Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-02-25
Enc Execution of Nary Stuart.

From Troudes History of England.
At eight in the morning the Provost Mar
shall knocked at the outer door which COM
municated with her suite of apartments. 1t
was locked, and no one answered, and he
went back in'some trepidation lest the fears
might prove true which had been entertain
ed the preceding evening. On his return
ing with the Sheriff, however, few minutes
later, the door was open, and they were con-
fronted with the tall majestic figure Of Mary
Stuart standing before them in splendor.
The plain cray dress had been exchanged
for robe of satin, her jacket was of back
satin also, Iooped and slashed and trimmed
with velvet Her false hair was arranged
studiously with a Golf, and over her head
and falling down her back was white veil
of delicate lawn. crucifx of gold hung
from her neck In her hand she held cru
tiiix OF ivory, and a number of ieweled pa
ternosters attached to her girde. Led by
two of Paulet's gentlemen, the Sheriff walk
ing before her, she passed to the chamber Of
presence in which she had been tried. where
Shrewsbury, Kent, Paulot, Drury and 9th
ers were waiting to receive her Andrew
Melville, Sir Roberts brother, who had been
master of her household, was kneeling in
tears. "Melville,' she said, ''you should
rather rejoice than weep that the end of my
troubles is come. Tell my friends | die a
true Catholic. Commend me to my sor.
Tell him | have done nothing to prejudice
his kingdom of Scotland, and so, good Mel
vile, farewell" She kissed him, and turn
ing, asked for her chaplain, Du Preau. He
L., ,I
some religious melodrama, which it was
thought well to avoid. Her ladies, who had
attempted to follow her, hard been kept back
also. She could not afford to leave the ac-
count of her death to be reported by ene-
mics and Puritans, and she required assist
ance for the scene which she meditated.
Missing them, she asked the reason of their
absence, and said she wished them to see
her die. Kent said he feared they might
scream, or faint, or attempt perhaps to dip
their handkerchiefs in her blood. She nm
dertook that they should be quiet and obe-
dent "The Queen" she SAID, "would nev-
er deny her so slight request ) and when
Kent still hesitated, she added, with tears,
'You know am cousin to your Queen, OF
the blood of Henry the Seventh, married
Queen of France, and anointed Queen of
Scotland"
1t was impossible to refuse. She was al
lowed to take six of her own people with
her, and select them herself She chose her
physician, Burgoyne, Andrew Melville, the
apothecary Gorion, and her surgeon, with
two ladies', Elizabeth Kennedy and Curle's
young wife, Barbara Mowbray, whose child
she had baptized.
"Allons denc," she then said-"Let us
go"-and passing out, attended by the earls,
and leaning on the arm of an officer of the
guard, she descended the great staircase to
the hall. The news had spread far through
the country. Thousands of people were
collected outside the walls. About three
hundred knights and gentlemen Of the coun-
try had been admitted to witness the execu-
tion. The table and forms had been reno
we'd, and great wood fire was blazing. in
the chimney at the upper end OF the hal,
above the fire place, but near it stood the
scatfold, twelve feet square and two feet and
half high. 1t was covered with black
cloth low rail ran around it, covered with
black cloth also, and the Sheriil's guard Of
halberdiers we're ranged on the floor below,
on the four sides, to keep off the crowd. On
the scafIold was the block, black like the
rest a square black cushion was placed be-
hind it, and behind the cushion a black
chair; on the right were two other chairs
for the Earls. The axe leant against the
rails, and two masked figures stood like
mutes on either side at the back. The
Queen of Scots, as she swept in, seemed as
if coming to take a part in some solemn pa
geant. Not muscle of her face could be
seen to quivcr; she ascerded the scaiiold
with absolute composure, looked around her
smiling, and sat down. Shrewsbury and
Kent followed and took their places. the
Sheriff stood at her left hand, ans Beale
then mounted q platform and read the war
rant aloud.
In all the assembly Mary Stuart appear
ed the person least interested in the words
which we're cousigning her to death.
She laid her crucifx on her chair. The
chief executioner took it as a pcrquisite, but
was ordered instantly to lay il down. The
lawn veil was lifted carefully of, not to dis,
turb the hair, and was hung upon the rail
The black robe was next removed. Below
il was petticoat of crimson velvet. The
black jacket followed, and under the Jacket
was n body OF crimson satin. One Of her
ladies handed her pair of crimson sleeves,
with which she hastily covered her arms !;
and thus she stood on the black seaifold
with the black figures all around her, blood
red from head to foot.
Her reasons for adopting so extraordina-
~ costume must be left to conjecture. 1t
is only certain that it must have been care
fully studied, and that the pictorial effect
must have been appalling.
The women, whose frmness had hitherto
borne the trial, began now to give way, spas
modic sobs bursting from them which they
could not check. "Nc criez vous," she said,
"jai promis pour vous,' Struggling brave
ly, they crossed their breasts again and
again, she crossing them in turn and bid
ding them pray for her. Then she kuelt on
the cushion. Barbara Mowbray bouHd her
eyes with handkerchief. "Adieu,' she
said, smiling for the last time, and waving