The monument dedicated to the memory of their beloved mistress by the two
noble ladies of the household of Mary Queen of Scots, Lady Barbara Mowbray,
the wife, and Elizabeth Curle, the sister, of Gilbert Curle, the queen's
confidential secretary, still exists in the church of St. Andrew at
Antwerp. The history, or rather _story_ of the decapitated head having been
borne away by these ladies, and buried at the foot of the pillar on which
the monument is placed, which is alluded to by your correspondent, is too
apocryphal for belief. There is no reason to suppose that any _head_ of the
queen was carried away by these devoted women into exile, excepting in the
shape of her portrait painted on copper; which, instead of being interred
_beneath_ the monument, is still to be seen placed above the dedicatory
inscription. It is true that in the edition of Descamps' _Voyage
Pittoresque de la Flandre_, published at _Paris_ and _Rouen_ in 1769, it is
stated that the monument was surmounted by "_son buste en marbre_;" but
this error was corrected in the _Antwerp_ edition of 1792, where it is
correctly affirmed to be "_son portrait peint_."
Mention is made of this crowned portrait, of a circular form, in Mackie's
_Castles and Prisons of Queen Mary_, and of the close resemblance it bears
to another in the possession of Lady Cathcart; who assured Mr. Mackie that
the two portraits were painted by order of the queen, and presented by her
to _two Scottish ladies_, but whose names are not mentioned.
The following epitaph to the memory of these two faithful servants of the
unhappy queen, has also been preserved by Jacques Le Roy in his _Théâtre
Sacré du Brabant_, tom. ii. p. 90. It was copied by him from a blue marble
slab placed over the entrance to the vault in which they were deposited:--
"D. O. M.
_Sub hoc lapide duarum feminarum vere piarum conduntur corpora_ D.
BARBARÆ MOUBRAY _et_ D. ELISABETHÆ CURLE _utræque Scotæ, nobilissimæ
Mariæ Reginæ à cubiculis, quarum monumentum superiori affigitur
columnæ. Illa vidua mortalium legi cessit_ XXXI. _Julii anno 1616
ætatis_ LVII., _dum hæc semper cælebs_ XXIX. _Maii, ætatis_ LX. _Dni_
M.DC.XX."
In the inscription placed against the pillar, dedicated to the memory of
Queen Mary, Lady Barbara is said to be a daughter of Lord John
Mowbray--_Barbara Moubray, D. Johan Moubray, Baronis F._
The writer of this note is desirous of obtaining some authentic information
respecting these two noble Scottish families, and hopes this {518}
communication may serve to elicit what he has long sought to trace. The
armorial bearings of both families (originally affixed to the monument)
have been effaced.
He would be glad also to be referred to any documents tending to throw
light on the obscure history of poor Mary's intriguing _French_ secretary,
Nau; as to where he was born, his connexions and avocations in early life;
how, and by what secret influence he entered into the service of the queen;
and, lastly, how he came to be pardoned, and what became of him afterwards?
She declared, in her last hours, that _he was the cause of her death_?