kenilworth- 第1部分

Kenilworth

by　Walter　Scott






INTRODUCTION

A　certain　degree　of　success；　real　or　supposed；　in　the　delineation
of　Queen　Mary；　naturally　induced　the　author　to　attempt　something
similar　respecting　〃her　sister　and　her　foe；〃　the　celebrated
Elizabeth。　　He　will　not；　however；　pretend　to　have　approached　the
task　with　the　same　feelings；　for　the　candid　Robertson　himself
confesses　having　felt　the　prejudices　with　which　a　Scottishman　is
tempted　to　regard　the　subject；　and　what　so　liberal　a　historian
avows；　a　poor　romance…writer　dares　not　disown。　　But　he　hopes　the
influence　of　a　prejudice；　almost　as　natural　to　him　as　his　native
air；　will　not　be　found　to　have　greatly　affected　the　sketch　he　has
attempted　of　England's　Elizabeth。　　I　have　endeavoured　to　describe
her　as　at　once　a　high…minded　sovereign；　and　a　female　of
passionate　feelings；　hesitating　betwixt　the　sense　of　her　rank　and
the　duty　she　owed　her　subjects　on　the　one　hand；　and　on　the　other
her　attachment　to　a　nobleman；　who；　in　external　qualifications　at
least；　amply　merited　her　favour。　　The　interest　of　the　story　is
thrown　upon　that　period　when　the　sudden　death　of　the　first
Countess　of　Leicester　seemed　to　open　to　the　ambition　of　her
husband　the　opportunity　of　sharing　the　crown　of　his　sovereign。

It　is　possible　that　slander；　which　very　seldom　favours　the
memories　of　persons　in　exalted　stations；　may　have　blackened　the
character　of　Leicester　with　darker　shades　than　really　belonged　to
it。　　But　the　almost　general　voice　of　the　times　attached　the　most
foul　suspicions　to　the　death　of　the　unfortunate　Countess；　more
especially　as　it　took　place　so　very　opportunely　for　the
indulgence　of　her　lover's　ambition。　　If　we　can　trust　Ashmole's
Antiquities　of　Berkshire；　there　was　but　too　much　ground　for　the
traditions　which　charge　Leicester　with　the　murder　of　his　wife。
In　the　following　extract　of　the　passage；　the　reader　will　find　the
authority　I　had　for　the　story　of　the　romance：

〃At　the　west　end　of　the　church　are　the　ruins　of　a　manor；
anciently　belonging　（as　a　cell；　or　place　of　removal；　as　some
report）　to　the　monks　of　Abington。　　At　the　Dissolution；　the　said
manor；　or　lordship；　was　conveyed　to　one　　Owen　（I　believe）；　the
possessor　of　Godstow　then。

〃In　the　hall；　over　the　chimney；　I　find　Abington　arms　cut　in
stonenamely；　a　patonee　between　four　martletts；　and　also　another
escutcheonnamely；　a　lion　rampant；　and　several　mitres　cut　in
stone　about　the　house。　　There　is　also　in　the　said　house　a　chamber
called　Dudley's　chamber；　where　the　Earl　of　Leicester's　wife　was
murdered；　of　which　this　is　the　story　following：

〃Robert　Dudley；　Earl　of　Leicester；　a　very　goodly　personage；　and
singularly　well　featured；　being　a　great　favourite　to　Queen
Elizabeth；　it　was　thought；　and　commonly　reported；　that　had　he
been　a　bachelor　or　widower；　the　Queen　would　have　made　him　her
husband；　to　this　end；　to　free　himself　of　all　obstacles；　he
commands；　or　perhaps；　with　fair　flattering　entreaties；　desires
his　wife　to　repose　herself　here　at　his　servant　Anthony　Forster's
house；　who　then　lived　in　the　aforesaid　manor…house；　and　also
prescribes　to　Sir　Richard　Varney　（a　prompter　to　this　design）；　at
his　coming　hither；　that　he　should　first　attempt　to　poison　her；
and　if　that　did　not　take　effect；　then　by　any　other　way　whatsoever
to　dispatch　her。　　This；　it　seems；　was　proved　by　the　report　of　Dr。
Walter　Bayly；　sometime　fellow　of　New　College；　then　living　in
Oxford；　and　professor　of　physic　in　that　university；　whom；　because
he　would　not　consent　to　take　away　her　life　by　poison；　the　Earl
endeavoured　to　displace　him　the　court。　　This　man；　it　seems；
reported　for　most　certain　that　there　was　a　practice　in　Cumnor
among　the　conspirators；　to　have　poisoned　this　poor　innocent　lady；
a　little　before　she　was　killed；　which　was　attempted　after　this
manner：They　seeing　the　good　lady　sad　and　heavy　（as　one　that
well　knew；　by　her　other　handling；　that　her　death　was　not　far
off）；　began　to　persuade　her　that　her　present　disease　was
abundance　of　melancholy　and　other　humours；　etc。；　and　therefore
would　needs　counsel　her　to　take　some　potion；　which　she　absolutely
refusing　to　do；　as　still　suspecting　the　worst；　whereupon　they
sent　a　messenger　on　a　day　（unawares　to　her）　for　Dr。　Bayly；　and
entreated　him　to　persuade　her　to　take　some　little　potion　by　his
direction；　and　they　would　fetch　the　same　at　Oxford；　meaning　to
have　added　something　of　their　own　for　her　comfort；　as　the　doctor
upon　just　cause　and　consideration　did　suspect；　seeing　their　great
importunity；　and　the　small　need　the　lady　had　of　physic；　and
therefore　he　peremptorily　denied　their　request；　misdoubting　（as
he　afterwards　reported）　lest；　if　they　had　poisoned　her　under　the
name　of　his　potion；　he　might　after　have　been　hanged　for　a　colour
of　their　sin；　and　the　doctor　remained　still　well　assured　that
this　way　taking　no　effect；　she　would　not　long　escape　their
violence；　which　afterwards　happened　thus。　　For　Sir　Richard　Varney
abovesaid　（the　chief　projector　in　this　design）；　who；　by　the
Earl's　order；　remained　that　day　of　her　death　alone　with　her；　with
one　man　only　and　Forster；　who　had　that　day　forcibly　sent　away　all
her　servants　from　her　to　Abington　market；　about　three　miles
distant　from　this　place；　they　（I　say；　whether　first　stifling　her；
or　else　strangling　her）　afterwards　flung　her　down　a　pair　of
stairs　and　broke　her　neck；　using　much　violence　upon　her；　but；
however；　though　it　was　vulgarly　reported　that　she　by　chance　fell
downstairs　（but　still　without　hurting　her　hood　that　was　upon　her
head）；　yet　the　inhabitants　will　tell　you　there　that　she　was
conveyed　from　her　usual　chamber　where　she　lay；　to　another　where
the　bed's　head　of　the　chamber　stood　close　to　a　privy　postern
door；　where　they　in　the　night　came　and　stifled　her　in　her　bed；
bruised　her　head　very　much　broke　her　neck；　and　at　length　flung
her　down　stairs；　thereby　believing　the　world　would　have　thought
it　a　mischance；　and　so　have　blinded　their　villainy。　　But　behold
the　mercy　and　justice　of　God　in　revenging　and　discovering　this
lady's　murder；　for　one　of　the　persons　that　was　a　coadjutor　in
this　murder　was　afterwards　taken　for　a　felony　in　the　marches　of
Wales；　and　offering　to　publish　the　manner　of　the　aforesaid
murder；　was　privately　made　away　in　the　prison　by　the　Earl's
appointment；　and　Sir　Richard　Varney　the　other；　dying　about　the
same　time　in　London；　cried　miserably；　and　blasphemed　God；　and
said　to　a　person　of　note　（who　hath　related　the　same　to　others
since）；　not　long　before　his　death；　that　all　the　devils　in　hell
did　tear　him　in　pieces。　　Forster；　likewise；　after　this　fact；
being　a　man　formerly　addicted　to　hospitality；　company；　mirth；　and
music；　was　afterwards　observed　to　forsake　all　this；　and　with　much
melancholy　and　pensiveness　（some　say　with　madness）　pined　and
drooped　away。　　The　wife　also　of　Bald　Butter；　kinsman　to　the　Earl；
gave　out　the　whole　fact　a　little　before　her　death。　　Neither　are
these　following　passages　to　be　forgotten；　that　as　soon　as　ever
she　was　murdered；　they　made　great　haste　to　bury　her　before　the
coroner　had　given　in　his　inquest　（which　the　Earl　himself
condemned　as　not　done　advisedly）；　which　her　father；　or　Sir　John
Robertsett　（as　I　suppose）；　hearing　of；　came　with　all　speed
hither；　caused　her　corpse　to　be　taken　up；　the　coroner　to　sit　upon
her；　and　further　inquiry　to　be　made　concerning　this　business　to
the　full；　but　it　was　generally　thought　that　the　Earl　stopped　his
mouth；　and　made　up　the　business　betwixt　them；　and　the　good　Earl；
to　make　plain　to　the　world　the　great　love　he　bare　to　her　while
alive；　and　what　a　grief　the　loss　of　so　virtuous　a　lady　was　to　his
tender　heart；　caused　（though　the　thing；　by　these　and　other　means；
was　beaten　into　the　heads　of　the　principal　men　of　the　University
of　Oxford）　her　body　to　be　reburied　in　St；　Mary's　Church　in
Oxford；　with　great　pomp　and　solemnity。　　It　is　remarkable；　when
Dr。　Babington；　the　Earl's　chaplain；　did　preach　the　funeral
sermon；　he　tript　once　or　twice　in　his　speech；　by　recommending　to
their　memories　that　virtuous　lady　so　pitifully　murdered；　instead
of　saying　pitifully　slain。　　This　Earl；　after　all　his　murders　and
poisonings；　was　himself　poisoned　by　that　which　was　prepared　for
others　（some　say　by　his　wife　at　Cornbury　Lodge　before　mentioned）；
though　Baker　in　his　Chronicle　would　have　it　at　Killingworth；　anno
1588。〃　　＇Ashmole's　Antiquities　of　Berkshire；　vol。i。；　p。149。　　The
tradition　as　to　Leicester's　death　was　thus　communicated　by　Ben
Jonson　to　Drummond　of　Hawthornden：〃The　Earl　of　Leicester　gave
a　bottle　of　liquor　to　his　Lady；　which　he　willed　her　to　use　in　any
faintness；　which　she；　after　his　returne　from　court；　not　knowing
it　was　poison；　gave　him；　and　so　he　died。〃BEN　JONSON'S
INFORMATION　TO　DRUMMOND　OF　HAWTHORNDEN；　MS。；　SIR　ROBERT　SIBBALD'S
COPY。＇

The　same　accusation　has　been　adopted　and　circulated　by　the　author
of　Leicester's　Commonwealth；　a　satire　written　directly　against
the　Earl　of　Leicester；　which　loaded　him　with　the　most　horrid
crimes；　and；　among　the　rest；　with　the　murder　of　his　first　wife。
It　was　alluded　to　in　the　Yorkshire　Tragedy；　a　play　erroneously
ascribed　to　Shakespeare；　where　a　baker；　who　determines　to　destroy
all　his　family；　throws　his　wife　downstairs；　with　this　allusion　to
the　supposed　murder　of　Leicester's　lady；

　　〃The　only　way　to　charm　a　woman's　tongue
　　Is；　break　her　necka　politician　did　it。〃

The　reader　will　find　I　have　borrowed　several　incidents　as　well　as
names　from　Ashmole；　and　the　more　early　authorities；　but　my　first
acquaintance　with　the　history　was　through　the　more　pleasing
medium　of　verse。　　There　is　a　period　in　youth　when　the　mere　power
of　numbers　has　a　more　strong　effect　on　ear　and　imagination　than
in　more　advanced　life。　　At　this　season　of　immature　taste；　the
author　was　greatly　delighted　with　the　poems　of　Mickle　and
Langhorne；　poets　who；　though　by　no　means　deficient　in　the　higher
branches　of　their　art；　were　eminent　for　their　powers　of　verbal
melody　above　most　who　have　practised　this　department　of　poetry。
One　of　those　pieces　of　Mickle；　which　the　author　was　particularly
pleased　with；　is　a　ballad；　or　rather　a　species　of　elegy；　on　the
subject　of　Cumnor　Hall；　which；　with　others　by　the　same　author；
was　to　be　found　in　Evans's　Ancient　Ballads　（vol。　iv。；　page　130）；