MARY STUART’S ACCOUNT OF RICCIO’S MURDER.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 2502, 6 September 1890, Page 6

MARY STUART’S ACCOUNT OF RICCIO’S MURDER.

A NEW DOCUMENT. One of the most curious documents in the eighth volume of the State papers and manuscripts rotating to English' affairs in the Venetian archives, which has just been published, is ( Truth says) a letter of Mary Queen of Scots to the King of France, giving an account of the murder of Riccio. The Queen writes : “ On the Oth of the month, we being at supper in private about the seventh hour in our cabinet, accompanied by our sister tho Countess of Argyle ; our brother, the commander of Sta. Croche, and others of oar domestic servants, because, on account of our indisposition and as the seventh month of our pregnancy was almost accomplished, we had been advised to eat meat, the king our husband came to visit us, and seated himself by our side. Meanwhile tho Earl of Moreton and Lord Lindsay, with their followers, to the number of 100 persons, occupied and took possession of all the entrances and exits of our palace, so that they believed it was impossible for anyone to escape thence alive. During this interval of time, Lord Ruthven, fully armed, with others of liis followers, dared to enter by force into our apartments and cabinet, and perceiving our secretary, David Rieeio, there, with other servants of ours, said that he desired to speak with him immediately. At tlio same moment we inquired of the king, our husband, if he knew anything concerning this proceeding, and when he answered us in the negative, we ordered Lord RuttaYen to quit our presence nndor penalty of being deemed, a traitor, and said that wo would deal with David Riccio, and causo him to be punished if he had been guilty of any offence. Nevertheless Ruthven, by foroe, in our presence, seized David, who for his safety and defrree had retired behind our person, and a portion ot Ruthven* s folio were, surrounding us with arquebuses in hand and muzzles levelled, D av id with groat cruelty forth from our cabinet, aud at tho of our chamber dealt him fifty-six dagger wounds, at which act wo remained not only wonderstricken and astounded, but had groat cause to fear for our life. . . The Trovost of Hamburgh, hearing the tumult raised iu our palace, caused the bells to be sounded with hammers, and came to our palace to our succour, accompanied by a large band of armed men, and asked to speak with-us and to know how we had fared. To this inquiry wo were not permittt.-d to givo any reply, because we were violently threatened by the conspirators, who said to our face that if we endeavoured to speak they would throw us over the walls in pieces, in order to make steaks of us. The king, our husband, t-hea* ordered these people to retire. All night long we were kept prisoners in our chamber, with scarcely even the opportunity of speaking with our maid-servants.