this once only. Mary Stuart had taken advantage of this visit to give him three letters she had just written-one for Pope Sixtus V, the other to Don Bernard Mendoza, the third to the Duke of Guise.

Here is that last letter:--

14th December, 1586

"My Good Cousin, whom I hold dearest in the world, I bid you farewell, being prepared to be put to death by an unjust judgment, and to a death such as no one of our race, thanks to God, and never a queen, and still less one of my rank, has ever suffered. But, good cousin, praise the Lord; for I was useless to the cause of God and of His Church in this world, prisoner as I was; while, on the contrary, I hope that my death will bear witness to my constancy in the faith and to my willingness to suffer for the maintenance and the restoration of the Catholic Church in this unfortunate island. And though never has executioner dipped his hand in our blood, have no shame of it, my friend; for the judgment of heretics who have no authority over me, a free queen, is profitable in the sight of God to the children of His Church. If I adhered, moreover, to what they propose to me, I should not suffer this stroke. All of our house have been persecuted by this sect, witness your good father, through whose intercession I hope to be received with mercy by the just judge. I commend to you, then, my poor servants, the discharge of my debts, and the founding of some annual mass for my soul, not at your expense, but that you may make the arrangements, as you will be required when you learn my wishes through my poor and faithful servants, who are about to witness my last tragedy. God prosper you, your wife, children, brothers and cousins, and above all our chief, my good brother and cousin, and all his. The blessing of God and that which I shall give to my children be on yours, whom I do not commend less to God than my own son, unfortunate and ill-treated as he is. You will receive some rings from me, which will remind you to pray God for the soul of your poor cousin, deprived of all help and counsel except that of the Lord, who gives me strength and courage to alone to resist so many wolves howling after me. To God be the glory.

"Believe particularly what will be told you by a person who will give you a ruby ring from me; for I take it on my conscience that the truth will be told you of what I have charged him to tell, and especially in what concerns my poor servants and the share of any. I commend this person to you for his simple sincerity and honesty, that he may be placed in some good place. I have chosen him as the least partial and as the one who will most simply bring you my commands.

Ignore, I beg you, that he told you anything in particular; for envy might injure him. I have suffered a great deal for two years and more, and have not been able to let you know, for an important reason. God be praised for all, and give you grace to persevere in the service of His Church as long as you live, and never may this honour pass from our race, while so many men and women are ready to shed their blood to maintain the fight for the faith, all other worldly considerations set aside. And as to me, I esteem myself born on both father's and mother's sides, that I should offer up my blood for this cause, and I have no intention of degenerating. Jesus, crucified for us, and all the holy martyrs, make us by their intercession worthy of the voluntary offering we make of our bodies to their glory!

"From Fotheringay, this Thursday, 24th November.

"They have, thinking to degrade me, pulled down my canopy of state, and since then my keeper has come to offer to write to their queen, saying this deed was not done by his order, but by the advice of some of the Council. I have shown them instead of my arms on the said canopy the cross of Our Lord. You will hear all this; they have been more gentle since.--Your affectionate cousin and perfect friend, "MARY, Queen of Scotland, Dowager of France"

>From this day forward, when she learned the sentence delivered by the commissioners, Mary Stuart no longer preserved any hope; for as she knew Elizabeth's pardon was required to save her, she looked upon herself thenceforward as lost, and only concerned herself with preparing to die well. Indeed, as it had happened to her sometimes, from the cold and damp in her prisons, to become crippled for some time in all her limbs, she was afraid of being so when they would come to take her, which would prevent her going resolutely to the scaffold, as she was counting on doing. So, on Saturday the 14th February, she sent for her doctor, Bourgoin, and asked him, moved by a presentiment that her death was at hand, she said, what she must do to prevent the return of the pains which crippled her. He replied that it would be good for her to medicine herself with fresh herbs.

"Go, then," said the queen," and ask Sir Amyas Paulet from me permission to seek them in the fields."

Bourgoin went to Sir Amyas, who, as he himself was troubled with sciatica, should have understood better than anyone the need of the remedies for which the queen asked. But this request, simple as it was, raised great difficulties. Sir Amyas replied that he could do nothing without referring to his companion, Drury; but that paper and ink might be brought, and that he, Master Bourgoin, could then make a list of the needful plants, which they would try to procure.

Bourgoin answered that he did not know English well enough, and that the village apothecaries did not know enough Latin, for him to risk the queen's life for some error by himself or others. Finally, after a thousand hesitations, Paulet allowed Bourgoin to go out, which he did, accompanied by the apothecary Gorjon; so that the following day the queen was able to begin to doctor herself.

同类推荐
  • A House to Let

    A House to Let

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 顺鼓篇

    顺鼓篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Child of Storm

    Child of Storm

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 圣虚空藏菩萨陀罗尼经

    圣虚空藏菩萨陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 书录

    书录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 神谕缥缈

    神谕缥缈

    残卷的天戟,倘落着久封的泪。迷离的眼眸,再守初心的灼热。血干,物已非......吟风屡逆命运曲,傲首轻歌抚平世。神谕之光,将洗礼夕阳的垂幕。黎明之殇,将再现朝新之初。
  • 大清国籍条例

    大清国籍条例

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 荣氏家族如何富过三代

    荣氏家族如何富过三代

    这是一本为你指点迷津的财富胜经。本书针对人们普遍关注的“创富难,守富更难”和“富不过三代”的社会现象,从创业和守业的各个角度进行透视,分析、全方位、深层次地揭示了打造可持续财富的战略、战术。
  • 算命先生的预言

    算命先生的预言

    在那场事故中,她的脸上添了一道又长又扭曲的伤疤,她只得将脸终日的包起来那日,她带着面纱出门,遇到一个算命先生,“姑娘,算一卦吧。”她认出这就是当年说她幸福难求的那个算命先生,她摘下面纱,“不用算了,我的命运已经注定了。”算命先生惊呆了片刻,摇头道,“命,都是命啊。”
  • 阴阳之轮

    阴阳之轮

    她,自小拥有阴阳眼,鬼怪缠身,父死,母离,却有个便宜师父保驾护航。他,商业巨子,拥有价值亿万日不落集团。谁说孤女就不能创出自己的一片天地,且看她如何翻手为云覆手为雨,闯荡世界。
  • 千衍逆

    千衍逆

    龙眸合,风云息。几曾何时,您的威严竟被忘却。至如今,弱小蝼蚁,敢触逆鳞。龙眸瞠,风云变,诏之天下,吾已苏醒……!龙灵大陆没有华丽炫彩的魔法,没有繁衍多样的斗气。以最蛮横原始的战斗方式,凭肉体的力量破碎虚空?以力成帝,血肉铸神,纵横九渊谁人敢阻?傲游九天何人敢拦?万千垠帝都尊吾意!六宇泯帝都顺吾心!傲临异界,指天画宇,逆转千衍,红颜拥怀,一切尽在《千衍逆》。新书等级划分:初醒、淬体、铸体、魂觉、碎印、觉醒、动天、真谛、圣灵,每个级别分为九个鳞阶。
  • 仙剑无缘相见

    仙剑无缘相见

    在一个风和日丽的早晨,仙境里传来一阵鸟语花香,在千丈山上一个石头缝里传来一阵婴儿的叫声,随着她的叫声,只看一阵乌云密布和震耳欲聋的雷声,让众仙子胆怯的远古妖神出世了。故事就从这里开始了!
  • 清商史册

    清商史册

    水榭荷塘角徵宫商诗词歌赋文笔华章这里清商,非家族社团,且以一茶一酒会友,執以古风原创为流,若幸得诸位不弃,清商以茶酒相待。
  • 魂王兵

    魂王兵

    这是一个发生在历史与仙侠并存的世界里,有关绝世兵器、有关称王做霸、有关魂者无敌的故事。
  • 冥:夜过浮华鬼魅妃

    冥:夜过浮华鬼魅妃

    俏皮女幽魂游荡在喧嚣的都市里,偏偏让无法无天的夜家二世祖遇上了,什么恩怨是非,国仇家恨皆被他抛到一边,非要娶那幽魂为妻。夜君:“你这白痴女人,谁要敢娶你,我立马就去把他宰了。”平遥:“你混蛋,人家喜欢的是你的弟弟,你这当哥哥的好没品,竟然死不要脸的来追求自己的弟妹!”一头四角牛头鬼突然冒了个泡,“主人,你的心上人早就结婚了,其实夜公子人还是不错的,你就从了他吧,免得做个大龄剩女,以后嫁不出去啊!”平遥大怒,“混蛋,我把心都掏出来给了他,他还敢娶别的女人,我这就去把那对奸夫淫妇杀了。”夜君:“你还是别去了,没沟!秀不出事业线,去了人家也看不上你,也就我会将就一下,认命吧。”