historic girls- 第23部分

seditious　and　rebellious　intent　even　among　the　king's　kith　and

kin；　whom　lie　traitorously　sought　to　wed；his　royal　and　younger

sister；nay；　start'　not　my　lady's　grace！〃　exclaimed　the　dragon

quickly；　as　Elizabeth　turned　upon　him　a　look　of　sudden　and

haughty　surprise。　〃All　is　known！　And　this　is　the　ending　of　my

wondrous　tale。　My　Lord　Seymour　of　Sudleye　is　this　day　taken　for

high　treason　and　haled＇1＇　to　the　Tower。　They　of　your　own

household　are　held　as　accomplice　to　the　Lord　Admiral's　wicked

intent；　and　you；　Lady　Elizabeth　Tudor；　are　by　order　of　the

council　to　be　restrained　in　prison　wards　in　this　your　manor　of

Hatfield　until　such　time　as　the　king's　Majesty　and　the　honorable

council　shall　decide。　This　on　your　allegiance！〃



＇1＇　Haleddragged；　forcibly　conveyed。





The　cry　of　terror　that　the　dragon's　words　awoke；　died　into

silence　as　the　Lady　Elizabeth　rose　to　her　feet；　flushed　with

anger。



〃Is　this　a　fable　or　the　posy　of　a　ring；　Sir　Dragon？〃　she　said；

sharply。　〃Do　you　come　to　try　or　tempt　me；　or　is　this　perchance

but　some　part　of　my　Lord　of　Misrule's　Yule…tide　mumming？　'Sblood；

sir；　only　cravens　sneak　behind　masks　to　strike　and　threaten。　Have

off　your　disguise；　if　you　be　a　true　man；　or；　by　my　word　as

Princess　of　England；　he　shall　bitterly　rue　the　day　who　dares　to

befool　the　daughter　of　Henry　Tudor！〃



〃As　you　will；　then；　my　lady；〃　said　the　dragon。　〃Do　you　doubt　me

now？〃　and；　tearing　off　his　pasteboard　wrapping；　he　stood

disclosed　before　them　all　as　the　grim　Sir　Robert　Trywhitt；　chief

examiner　of　the　Lord　Protector's　council。　〃Move　not　at　your

peril；〃　he　said；　as　a　stir　in　the　throng　seemed　to　indicate　the

presence　of　some　brave　spirits　who　would　have　shielded　their

young　princess。　〃Master　Feodary；　bid　your　varlets　stand　to　their

arms。〃



And　at　a　word　from　Master　Avery　Mitchell；　late　Lord　of　Misrule；

there　flashed　from　beneath　the　cloaks　of　certain　tall　figures　on

the　circle's　edge　the　halberds　of　the　guard。　The　surprise　was

complete。　The　Lady　Elizabeth　was　a　prisoner　in　her　own

manor…house；　and　the　Yule…tide　revels　had　reached　a　sudden　and

sorry　ending。



And　yet；　once　again；　under　this　false　accusation；　did　the　hot

spirit　of　the　Tudors　flame　in　the　face　and　speech　of　the　Princess

Elizabeth。



〃Sir　Robert　Trywhitt；〃　cried　the　brave　young　girl；　〃these　be　but

lying　rumors　that　do　go　against　my　honor　and　my　fealty。　God

knoweth　they　be　shameful　slanders；　sir；　for　the　which；　besides

the　desire　I　have　to　see　the　King's　Majesty；　I　pray　you　let　me

also　be　brought　straight　before　the　court　that　I　may　disprove

these　perjured　tongues。〃



But　her　appeal　was　not　granted。　For　months　she　was　kept　close

prisoner　at　Hatfield　House；　subject　daily　to　most　rigid

cross…examination　by　Sir　Robert　Trywhitt　for　the　purpose　of

implicating　her　if　possible　in　the　Lord　Admiral's　plot。　But　all

in　vain；　and　at　last　even　Sir　Robert　gave　up　the　attempt；　and

wrote　to　the　council　that　〃the　Lady　Elizabeth　hath　a　good　wit；

and　nothing　is　gotten　of　her　but　by　great　policy。〃



Lord　Seymour　of　Sudleye；　was　beheaded　for　treason　on　Tower　Hill；

and　others；　implicated　in　his　plots；　were　variously　punished；　but

even　〃great　policy〃　cannot　squeeze　a　lie　out　of　the　truth；　and

Elizabeth　was　finally　declared　free　of　the　stain　of　treason。



Experience；　which　is　a　hard　teacher；　often　brings　to　light　the

best　that　is　in　us。　It　was　so　in　this　case。　For；　as　one　writer

says：　〃The　long　and　harassing　ordeal　disclosed　the　splendid

courage；　the　reticence；　the　rare　discretion；　which　were　to　carry

the　Princess　through　many　an　awful　peril　in　the　years　to　come。

Probably　no　event　of　her　early　girlhood　went　so　far　toward　making

a　woman　of　Elizabeth　as　did　this　miserable　affair。〃



Within　ten　years　thereafter　the　Lady　Elizabeth　ascended　the

throne　of　England。　Those　ten　years　covered　many　strange　events；

many　varying　fortunesthe　death　of　her　brother；　the　boy　King

Edward；　the　sad　tragedy　of　Lady　Jane　Grey；　Wyatt's　rebellion；　the

tanner's　revolt；　and　all　the　long　horror　of　the　reign　of　〃Bloody

Mary。〃　You　may　read　of　all　this　in　history；　and　may　see　how；

through　it　all；　the　young　princess　grew　still　more　firm　of　will；

more　self…reliant；　wise；　and　strong；　developing　all　those

peculiar　qualities　that　helped　to　make　her　England's　greatest

queen；　and　one　of　the　most　wonderful　women　in　history。　But

through　all　her　long　and　most　historic　life；a　life　of　over

seventy　years；　forty…five　of　which　were　passed　as　England's

queen；scarce　any　incident　made　so　lasting　an　impression　upon

her　as　when；　in　Hatfield　House；　the　first　shock　of　the　false

charge　of　treason　fell　upon　the　thoughtless　girl　of　fifteen　in

the　midst　of　the　Christmas　revels。







CHRISTINA　OF　SWEDEN：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　NORTHERN　FIORDS。



A。D。　1636。



There　were　tears　and　trouble　in　Stockholm；　there　was　sorrow　in

every　house　and　hamlet　in　Sweden；　there　was　consternation

throughout　Protestant　Europe。　Gustavus　Adolphus　was　dead！　The

〃Lion　of　the　North〃　had　fallen　on　the　bloody　and　victorious　field

of　Lutzen；　and　only　a　very　small　girl　of　six　stood　as　the

representative　of　Sweden's　royalty。



The　States　of　Swedenthat　is；　the　representatives　of　the

different　sections　and　peoples　of　the　kingdomgathered　in　haste

within　the　Riddarhaus；　or　Hall　of　Assembly；　in　Stockholm。　There

was　much　anxious　controversy　over　the　situation。　The　nation　was

in　desperate　strait；　and　some　were　for　one　thing　and　some　were

for　another。　There　was　even　talk　of　making　the　government　a

republic；　like　the　state　of　Venice；　and　the　supporters　of　the

king　of　Poland；　cousin　to　the　dead　King　Gustavus；　openly

advocated　his　claim　to　the　throne。



But　the　Grand　Chancellor；　Axel　Oxenstiern；　one　of　Sweden's

greatest　statesmen；　acted　promptly。



〃Let　there　be　no　talk　between　us；〃　he　said；　〃of　Venetian

republics　or　of　Polish　kings。　We　have　but　one　kingthe　daughter

of　the　immortal　Gustavus！〃



Then　up　spoke　one　of　the　leading　representatives　of　the　peasant

class；　Lars　Larsson；　the　deputy　from　the　western　fiords。



〃Who　is　this　daughter　of　Gustavus？〃　he　demanded。　〃How　do　we　know

this　is　no　trick　of　yours；　Axel　Oxenstiern？　How　do　we　know　that

King　Gustavus　has　a　daughter？　We　have　never　seen　her。〃



〃You　shall　see　her　at　once；〃　replied　the　Chancellor；　and　leaving

the　Hall　for　an　instant；　he　returned　speedily；　leading　a　little

girl　by　the　hand。　With　a　sudden　movement　he　lifted　her　to　the

seat　of　the　high　silver　throne　that　could　only　be　occupied　by　the

kings　of　Sweden。



〃Swedes；　behold　your　king！〃



Lars　Larsson；　the　deputy；　pressed　close　to　the　throne　on　which

the　small　figure　perched　silent；　yet　with　a　defiant　little　look

upon　her　face。



〃She　hath　the　face　of　the　Grand　Gustavus；〃　he　said。　〃Look；

brothers；　the　nose；　the　eyes；　the　very　brows　are　his。〃



〃Aye；〃　said　Oxenstiern；　〃and　she　is　a　soldier's　daughter。　I

myself　did　see　her；　when　scarce　three　years　old；　clap　her　tiny

hands　and　laugh　aloud　when　the　guns　of　Calmar　fortress　thundered

a　salute。　'She　must　learn　to　bear　it；'　said　Gustavus　our　king；

'she　is　a　soldier's　daughter。'　〃



〃Hail；　Christina！〃　shouted　the　assembly；　won　by　the　proud　bearing

of　the　little　girl　and　by　her　likeness　to　her　valiant　father。　〃We

will　have　her　and　only　her　for　our　queen！〃



〃Better　yet；　brothers；〃　cried　Lars　Larsson；　now　her　most　loyal

supporter；　〃she　sits　upon　the　throne　of　the　kings；　let　her　be

proclaimed　King　of　Sweden。〃



And　so　it　was　done。　And　with　their　wavering　loyalty　kindled　into

a　sudden　flame；　the　States　of　Sweden　〃gave　a　mighty　shout〃　and

cried　as　one　man；　〃Hail；　Christina；　King　of　Sweden！〃



There　was　strong　objection　in　Sweden　to　the　rule　of　a　woman；　and

the　education　of　this　little　girl　was　rather　that　of　a　prince

than　of　a　princess。　She　was　taught　to　ride　and　to　shoot；　to　hunt

and　to　fence；　to　undertake　all　of　a　boy's　exercises；　and　to

endure　all　a　boy's　privations。　She　could　bring　down　a　hare；　at

the　first　shot；　from　the　back　of　a　galloping　horse；　she　could

outride　the　most　expert　huntsman　in　her　train。



So　she　grew　from　childhood　into　girlhood；　and　at　thirteen　was　as

bold　and　fearless；　as　wilful　and　self…possessed　as　any　young

fellow　of　twenty…one。　But　besides　all　this　she　was　a　wonderful

scholar；　indeed；　she　would　be　accounted　remarkable　even　in　these

days　of　bright　girl…graduates。　At　thirteen　she　was　a　thorough

Greek　scholar；　she　was　learned　in　mathematics　and　astronomy；　the

classics；　history；　and　philosophy；　and　she　acquired　of　her　own

accord　German；　Italian；　Spanish；　and　French。



Altogether；　this　girl　Queen　of　the　North　was　as　strange　a

compound　of　scholar　and　hoyden；　pride　and　carelessness；　ambition

and　indifference；　culture　and　rudeness；　as　ever；　before　her　time

or　since；　were　combined　in　the　nature　of　a　girl　of　thirteen。　And

it　is　thus　that　our　story　finds　her。



One　raw　October　morning　in　the　year　1639；　there　was　stir　and

excitement　at　the　palace　in　Stockholm。　A　courier　had　arrived

bearing　important　dispatches　to　the　Council　of　Regents　which

governed　Sweden　during　the　minority　of　the　Queen；　and　there　was

no　one　to　officially　meet　him。



Closely　following　the　lackey　who　received　him；　the　courier　strode

into　the　council…room　of　the　palace。　But　the　council…room　was

vacant。



It　was　not　a　very　elegant　apartment；　this　council…room　of　the

palace　of　the　kings　of　Sweden。　Although　a　royal　apartment；　its

appearance　was　ample　proof　that　the　art　of　decoration　was　as　yet

unknown　in　Sweden。　The　room　was　untidy　and　disordered；　the

council…table　was　strewn　with　the　ungathered　litter　of　the　last

day's　council；　and　even　the　remains　of　a　coarse　lunch　mingled

with　all　this　clutter。　The　uncomfortable…looking　chairs　all　were

out　of　place；　and　above　the　table　was　a　sort　of　temporary　canopy

to　prevent　the　dust　and　spiders'　webs　upon　the　ceiling　from

dropping　upon　the　councillors。



The　courier　ga