【正文】 h better man than your father． I needed a strong man to help me rule the country．But I was wrong． I understand that now． All the Scots lords were afraid of Bothwell， and many of them were his enemies． They had an army， and on 15th June，Bothwell and I rode out to fight them．We met them at Carberry Hill． It was a hot day， and the two big armies stood， and looked， and waited． Their army had a big flag with a picture of your poor dead father，Darnley， on it． Under the picture， there were the words ‘Find my killers， oh God．’‘Come on， my lord，’I said to Bothwell．‘Our army is bet－ter than theirs—let39。s fight them！’Both well rode up and down， and talked to his men． But they didn39。t want to fight． They talked， and looked at the flag， and waited． Then some of them walked home．At five o39。clock that evening Lord Kirkcaldy rode from his army to talk to us． He said to me，‘My lady， leave your husband， and e with us．We don39。t want men to die．’And so， because our men didn39。t want to fight， I went with him． It was a very bad day for me． They took me back to Ed－inburgh， and people in the streets screamed at me：‘Kill the woman！ She sleeps with her husband39。s killer！We want James to be King！ Kill her now！’I was unhappy， and afraid， and I was pregnant again．They took me to Lochleven Castle， and put me in a room like a prison．There， I did not eat for two weeks， and Bothwell39。s children—there were two babies—wer born dead．I nearly died too—I was so angry and tired and ill． Then， one day after the babies died， Lord Lindsay gave me a letter． It said：I，Mary， Queen of Scots， give the kingdom of Scotland to my son， James．From today， James is the new King of Scots．But because he is a child， the Earl of Moray， my half—brother， can rule the country for him．Because I was afraid， and tired， and ill， I wrote my name on the letter：Mary． But it is not important，James，it doesn39。t change anything．I am Queen of Scots， not you． That letter changes nothing．Bothwell went over the sea， and died in a prison in Denmark． I was a prisoner in Lochleven for a year． A lot of people in Europe were angry about that． Queen Elizabeth wrote to the Earl of Moray．‘You cannot keep a Queen in prison，39。she said．‘It is very wrong！’I was pleased about that．But Moray didn39。t listen．Lord Douglas lived in the castle， and his young son，William，liked me． One day， there was a wedding in the castle． People sang and danced and drank． William Douglas gave me some old women39。s clothes． I put the clothes on， and walked quietly out of the castle with him． He shut the castle door behind us， to keep his father39。s friends in． Then we got on some horses， and rode away through the night．All my friends came back to me． Soon I had a big army．‘Mary is our Queen again！’people said．‘Give her back her son！’You were in Earl Moray39。s castle， James， so I came to fight him． I rode with my army to Langside， near Glasgow．And there…There， James…There， my son， I lost the fight． I am so sorry． I had many good， strong men in my army， but Earl Moray39。s men were stronger． Many of my men died， and some ran away． After the fight， I ran away too．I did not want to go to prison again． So I rode south， to England．‘Queen Elizabeth wants to help me，’I thought．‘She understands．She wrote to Moray and she is a Queen，like me．I can e back to Scotland with her army， kill Moray， and find my baby son James．I am in England but I am free．I can try again．’I was wrong about that， too． Very wrong． 8 England Elizabeth didn39。t give me her army．She put me in prison．You know this，James—it is the story of your life，not mine． I was twenty－five years old when I came to England， and I am forty－five now．Twenty years in English prisons．Moray told lies about me． Mary and Bothwell killed Darn－ley， he said．Mary slept with Riccio and Bothwell and killed her husband． But it39。s not true！They39。re all lies， James— wicked lies！They only said these things because I am a woman， and a Catholic， and they don39。t want a Catholic queen in Scotland， they want a Protestant king．A king like you， James．Why， James my son， don39。t you help me？ Why are you friendly with Elizabeth， my enemy？You don39。t want me back in Scotland， do you？ You believe these lies， don39。t you？You talk to Moray and his friends， every day．But they lied about me，James．Moray and his friends killed Riccio Then killed your father， too．They stole my husband Bothwell， stole my son…Stole my son39。s love…I am sorry， James．Forgive me．Sometimes I get very angry．It is difficult not to be angry， when you are in prison for twenty years．Elizabeth didn39。t know what to do．Sometimes she believed Moray， sometimes she didn39。t．She was afraid to kill me， because I was a Queen． She was afraid to let me go free， bcause I have friends in England． The English Catholics want me to be Queen of England， not her． And she is a woman with no husband and no son， so she hates me， too．Sometimes the English Catholics write to me and ask me for help， and sometimes I write to them．Sometimes Elizabeth39。s men find these letters． The English Protestants want to kill me because of these letters．‘You are a wicked woman！39。they say：‘ You killed your husband， Darnley， and now you want to kill our Queen Elizabeth．You39。re going to die！’‘I did not kill my husband，’I said．‘And when l came to England， I did not want to kill your Queen． I asked her for help—I wanted to go back to Scotand！But，my lords，she put me in prison for twenty years！ Twenty years， my lords！I want to be free—don39。t you understand that？ when men write to me and try to help me， then yes， sometimes I write back！Why not？ Is that wicked， do you think？’They didn39。t listen． Of course not． They want to kill me．And so they wrote to Queen Elizabeth． And now I sit here， in Fotheringhay Castle， and wait for her to answer． I do not want to die， James my son， but I do not want to live all my life in an English prison． I am old， and tired of life． Think well of me， James，