AN UNFORTUNATE QUEEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 244, 16 October 1886, Page 3

AN UNFORTUNATE QUEEN.

The Story of Mary Queen of Scots.

A few miles from the city of Glasgow, Scotland, stands tho beautiful and lordly residence known as Hamilton Palace. It i is constructed of marble, in tho Corinthian style of architecture, with a fasade two hundred and sixty-four feet long by sixty feet high, and in form ia an imitation of the Temple of Jupiter Stator at Rome. The interior of this vast edifice is finished with the utmost beauty and taste, and furnished with sumptuous elegance. It contains a lich, well-stocked picture-gallery, numbering nearly three thousand paintings, besides a large collection of relics. Among the portraits are those of Mary Queen of Scots, Darnley her husband, Ri?zio her Italian secretary, and other notables connected with the life, sorrows, and death of that unfortunate woman. Among the reliea we were shown a ring which onca graced her majeaty's hand, a richly bound and goldrimmed prayer-book, the gun with which Bothwell shot the Regent Murray, and other interesting articles. There ia an especial fitness in the keeping of these reliea here, for it was in this vicinity that many of the scenes in her troubled, tragic life were enacted. It was to this place she fled after her oscapo from Loch Levon Castle; here she gathered around her her adherents ; and within rifle-shot ia the illfated battle-field of Langeede, where she suffered her final defeat.

There is a mournful interest surrounding tho history of this most unfortunate and most amiable woman. From the cradlo to the acaffold, her life was one of caro, disappointment, and sorrow. Hor domestic life was not less unfortunate than her public caroer. When an infant sho was left an or phan by tho doath of hor futhor, James V. of Scotland. The infamous Henry VIII. of Ei gland r'enandod hor in marriage for h;a son Edward, who was then Bix yoars old. But tho Scotch preferred a French alliance, and when a mere girl she was married to Francia 11. of France. Tho alliance so incensed tho English that thoy joined tho Spaniard* under Chailoa V., and made war upon France. A brief life as a bride, amid wars, dangoig, and disasters, followed, when her royal husband died, it is bolioved by poison administered by his own mother. The Borrowing young widow turneel in hor allliction to the home of her childhood, and soon after returned to Scotland. In the suite which accompanied her from France waa a man named Chatelaid. He was well bred, a thorough acholar, and a poet of no mean ability. He acted for some timo as her private secretary, and finally bocamo vory much attached to her, and poured forth his passion in burning ver»es, which he road to hor. Sho having no idea, she afterward allogod, that the sontiment meant anything* more than poetic gallantry and liconso, not only failed to rebuke tho freedom, but actually praised tho poetic merit of the effort. This complacence, on her part, gavo Chatelard reason to believe his paesion was to some extent returned, and he was so emboldened that he on one occasion ontorod her private apartmonts and concealed himself, waiting for hor to retire. But ho was discovered, summarily ejected, a.id for bidden by Mary to over entor her presence again. Some nights after, as she was going to her room, ho boldly followed and entered with hor. Sho instantly called for help, and her attendants came to hor aid. Chatelard protested that all ho wanted was to explain and apologise for his coming into hor room previously, and ask her to forgive him. Bho refused to hear his apology, and ho waa takon to prison. In a few days ho waa tried and condemned to be beheaded. The excitement and enthusiasm of his love continued to the last. He was firm and undaunted on the scaffold, and juat bofore ho laid his head on tho block he turnod his face toward the palace where Mary was living, waved his hand, and exclaimed :

"Farewell, loveliest and most oruel princess tho world contains, farewell." Whon sho ascondod tho throne of Scotland the subjoot of hor second marriage and tho succession becamo a matter of much importance not only to horsolf, but also to England. Elizabeth dreaded to have her form an alliance with any of tho powerful Catholic sovereigns of Europo, foarin. that it might lead to furious wars, and jeopardise the national faith. Sho, thoroforo, secretly thwarted all negotiations having in view the marriage of the Scottish queen with any of tho roigning families of tho continent. Finally, finding that tho Scots were clamouring for her marriage, Elizabeth resolved, as alio could not defeat the matrimonial project, to furnish her with a husband. Lord Darnloy waa the instrument sho had choaon to fill this relation, fie was a weak, vain, unprincipled man, possessed of too Httlo intollect to ovor bocome a dangerous opponent to England's pretensions. The raarriago was unhappy for Mary, and tears of bitter misery followed.

Darnloywasblindlyjealous of nearly alltho queen's attendants, and especially of one, Rizzio This person was an Italian by birth, but had spent most of his lifo at the French court. Ho was woll-oducatod,accomplished, and able ; and though of humble birth, ho had risen from the position of musician to the queen to bo hor confidential advisor. His honosty, faithfulness, and good judgment had won the gratitude of hia queen, and. he waa more frequently conaultcd than any of hor ministers, and hia advice more frequently followod. On aome quoation of policy hisadvice was theoppositeofDarnloj's, whose opinion waa rejected. This result fired Darnloy with the deepest indignation For a long time there had beoa a growing coldness between the hmband and wife, and her replies to Darnley's remonstrances eorely wounded hia vanity, and fired him with a determination to remove from hia path the man whose influence with his wife so far transcended his own, Tho task wag not difficult of accomplish ment. Rizzio's influence had long been tbe cause of much ill-feeling on tho part of many courtiers, who were deeply incensed to see a foreign adventurer assume such an influential position, to the almost entire exclusion of tho native nobility. This class did not fail to fan the flames of Darnley's discontent. Not only did they arouse anger by appealing to his wounded vanity and pride, but they imported a sharper sting to his resentment by persuading him that Rizzo oce i{ Ld a more intimate relation to the queen than that of counsellor or secretary. The plot for the destruction of the hated intruder immediately took chape. Day by day tho circle of the conspirators enlarged, and the web closed more securely around the doomed man. The more prudent of the conspirators, however, knowing Darnley's vaoillating nature and daugerous duplicity, made a condition that before they entered the conspiracy he should sign a paper in which he assumed all the responsibility of the undertaking and relieved hia accomplices from all guilt in tbe conspiracy. The design, so wicked in itself, was rendered doubly so by the barbarous circumstances attending its execution.

Late in the evening of the Bth of May, 1558, the queen was at Bupper in her private apartmentß attended by a few of her most intimate friends and confidants. Rizzio was of the company, and was earnestly diecuSßing some points of public policy, to which the queen was intently listening, when the_ door of a private pasaage-way leading into the room was suddenly thrown open, and Darnley entered, fully armed, and with a look of such terrib'.e ferocity that the whole company started to their feet in bewilderment and fright. Darnley crossed the room rapidly, without uttering a word, and stood at the back, of the queen's chair. She arose, and in a tone of deep resentment demanded why he had thn3 forced himself _ into her presence, and in such threatening attire. Eie she had finished speaking, Lord Ruthven, Douglas, and the other conspirators, all fully armed, rushed into the room and advanced to ■ the tablo at which the frightened guesta were still standing. The queen, now thoroughly alarmed, begged to know the object of the rude intrusion. Darnley assured her that no violence was intended against her person. "But," said he, pointing to Rizzio, who stool pale and trembling before him, " that accursed villian must die !"

The unfortunate favourite being unarmed, and seeing no avenue of escapi, was thrown into a paroxysm of the most abject and unmanly fear. He begged piteously of the infuriated aseaßsinß for mercy. Finding his appeals unhceJed, he turned to the queen, ran behind ber, thi ew his arms about her waist, all the while calling frantically for her to save him.

The frightened and bewildered woman protected him to her utmoat, and with cries, menaces, and entreaties, endeavoured to keep the murderers off. But they, mad with rage, and impatient at her resistance, rudely seized her, r tore the terrified secretary from her protecticn, and sought to stab him on the spot. But his frantic struggles, as he flew from one' side of the apartment to the other, prolonged his existence ; and the queen, breaking away from those who endeavored to restrain her,

again and again flew to hisassietance, throwing herself between him and his assailants, and shielding him witli her person from their murdtrjus blows.

The ladies, and ether guests, who were supping with her majesty, ran shrinking from the room at the commencement a.f the murderous struggle, and hastened to alarm tho guards of the household. But the conspirators had provided against any such contingency, and it was found that the sentinol had either been removed or corrupted, and heard with indifference of the death struggle going on in the royal chamber. Meanwhile the assassins urged forward the work of death. This violence had overturned everything which had impeded the execution of the sanguinary plot, and the disorder and confusion increased tho horror of tho scone. Itizzio had boon wounded, and his warm blood saturated tho rich carpet, and tho robes of the queen who waa protecting him, were dripping with it, At last Douglas, snatching a dagger from Darnley's hand, went up to Rizzio, who was standing behind Mary, and reaching over her shoulder, planted the weapon full in his breast.

The blood gushed out staining the white arms and shoulders of tho queen, who instantly fainted. She waa then borne from the room, when the assassins fell upon tho object of their malice, and soon atabbed him to death.

When he was found by tho guard, an hour after, he was lying upon hia face, at tho threshold of the door, with fifty-six ghastly wounds upon his person. When the unhappy queen was restored to consciousness, and realised the terrible truth, sho burst into tears, and at once despatched a messenger to ascertain the fate of hor favourito secretaiy. When ho returned with the sickening report, she instantly dried her tears ; her features, usually so gonial and mild, assumed a look of cold austerity which fairly frightened hor attendants. In a low, determined tone sho said :

" I will woop no more ; heroaf tor I must think only of revenge."

The murdorod Kizzio was buried with distinguished honoura, and a suporh monument ordered to be erected over hia remains. Tho monument, however, was never omplotod. Having buried the dead, and calmed the agony of hor grlof, ehe turned to puniah the assassins. II- r army advanced upon Edinburgh, whore they had taken rofugo, and thoy were compelled to fly into England. After a short time her anger waa softened, hor natural Kindness of heart asserted itself, and she permitted their return. To all but her husband she expressed her partial forgiveneip. But towards him hor resentment soomed implacable. Hia violation of every tie of gratitude and duty, hie duplicity, jealouey, and cruelty had drawn upon him her sharpest reproof, and she daily gave him tho strongest evidonco of her displeasure, and even disgust. She encouraged her courtiers to neglect him, and restricted him to so mean an equipage and bo small a train of attendants as te draw on him the contempt of both the nobility and the populace. To such a atato of desperation waa he reduced by those indignities that he resolved to escape from the country and seek a refuge in France A vessel waa provided, and all tho arrangements made for the voyage, whon a diiigorouß illness thwarted the do sign. In January, 1507, whilo he was lodging in a ea'.itary house known as the Kirk of Fiold, the town was startled at midnight oy a violent explosion. An investigation discovered that tho king's house had been blown to atoms, and his doad body was found in a neighbouring field, whither it had beon thrown by the force of the exjljsion. It was afterward shown that hie murder had been planned and executed by the Earl of Bothwell, an unprincipled and ambitious man, who Btood well with the queen, and who bad committed tho crime that he might pave the way to bocoino her hu«band's successor. Ha aucceoded—waa married to the widowed queen, but subsequently, when his crime was discovered, was driven from tho country, lived some yeara in privacy, finally wout to Denmark, where he waa thrown into prison, loat hia reaaon, and, in 1577, died raisur-bly in rage and filth, a raving maniac. Hia coinpaniona in the murder were apprehended and executod, all confessing their guilt. Fifteen yoars after, having endured imprisonment, suffering, misfortune, and sorrow, Mary horsolf was behoadod, thus complotine a paries of minfortuuoi almuil without parallel in history.