''Mary, Queen of Scots''

Illustration by Edmund Dulac

The subject of this illustration is believed to be Mary's purported words upon her departure from France in 1561, "Adieu

France, adieu donc ma chère France ... je pense ne vous revoir jamais plus" ("Farewell dear France, I believe never to see

you again").

Those sentiments were repeated in a poem attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots, known as "Adieux à la France". Published

some time after her death, the poem was reportedly written in French in the Queen's own hand and related to her return

at the age of 17, soon after her first husband's death. At that time, Mary refused to ratify the terms of the Treaty of

Edinburgh wherein the reign of Elizabeth over England was recognised by France - it was a position maintained by Mary

and one that, ultimately, would lead to her execution.

The original French version of the poem "Adieux à la France" follows:

Adieu, plaisant pays de France,

ô ma patrie

La plus chérie,

Qui as nourri ma jeune enfance;

Adieu, France! adieu, mes beaux jours!

La nef qui disjoint nos amours

N'a cy de moi que la moitié;

Une part te reste, elle est tienne.

Je la fie à ton amitié

Pour que de l'autre il te souvienne.

An English translation of the poem follows:

I am going away, away!

Farewell, my happy France,

Where I found the loveliest homeland,

You the guardian of my childhood!

Farewell, O land, O happy time,

The ship bears me far away from joy!

Yet it take but half of me;

One part will be for ever yours,

My happy land, recalling to you

The memory of that other self! Farewell!

Complete image	Single Greeting Card (with matching Envelope) Code: ED MQS SGC Price: US$5.00	Detail (for reference)

Our Greeting Cards

When presented on Greeting Cards, this image is prepared as a tipped-on plate - in hommage to the hand-crafted

approach typical of prestige illustrated publications produced in the early decades of the 20th Century. Each card is

hand-finished, with the image presented on Ivory card stock with an accompanying envelope. On the rear of each

card we also present some information about Edmund Dulac and this wonderful illustration. We have left the interior

of the cards blank so that you may write your own personal message.

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