the greatest love and affection for both these personages, I resolved, at the peril of my own life, to revenge their death by killing yon, who are the cause of both, I confess to you, that I suffered many struggles within my breast, and have made all possible efforts to divert my resolution from so pernicious a design, but all in vain. I found myself necessitated to prove by experience the certain truth of that maxim, that neither reason nor force can hinder a woman from vengeance, when she is impelled thereto by love."
The queen heard this bold address with composure, and answered calmly: "You are then persuaded that, in this action, you have done your duty, and satisfied the demands which your love for your mistress and your spouse indispensably required from you; but what think you now is my duty to do to you?"
Margaret replied with the same unmoved hardiness: "I will tell you frankly my opinion, provided you let me know whether you put this question in the quality of a queen or in that of a judge?"
To which her majesty professing that of a queen: "Then," said Margaret, "your majesty ought to grant me a pardon."
"But what assurance can you give me," said the queen, "that you will not make the like attempt on some other occasion?"
"Madam," replied Lambrun, "a favour given under such restraint is no more a favour; and, in so doing, your majesty would act against me as a judge."
The queen turned to some of her council, and said, "I have been thirty years a queen, but do not remember to have had such a lecture ever read to me before;" and immediately granted an entire and unconditional pardon. Margaret Lambrun shewed her prudence by begging the queen to extend her generosity still farther, and grant her a safe conduct to the coast of France; with which request Elizabeth complied.
LAMIA,
The most celebrated female flute-player of antiquity, was regarded as a prodigy—from her beauty, wit, and skill in her profession. The honours she received, which are recorded by several authors, particularly by Plutarch and Athenaeus, are sufficient testimonies of her great power over the passions of her hearers. Her claim to admiration from her personal charms, does not entirely depend upon the fidelity of historians, since an exquisite engraving of her head, upon amethyst, is preserved in a collection at Paris, which authenticates the account of her beauty.
As she was a great traveller, her reputation soon became very extensive. Her first journey from Athens, the place of her birth, was into Egypt, whither she was drawn by the fame of a flute-player of that country. Her genius and beauty procured for her the notice of Ptolemy, and she became his mistress; but in the conflict between Ptolemy and Demetrius Poliorcetes, for the Island of Cyprus, about B.C. 332, Ptolemy being defeated, his wives, domestics, and military stores fell into the hands of Demetrius.
The celebrated Lamia was among the captives on this occasion, and Demetrius, who was said to have conquered as many hearts as cities, conceived so ardent a passion for her, that from a sovereign he was transformed into a slave—though her beauty was on the decline, and Demetrius, the handsomest prince of his time, was much younger than herself.
