companied by Messieurs
d'Aumale, d'Elboeuf, and Damville, with many nobles, among whom were
Brantome and Chatelard, she embarked in M. Mevillon's galley, which was
immediately ordered to put out to sea, which it did with the aid of oars,
there not being sufficient wind to make use of the sails.

Mary Stuart was then in the full bloom of her beauty, beauty even more
brilliant in its mourning garb--a beauty so wonderful that it shed around
her a charm which no one whom she wished to please could escape, and
which was fatal to almost everyone. About this time, too, someone made
her the subject of a song, which, as even her rivals confessed, contained
no more than the truth. It was, so it was said, by M. de Maison-Fleur, a
cavalier equally accomplished in arms and letters: Here it is:--

"In robes of whiteness, lo, Full sad and mournfully, Went pacing to and
fro Beauty's divinity; A shaft in hand she bore From Cupid's cruel store,
And he, who fluttered round, Bore, o'er his blindfold eyes And o'er his
head uncrowned, A veil of mournful guise, Whereon the words were wrought:
'You perish or are caught.'"

Yes, at this moment, Mary Stuart, in her deep mourning of white, was more
lovely than ever; for great tears were trickling down her cheeks, as,
weaving a handkerchief, standing on the quarterdeck, she who was so
grieved to set out, bowed farewell to those who were so grieved to
remain.

At last, in half an hour's time, the harbour was left behind; the vessel
was out at sea. Suddenly, Mary heard loud cries behind her: a boat
coming in under press of sail, through her pilot's ignorance had struck
upon a rock in such a manner that it was split open, and after having
trembled and groaned for a moment like someone wounded, began to be
swallowed up, amid the terrified screams of all the crew. Mary,
horror-stricken, pale, dumb, and motionless, watched her gradually sink,
while her unfortunate crew, as the keel disappeared, climbed into the
yards and shrouds, to delay their death-agony a few minutes; finally,
keel, yards, masts, all were engulfed in the ocean's gaping jaws. For a
moment there remained some black specks, which in turn disappeared one
after another; then wave followed upon wave, and the spectators of this
horrible tragedy, seeing the sea calm and solitary as if nothing had
happened, asked themselves if it was not a vision that had appeared to
them and vanished.

"Alas!" cried Mary, falling on a seat and leani