Zigzag Journeys in Europe Part 13

"I thank you," he said, "for this kind confidence, and I think we may congratulate ourselves on the success of our journey thus far. I will begin our conversation by asking Wyllys Wynn what is the most interesting place he has seen in Scotland."

"The place that has most excited my interest," said Wyllys, "is the room in the palace where Rizzio was killed. It is not the most interesting place I have seen, of course, but it has most awakened my curiosity.

"Will you not tell us the history of Rizzio?"

"To do so," said Master Lewis, "would require some account of the whole of Queen Mary's life. The romance of Queen Mary's story will have a freshness, after what you have now seen. I will do the best I can to relate those incidents which make up the

STORY OF QUEEN MARY AND RIZZIO.

"Mary, Queen of Scots, was perhaps the most beautiful in person and winning in manners and polite accomplishments of any modern queen. She was the daughter of James V. of Scotland and Mary of Lorraine. Her father heard of her birth on his death-bed. He had hoped his heir would prove a son.

"'It came with a la.s.s, and it will end with a la.s.s,' said he.

"The crown of Scotland came with the daughter of Bruce, and ended with unfortunate Mary.

"Mary became queen before she was a week old. Little she knew, in her innocent cradle at Linlithgow, of the crown waiting her head or the kingdom that was ruled in her name.

"Her childhood was like a fairy story. She had there Marys for playmates, as she herself was named Mary; and each Mary was the daughter of a n.o.ble family.

"When six years of age she was given in marriage to Francis II., the son of the French King. The French fleet carried her away from the rugged sh.o.r.es of Scotland, and the Scottish Marys went with her.

"Ten years were pa.s.sed amid the gayeties and splendors of the French court, and then, at the age of sixteen, she was married, amid great pomp and rejoicings, to the Dauphin, whose courtly devotion and elegant society she had long enjoyed. The a.s.sociations of the young pair before marriage had been very happy. They delighted to be with each other even in society, when they would often separate themselves from the gay throngs around them.

"The next year found Francis on the throne, and Mary seemed to be the happiest queen in the world.

"But the following year the young king died, childless, and Mary was compelled to return to Scotland.

"She sailed from Calais in the late summer of another changeful year.

She wept when the sh.o.r.es of France faded from her sight, and expressed her regret in a tender poem, which you may have read.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {FRANCIS II. OF FRANCE.}]

"Mary was a Catholic. Scotland had adopted the Reformed Faith, and the Scots received her with coldness and suspicion.

"Mary's life from childhood to her imprisonment was a series of romances a.s.sociated with marriage schemes. Francis had not been long dead before many of the courts of Europe were planning marriage alliances with the beautiful Queen. The kings of France, Sweden, Denmark, Don Carlos of Spain, the Archduke of Austria, and many others of lesser rank were named as suitable candidates for her hand.

"Her own choice fell upon her handsome cousin, Lord Darnley, who was a Catholic, and among the nearest heirs to the English crown. He was a weak, corrupt, ambitious man. But he had a winning face, and the marriage was celebrated in Holyrood Palace, in the summer of 1565.

"One day, long before this marriage, as Mary was coming down the stairs of the Palace, she saw the graceful form of a dark Italian musician reclining on a piece of carved furniture in the hall. It was her first view of David Rizzio, who had come to Scotland in the train of the emba.s.sador from Savoy. In a celebrated picture of Mary, she is represented as starting back in surprise and horror at the sight of this adventurer, as though the moment were one of fate and evil foreboding.

"This fascinating Italian won the confidence of Mary by his arts, and used his influence to bring about the marriage with Darnley. He became a friend of Darnley: they occupied the same apartments and engaged in the same political intrigues.

"But, after the marriage, Rizzio himself drew away the affections of the Queen from Darnley, who determined to a.s.sa.s.sinate Rizzio. Several Scottish lords united with Darnley to do the deed.

"One day, when Mary had been supping with Rizzio, the white face of Lord Ruthven appeared at the door of the room.

"'Let _him_ come out of the room,' he said to the Queen.

"'He shall not leave the room,' said the Queen; 'I read his danger in your face.'

"Then Ruthven and his followers rushed upon Rizzio, dragged him from the room, and stabbed him fifty-six times. You have seen the blood-stains in the Palace, where the wily Italian was killed.

"It is said that his body was thrown upon the same chest, at the foot of the stairs, where Mary had seen him first.

"Mary knew that Darnley had caused the murder.

"'I will now have my revenge,' she said, in the presence of the conspirators.

"She said to Darnley, 'I will cause you to have as sorrowful a heart as I have now.'

"For political reasons she, however, became seemingly reconciled to him. Three months after the tragedy, James VI. of Scotland and I. of England was born. You have seen his birthplace to-day.

"Twelve months pa.s.sed. Earl Bothwell, a profligate n.o.ble, had won the Queen's confidence. There is little doubt that the two formed a plot to destroy Darnley's life.

"The Queen went to visit Darnley at Glasgow, he having fallen ill. She pretended great affection for him, and brought him to Edinburgh, and secured lodgings for him in a private house. She left him late one Sunday evening, to attend a marriage feast.

"She remarked to him, in one of their last interviews,--

"'It was about this time, a year ago, I believe, that David was murdered.'

"After she had gone, there was a great explosion, and Darnley's dead body was found in a neighboring garden.

"Mary had had her revenge.

"Three months after the tragedy she married Bothwell, who had secured a divorce from his young wife to prepare the way for the event.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FRANCIS II. AND MARY STUART LOVE-MAKING.]

"Scotland rose against Mary. She fled to England, and threw herself on the protection of Elizabeth, abdicating the throne in favor of her son. She was secured as a prisoner, and confined at Carlisle. She was taken from Carlisle to Fotheringhay Castle. She was at last tried for conspiracy against the life of Elizabeth. Sentence of death was pa.s.sed upon her. She protested her innocence. You know the rest,--the last tragedy of all, in the Castle of Fotheringhay.

"Bothwell died an exile and a madman, some nine years after his marriage with Mary.

"It is said that it was found, after her execution, that her real hair, under her wig, was as white as that of a woman of seventy. I cannot wonder.

"She had one little friend who remained true to the last. It was her little dog. He followed her to the block, and cowered, frightened, under her dress, at the fatal moment, and lay down beside her headless body when the last tragedy was over. It could not be driven away from its mistress; and when the body was removed it began to droop, as though understanding its loss, and in two days it died."

"I have spoken at school a poem by Bulwer Lytton, founded on the incident," said Wyllys.

"Can you now repeat it?" asked Master Lewis.

"I will try."

THE DEAD QUEEN.

The world is full of life and love; the world methinks might spare, From millions, one to watch above the dust of monarchs there.

And not one human eye!--yet, lo! what stirs the funeral pall?