relation of the latter’s, Henry Stuart, Lord
Darnley, son of the Earl of Lennox. Elizabeth,
who had nothing plausible to urge against this marriage,
since the Queen of Scotland not only chose an Englishman
for husband, but was marrying into her own family,
allowed the Earl of Lennox and his son to go to the
Scotch court, reserving it to herself, if matters
appeared to take a serious turn, to recall them both—a
command which they would be constrained to obey, since
all their property was in England.
Darnley was eighteen years of age: he was handsome,
well-made, elegant; he talked in that attractive manner
of the young nobles of the French and English courts
that Mary no longer heard since her exile in Scotland;
she let herself be deceived by these appearances,
and did not see that under this brilliant exterior
Darnley hid utter insignificance, dubious courage,
and a fickle and churlish character. It is true
that he came to her under the auspices of a man whose
influence was as striking as the risen fortune which
gave him the opportunity to exert it. We refer
to David Rizzio.
David Rizzio, who played such a great part in the
life of Mary Stuart, whose strange favour for him
has given her enemies, probably without any cause,
such cruel weapons against her, was the son of a Turin
musician burdened with a numerous family, who, recognising
in him a pronounced musical taste, had him instructed
in the first principles of the art. At the age
of fifteen he had left his father’s house and
had gone on foot to Nice, where the Duke of Savoy
held his court; there he entered the service of the
Duke of Moreto, and this lord having been appointed,
some years afterwards, to the Scottish embassy, Rizzio
followed him to Scotland. As this young man
had a very fine voice, and accompanied on the viol
and fiddle songs of which both the airs and the words
were of his own composition, the ambassador spoke
of him to Mary, who wished to see him. Rizzio,
full of confidence in himself, and seeing in the queen’s
desire a road to success, hastened to obey her command,
sang before her, and pleased her. She begged
him then of Moreto, making no more of it than if she
had asked of him a thoroughbred dog or a well-trained
falcon. Moreta presented him to her, delighted
at finding such an opportunity to pay his court; but
scarcely was Rizzio in her service than Mary discovered
that music was the least of his gifts, that he possessed,
besides that, education if not profound at least varied,
a supple mind, a lively imagination, gentle ways,
and at the same time much boldness and presumption.
He reminded her of those Italian artists whom she
had seen at the French court, and spoke to her the
tongue of Marot and Ronsard, whose most beautiful
poems he knew by heart: this was more than enough
to please Mary Stuart. In a short time he became
her favourite, and meanwhile the place of secretary
for the French despatches falling vacant, Rizzio was
provided for with it.
