The Greatest Works of Charles Carleton Coffin. Charles Carleton Coffin
Читать онлайн книгу.
to murder Darnley, and connived at the crime. Her instructor, George Buchanan, writes a pamphlet, in which he sets forth her guilt. He also writes a pamphlet entitled "De Jure Regni" — the Right to Rule. He begins by asking this question, "What is the source of power?" This is his answer:
"The will of the people is the only legitimate source of power."
It is a discovery for which the world has been waiting. Possibly some other man may have thought the same; but George Buchanan puts his thought into print. There is not a king, queen, pope, or priest who will agree with him.
"It originates from a natural, instinctive perception of the principle that men, to have government, must have a governor, and the same principle gives them the right to say who shall govern them."
Kings say that they are appointed by God to rule — their right is divine.
"The people have a right to choose their rulers, and, if they prove to be bad, they have the right to depose them."
The world never heard such a doctrine before. People in England read Buchanan's pamphlet, and begin to take new views of their relations to their rulers. The nobles of Scotland, to carry out the teachings of Buchanan, resolve to compel Mary to resign the crown in favor of her babe, who is not a year old. Two of them visit Mary at Loch Leven, and inform her that she must lay down the sceptre. Of all the sad days of her life, this is one of the saddest. She protests — she pleads with them, with tears; but they are inexorable. We are not to think of the nobles as acting in behalf of the people. Many years must pass before the people will have a voice in government. But if she resigns, the baby will be crowned king, and the nobles, for a long period of years, will be in power, in the baby's name. She is a prisoner, and, against her will, resigns.
On the 25th of July, 1567, Mary's baby is crowned King James VI. The ceremony is performed at Stirling Castle, in the room where, a quarter of a century before, Mary herself had been crowned. And now, through the aid of Lady Douglas's sons, Mary escapes from the Castle of Loch Leven. The nobles who believe in the Pope spring to arms, and war begins. On a hill near Dumbarton the two armies meet, and a fierce battle is fought. The ground is covered with killed and wounded; and when it is ended, Mary sees her followers scattered to the winds. She flees southward. Gladly would she find refuge in France, but there is no ship to bear her to those friendly shores. She reaches England, surrendering herself into the hands of Elizabeth, trusting that she will treat her kindly.
CHAPTER XXIV
ST. BARTHOLOMEW
CHARLES IX. of France is a weak-headed boy, and his mother, Catherine de' Medici, keeps him under her thumb. She is a wily woman. She hates the Huguenots, and would like to see the last one in France executed or driven from the kingdom. She has a plan for their extermination; yet it is not wholly hers. the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal of Lorraine are knowing to it, and so is the Pope; and all do what they can to put it in execution, they see that the Huguenots are too powerful to be crushed out in battle. They will bring about a truce, lull the Huguenots into security by fair speeches, and then crush them by stratagem. Catherine remembers that Henry of Navarre — the boy who drank wine and garlic — and her daughter Marguerite are betrothed. They are not lovers. Very few princes and princesses marry for love. Henry is willing to accept Marguerite, because it will heal, he hopes, the nation's troubles; but Marguerite is a proud-spirited girl, and means to have something to say about her own marriage.
Charles informs Marguerite that she shall marry Henry whether die does or does not like him. Jeanne and Henry come to the Palace of Blois, and Charles and his mother go out to meet them.
"I give Marguerite not only to Henry, but to the Huguenot party," says Charles.
Little do Jeanne and Henry know what is behind these words.
"I love you, my dear aunt," he says to Henry's mother.
Charles and Catherine take their leave.
"Do I play my part well?" Charles asks of his mother.
"Yes; but it will be of no use to begin, if you do not go on," Catherine replies.
What sort of going-on will it be? Such as the world never saw before, nor since.
Catherine cannot do enough for Jeanne and Henry. She bestows rich and costly presents upon them. One of her gifts to the mother is a pair of perfumed gloves. Jeanne wear's them, but in a short time is taken sick. The physicians are baffled by her disease; their medicines do no good. She grows rapidly worse, till death ends her sufferings. The physicians, when asked the cause of her death, shake their heads, or whisper the word "Poison."
The mourning for Jeanne is over, and the marriage of Henry and Marguerite is to be celebrated. All of the great men of the realm come to Paris to attend the festivities — all the Huguenot nobles, wearing; their rich dresses. Admiral Coligny, an old man, who has led the Huguenot armies to battle, comes to aid in cementing the peace.
"Don't go; you will be assassinated," say his friends.
"I confide in the word of the king."
He believes that Charles will not see him harmed. The Duke of Guise and all the Catholic chiefs are in Paris. There is a whispering between Catherine and the Catholic leaders. What is the meaning of it?
"We will not ask the Huguenots to go into the Church of Notre Dame to attend the marriage; we will have it in the street, before the door," says Charles; and the Huguenots are greatly pleased at hie efforts for conciliation.
A canopy and a platform are erected in front of the church. All Paris is there, every house-top is covered with people, every window occupied. The ladies of the court are richly robed. Drums beat; trumpets sound; the bells fill the air with their clanging; cannon thunder, and the royal procession passes through the streets to Notre Dame. The bride and bridegroom stand before thie archbishop.
"Will you take Henry to be your husband?"
Marguerite makes no reply.
"Will you take Henry to be your husband?"
She does not answer, but pouts her lips and tosses her head.
"Will you take Henry to he your husband?"
Never by look, or word, or gesture will she accept hiom. But she shall, though! That is what her brother Charles determines. He knows that she has a proud spirit; but is the marriage to stop on that account? Not if he can make it go on. He clasps Marguerite's head in his hands, and compels her to nod assent. The archbishop smiles, and the ceremony proceeds, and Margaret is married in spite of herself. Then come feastings, and tournaments, and great rejoicings; for will not this marriage, this union of the Huguenot and Catholic, heal all the divisions, and give peace to France? The Huguenots hope so. But a messenger came from the Pope a few days ago, and he has an interview with the king.
"What is the meaning of all this friendship for the heretics? the Pope asks.
"I cannot tell you; but the Pope will soon have reason to praise my zeal," is the reply of Charles.
The wedding festivities are over. The Huguenot leader, Coligny, makes ready to leave. He calls and pays his respects to the king, leaves the palace, and walks to his quarters. He is reading a letter as he passes along the street. Crack! the blood spurts from his arm and stains the paper. Some one has fired a pistol at him, and the ball has passed through his arm. He looks calmly around, and sees the smoke curling out of a window. People rush in, but no one is there; the assassin has