八喜电子书 > 经管其他电子书 > mary stuart >

第42部分

mary stuart-第42部分

小说: mary stuart 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




and the poor body was in that great hall waiting for a royal

interment。  Things remained thus; Elizabeth said; to give her time to

order a splendid funeral for her good sister Mary; but in reality

because the queen dared not place in juxtaposition the secret and

infamous death and the public and royal burial; then; was not time

needed for the first reports which it pleased Elizabeth to spread to

be credited before the truth should be known by the mouths of the

servants?  For the queen hoped that once this careless world had made

up its mind about the death of the Queen of Scots; it would not take

any further trouble to change it。  Finally; it was only when the

warders were as tired as the prisoners; that Elizabeth; having

received a report stating that the ill…embalmed body could no longer

be kept; at last ordered the funeral to take place。



Accordingly; after the 1st of August; tailors and dressmakers arrived

at Fotheringay Castle; sent by Elizabeth; with cloth and black silk

stuffs; to clothe in mourning all Mary's servants。  But they refused;

not having waited for the Queen of England's bounty; but having made

their funeral garments at their own expense; immediately after their

mistress's death。  The tailors and dressmakers; however; none the

less set so actively to work that on the 7th everything was finished。



Next day; at eight o'clock in the evening; a large chariot; drawn by

four horses in mourning trappings; and covered with black velvet like

the chariot; which was; besides; adorned with little streamers on

which were embroidered the arms of Scotland; those of the queen; and

the arms of Aragon; those of Darnley; stopped at the gate of

Fotheringay Castle。  It was followed by the herald king; accompanied

by twenty gentlemen on horseback; with their servants and lackeys;

all dressed in mourning; who; having alighted; mounted with his whole

train into the room where the body lay; and had it brought down and

put into the chariot with all possible respect; each of the

spectators standing with bared head and in profound silence。



This visit caused a great stir among the prisoners; who debated a

while whether they ought not to implore the favour of being allowed

to follow their mistress's body; which they could not and should not

let go alone thus; but just as they were about to ask permission to

speak to the herald king; he entered the room where they were

assembled; and told them that he was charged by his mistress; the

august Queen of England; to give the Queen of Scotland the most

honourable funeral he could; that; not wishing to fail in such a high

undertaking; he had already made most of the preparations for the

ceremony; which was to take place on the 10th of August; that is to

say; two days later;but that the leaden shell in which the body was

enclosed being very heavy; it was better to move it beforehand; and

that night; to where the grave was dug; than to await the day of the

interment itself; that thus they might be easy; this burial of the

shell being only a preparatory ceremony; but that if some of them

would like to accompany the corpse; to see what was done with it;

they were at liberty; and that those who stayed behind could follow

the funeral pageant; Elizabeth's positive desire being that all; from

first to last; should be present in the funeral procession。  This

assurance calmed the unfortunate prisoners; who deputed Bourgoin;

Gervais; and six others to follow their mistress's body: these were

Andrew Melville; Stewart; Gorjon; Howard; Lauder; and Nicholas

Delamarre。



At ten o'clock at night they set out; walking behind the chariot;

preceded by the herald; accompanied by men on foot; who carried

torches to light the way; and followed by twenty gentlemen and their

servants。  In this manner; at two o'clock in the morning; they

reached Peterborough; where there is a splendid cathedral built by an

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'

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 1 1

你可能喜欢的