[Footnote 4: "Dedans une grande salle à laquelle on entroit immediatement de l'autre chambre de sa Majesté par une porte simple ... ils avoient dressé et tendu, au bout d'icelle, le dais de la Reyne, et, des deux costez, au dessous, le long de la paroy, estoient assis les seigneurs et toutte la noblesse sus nommée en la commission, estat et ordre que dessus; et au meilleu, quelques tables de long et les bancs où estoient assis les commissairs et la justice sus nommée, chacun en leur ordre. Et au dessous, avoient dressé une barrière laissant une partie qui se levoit pour entrer et sortir, faisant separation comme d'un parquet auquel n'entroit personne que ceulx qui avoient affaire pour la commission, et avoient charge en icelle. Et en l'autre separation, en bas, estoient gentilshommes et servans des dits seigneurs de la commission, auditeurs et spectateurs."--From Bourgoing's Journal, Chantelauze, p. 513.] THE TRAGEDY OF FOTHERINGAY CHAPTER I CHARTLEY "Ceux qui voudront jamais escrire de cette illustre Reine d'Ecosse en ont deux tres-amples sujets. L'un celui de sa vie y l'autre de sa mort, l'un y l'autre tres mal accompagnés de la bonne fortune." BRANTÔME. Three hundred years have passed since Brantôme wrote these lines, and his prevision has been fully verified. Writers of every opinion--friends and foes--have taken as their theme the life and death of Mary Stuart, and it would now seem as if nothing further could be written on the subject, fascinating though it has proved. Fresh historical matter bringing new evidence, however, comes to light now and then, and the publication in France, some years ago, of such testimony is our excuse for adding a short chapter to the history of Queen Mary. That this evidence relates to her last days and death, is very welcome, for we hold that in Queen Mary's case we may specially apply her own motto, "In my end is my beginning." Her death was the crown and meaning of her long trial, and the beginning of an interest which has continued to the present day. The journal of Queen Mary's last physician, Dominique Bourgoing, published by M. Chantelauze in 1876, which recounts the events of the last seven months of Mary's life, informs us of many details hitherto unknown, while the report of the trial of which Bourgoing was an eye-witness is most valuable and interesting. Taken together with the Letters of Sir Amyas Paulet, which, although written in a very different spirit, agree in the main with Bourgoing's narrative, the journal presents us with a complete picture of the daily life of the captive Queen and the inmates of Fotheringay. In the preface to his valuable book M. Chantelauze tells us of his happy acquisition of the manuscript copy of Bourgoing's journal at Cluny, discusses the proofs of its authenticity, and refers us to the passage in Queen Mary's last letter to Pope Sixtus V., which we must consider as Bourgoing's "credentials."