oval of my body, and the power to
make my will freely; so that I cannot write anything except through
their hands, and with the good pleasure of their mistress. For want of
seeing you, then, I confess to you my sins in general, as I should have
done in particular, begging you, in God's name, to watch and pray
this night with me, for the remission of my sins, and to send me your
absolution and forgiveness for all the wrongs I have done you. I shall
try to see you in their presence, as they permitted it to my steward;
and if it is allowed, before all, and on my knees, I shall ask your
blessing. Send me the best prayers you know for this night and for
to-morrow morning; for the time is short, and I have not the leisure to
write; but be calm, I shall recommend you like the rest of my servants,
and your benefices above all will be secured to you. Farewell, for I
have not much more time. Send to me in writing everything you can find,
best for my salvation, in prayers and exhortations, I send you my last
little ring."

Directly she had written this letter the queen began to make her will,
and at a stroke, with her pen running on and almost without lifting
it from the paper, she wrote two large sheets, containing several
paragraphs, in which no one was forgotten, present as absent,
distributing the little she had with scrupulous fairness, and still more
according to need than according to service. The executors she chose
were: the Duke of Guise, her first cousin; the Archbishop of Glasgow,
her ambassador; the Bishop of Ross, her chaplain in chief; and M. du
Ruysseau, her chancellor, all four certainly very worthy of the charge,
the first from his authority; the two bishops by piety and conscience,
and the last by his knowledge of affairs. Her will finished, she wrote
this letter to the King of France:

SIR MY BROTHER-IN-LAW,--Having, by God's permission and for my sins, I
believe, thrown myself into the arms of this queen, my cousin, where I
have had much to endure for more than twenty years, I am by her and
by her Parliament finally condemned to death; and having asked for my
papers, taken from me, to make my will, I have not been able to obtain
anything to serve me, not even permission to write my last wishes
freely, nor leave that after my death my body should be transported, as
was my dearest desire, into your kingdom, where I had had the honour of
being queen, your sister and your ally. To-day, after dinner, without
more