4.The plot was formed principally by John Ballard，a Roman Catholic priest，and a young English gentleman of the same religion，named Antony Babington.It had for its object the murder of Queen Elizabeth，and the raisingof Queen Mary to the throne.Some letters were written to the Scottish Queen by Babington，and were carried to the castle where she lay by a man who went there regularly with beer for the household.
5.This brewer yielded to the bribes of a spy，and gave Elizabeth’s minister，Walsingham，an opportunity of reading all the letters that had passed between the captive Queen and those who wanted to set her free.When the fit time came，all the plotters were arrested and hanged，while steps were taken for the trial of Queen Mary.
6.The trial took place in the great hall of Fotheringay Castle in Northamptonshire.An empty chair，with a magnificent canopy hanging over it，was placed at the upper end of the hall to represent the absent Queen of England；and before it，in a chair without a canopy，sat Mary，alone and friendless.Bad as she had been，we can scarcely help feeling pity for her in these last hours of her life，when she stood at bay in the midst of her foes.
7.When the sergeant had told the whole story of the plot，for connection with which she was brought to her trial，copies of some letters which had passed between her and Babington were brought forward to prove thatshe had encouraged both theSITE OF FOTHERINGAY CASTLE.
invasion of England and the murder of Elizabeth.Only once did her firmness give way during the reading of the letters，and that was when the name of Arundel，Norfolk‘s son，was mentioned.At its sound she burst into tears；for the father had died on the scaffold，and the son had been locked in the Tower，where he afterwards died，for her sake.
8.When it came to her turn to speak in answer to these charges，she said “that she would never make shipwreck of her soul by engaging in such a bloody crime as the murder of Elizabeth.”She was allowed no defender but her own voice.After some time the proceedings at Fotheringay closed；and the Commissioners met on a December day in the Star Chamber at Westminster，where the secretaries，who had copied the letters，were brought out to swear that they were true，and not forgeries.Then it was decided that the Scottish Queen was to be put to death.
9.Two months later，the Earl-Marshal of England arrived at Fotheringay with the death-warrant of the captive Queen.The following morning at eight was fixed for the execution.That night，at supper，Mary called her attendantsMARY QUEEN OF SCOTS LISTENING TO HER DEATH-WARRANT.
around her，and，as they wept，she drank a last remembrance to them and bade them farewell.
10.The hours of darkness went by in sleep and prayer，and at dawn she rose.After reading her will to her attendants，she made them presents of all the clothes she had，except the black satin gown and veil of lawn in which she was dressed.Having spent some time in prayer，she took an ivor y crucifix in her hand and went，at the call of the Sheriff，into the hall.
11.On her way she met her steward，Sir Robert Melville，an old man，and one who had been very true to her cause.He fell on his knees and cried like a childat the thought of having to take back to Scotland the sad news of her death.But she told him rather to be glad，for her troubles were now all coming to an end.At first，the Lords to whom the painful task of seeing her die had been intrusted，refused to allow any of her attendants to stand by the scaffold-“Lest，”said rough Kent，“they may be dipping handkerchiefs in your Grace’s blood.”But atlast they agreed that a few should attend her in her last moments.
12.Three feet above the floor a black scaffold was raised，and on it，also draped in black，were a stool，a cushion，and a block.Beside her，as she sat on the stool，rose the dark figure of a headsman from the Tower，dressed in black velvet，in contrast with which the blade of the axe shone with a dreadful brightness.
13.The death-warrant was read，and the Dean of Peterborough began to preach a sermon；but the doomed Queen would not listen to his loud address.Her neck was bared，and a kerchief with a golden fringe was bound over her eyes.Then kneeling on the cushion，she bent her neck over the block and spoke some pious words.
14.Unnerved by his feelings，the headsman，whose bloody trade had not quite hardened his heart，had to strike three times at the fair and slender neck，before the head，whose beauty had excited so much admiration and caused somuch mischief，dropped on the black cloth of the platform.The little lap-dog，of which Mary had made a pet and companion，was nestling under the folds of her dress even then，and crept afterwards into the space between the body and the severed head.
中文阅读
1.1568年，玛丽·斯图尔特在位于坎伯兰海岸上一个名叫玛丽波特的小渔村登陆，之后被人带往卡利斯城堡。出于安全，她在此居留了一些时日，之后又去往约克郡的博尔顿，那里城墙坚固防御可靠，只有一个大门进入，当然更为安全。她居于此地之时，政府官员在约克郡召开了一次会议，会议实际上主要是判决她乃博斯维尔的同谋，参与刺杀达恩利。
2.她的老冤家摄政王默里，在这场会议的答辩过程中拿出一个银色盒子，里面全是玛丽的一些私人信件和诗稿，用以证明玛丽有罪。最后的结果是，郁郁寡欢的玛丽女王从博尔顿城堡又移送至另一处要塞特伯利城堡，此地位于斯塔福德郡的德芙河畔。
3.当时英格兰的权臣之一诺福克公爵希望能跟她结婚，尽管伊丽莎白反对，但诺福克公爵痴心不改，最后在1572年这个严厉的女人竟然将他关入伦敦塔，然后砍掉了他的脑袋。这一点希望的星火猝然熄灭之后，苏格兰女王的后续人生，就只剩下在不同的牢房里度过的惨淡岁月了。她在英格兰的地牢里被关押了整整18年，最后的一场政治密谋和随之而来的审判和极刑，构成了她人生惨剧的最后三个悲惨场景，也让她彻底香消玉殒。
4.这场密谋主要由两人主导，一位是约翰·巴拉德，此人是一名天主教牧师；另一位是年轻的英格兰绅士安东尼·巴宾顿，他也是一位天主教徒。他们的目的便是刺杀伊丽莎白女王，然后将玛丽扶上王位。巴宾顿多次给玛丽写信，信件由一个人送到玛丽手中，此人经常为羁押玛丽的狱卒送啤酒，以此掩人耳目。
5.但这位啤酒商却被宫廷间谍收买，伊丽莎白的情报大臣沃尔辛汉姆因此有机会读到被俘女王与这些密谋政变还她自由的人之间的往来通信。最后时机成熟，所有参与密谋的人全部被捕下狱，并立即被全部绞死。对玛丽女王的审判也便一步步开始了。
6.这场审判在北安普敦郡福泽林盖城堡的大厅里举行。大厅正堂之上摆着一把空椅子，椅子顶上悬挂着华丽的伞盖，这把椅子就代表没有亲自出席的英格兰女王；前面另一把没有伞盖的椅子上，孤零零地坐着玛丽。经历过惨痛的命运，而今又让楚楚可怜的她独自一人面对如此众多强敌，使得我们不得不对她生命最后关头的这一幕幕场景报以同情。