The Portland daily press., 1886-01-20
OUR FOREIGN LETTER.
Especial correspondence of the PREss.]
IIn1 xr11nnr, L, A cnrr II

HOLLYWOOD CASTLE.
One day was delightfully."- spent at Holy
rood where Mary Queen of Scots was re-
ceived with such excessive joy, after having
run the gauntlet of the English spies at
Leith. Probably the life of no monarch is
more familiar nor has sympathy for suffering
been more general and lasting in the last cen
turtles than for this young and lovely queen.
The events of Hollywood at this period, and of
Mary's subsequent life are too familiar to
dwell upon. Every school girl has read fher
marriage, of the murder of Rizzio, of Mary's
fight, of her long imprisonment and sad death.
As we climbed the narrow stone stairway,
the private entrance to her chamber, we felt
as if we were going to prisoners cell rather
than the apartments of queen. Here stands
her bed, draped with the same tapestries,
battered and faded now, under which she
had slept. We stepped from here into her
tiny supping room, which is SO ugly that no
decorative hangings or furniture could take
away the bare look. 1t was here where she
loved to throw off the cares of state and the
ceremonies of the court, and, taking cup of
tea socially with few trusty friends, she
could be girl once more. As we imagined
by an atrocious assassin we could not reason
against our instructive conviction of the
monstrous injustice done her by her imperi-
Gus cousin Elizabeth. We rejoiced to have
this long cherished conviction of her inno-
cence substantiated by an incident of our
travels few weeks later. One of our par
ty paid a visit to Hatfield House, the country
seat of Lord Salisbury This manor was
built by Lord Cecil, noble statesman in the
reign of James l., and from that time its
owners have been collectors and custodians
of invaluable treasures, both heraldic and
historic.
A life sized bust of James, in bronze,
stands over the great fireplace in one of the
state apartments, which was decorated ex-
pressly to entertain his majesty. Among the
paintings was one, a lovely likeness of Mary
Queen of Scots, as she was on her arrival
from France, light-hearted and affection
ate French woman and another in striking
contrast, of the naughty and vain Elizabeth
-personating Diana, with bare bosom, and
dressed in huntress's suit, if possible to set
oft her uglinesS i'll the most exaggerated man
ner. After the gold and silver and vessels,
emblazoned with innumerable heraldic EN-
blems had been displayed to our friend, the
family librarian and trusted keeper of these
archives touched spring to secret drawer,
saying Here is the greatest gem in the
house." Taking out two stained manuscripts
he continued, Both of these have been sup
posed for ages to be the original letters of
Mary Queen of Scots; and upon them was
based the testimony before Queen Elizabeth's
court of judges, which sealed her doom. On
the edge Of these papers are clearly seen the
private mark of Lord Burleigh.
Careful students and experts have decided
the one written to Darnley is a genuine lei
ter in Mary's own hand, but revealing I'M
mistakable marks of changes and interpola-
tions of little words, while the other, adj
dressed to Boutwell,, is wicked forgery
throughout If these things are so, truly
1.-THE mills of the gods grind slowly" The
hall was filled with family portraits, run
ming back for centuries. Of them all, our
friend was most fascinated with the picture
of little girl, as sweet looking as ones
own, playing in a meadow with her pet lamb.
Our friend asked, ''Who may this little one
be?" "An ancestress of the present Mar
quis,'' was the reply. What, somebody's
grandmother" ''Yes, somebody's great
great-grandmother.'' The recollections of
this childs bewitching innocence fingered
longer with him than that of anything else in
that grand old manor Thinking on these
things on the ride to London the following
lines were suggested and written down as
a memento of day at Hatfield House
GREAT-GREAT GRANDMOTHER.
A little maiden with eyes of blue
And hair like floss which the fairies spin,
Playing the shepherdess-tell me who
OF the fairy-folk to this sprite are kin?
Over her head is a cloudless sky
Thornless the path which her small feet trace.
What if her parentage be not high,
Earth's best treasures she holds by grace.
A great-great grandmother truce to jests!
This child as sweet as a fresh blown flower:
Whose only dream of future rests
In the golden ring of sunny hour
grant you the child is lady born,
That, in her bearing, well can see.
Her glance is frank, and hint of scorn
Meseems in her full round lip may be.
great-great grandmother! What thought
To open to fancy buried door,
To coniure out of the realm of naught
Phantoms Of fair things now no more.
great great grandmother Ihat implies
A wasted cheek and a Golf of snow
And sorrow looking from patient eyes
oh world which withered long ago.
a pretty maiden with beaming eyes
And cheeks rose-tinted, is all see:-
"A far child, looking with glad surprise
On world where sorrow may never be-
NJ. C. =. b.
PICTURES Framed
In an artistic manner. New patterns Thorough
workmanship, low prices.
CYRUS r.. DAVIS.
6fO CONGRESS STREET.