A Man for All Seasons Page #9

noticed? ... Now your friend, our present Lord Chancellor—there’s an innocent man. RICH The odd thing is, he is.

CROMWELL smiles at him, understandingly.

CROMWELL:

(with dislike)

Yes, I say he is. Unhappily he’s got his innocence entangled in this proposition that you can’t change your woman without a divorce, and can’t have a divorce unless the “Pope” says so. And from this quite meaningless circumstance, I fear some measure of .. , He searches again. RICH, like the bright boy of the class waving his cup RICH Inconvenience!

58

CROMWELL:

Just so. This goblet he gave you, how much was it worth?

RICH freezes, puts down cup, licks lips. CROMWELL, gently: Come on, Rich, he gave you a silver goblet. How much did you get for it? RICH Fifty shillings.

CROMWELL:

It was a gift, wasn’t it, from a litigant, a woman?

RICH Yes.

CROMWELL Which Court? Chancery?

RICH raises his cup and drinks desperately. CROMWELL restrains him. CROMWELL

No don’t get drunk. In which Court was the litigant’s case? RICH Court of Requests.

CROMWELL grunts, looks abstracted, turning over the information in his mind. Becoming aware of RICH’s hypnotized gaze he says, comfortingly: CROMWELL

There. That wasn’t too painful, was it?

RICH:

(a short, rueful laugh)

No!

CROMWELL No.

Suddenly looks contemptuously at his protege.

59

CROMWELL:

And you’ll find it easier, next time.

RICH has a moment of violent shame.

DISSOLVE 67 INT. CANTERBURY CHAPTERHOUSE

ANGLING DOWN. The Princes of the Church ascend the shallow stone spiral to the Chapterhouse of Canterbury in a river of black velvet caps, billowing lawn sleeves and susurrating slippers. The KING’S REPRESENTATIVE .stands impassively, in the circular Chapterhouse as they take their seats, each in his episcopal throne. Silence and stillness save for a little nervous coughing which echoes from the vailtted roof. REPRESENTATIVE glances at CRANMER, raised above the rest. CRANMER bows assent. REPRESENTATIVE lets fall open the scroll he carries. REPRESENTATIVE

My Lord Archbishop, my Lords, Reverend Doctors of the Church—CAMERA PANS over the varied faces, benign, shrewd, ascetic, gross. REPRESENTATIVE

The answer of our liege lord Henry to his trusty well-beloved subjects, pontiffs in the Canterbury Convocation. BACK to the REPRESENTATIVE.

His Majesty accepts your humble admission of many grievous errors, for which he accepts the manumission of one hundred thousand pounds in token. But, mindful for the ordering of the Realm and the quietness of his subjects, His Majesty requires that you do now straightly renounce your pretended allegiance to the See of Rome and admit the Statute passed through Parliament, acknowledging the King’s good title: Supreme Head of the Church in England. He folds the scroll, looks round the assembly.

Now my lords, what’s your answer, yea or nay?

CUT:

Revised 4-5-66 60 68 INT. MORE’S HOUSE GREAT HALL

CLOSE SHOT MORE, his hands on the chain, his face grim, listening to NORFOLK who faces him, ALICE, ROPER, MARGARET in a formal row. He half lifts the chain . it catches in the folds of his fur hood MORE Take it.

NORFOLK:
Not I!

MORE turns to his wife:-

MORE Alice?

ALICE:

No! Sun and moon Master More you’re taken for a wise man! Is this wisdom—to betray your ability, abandon your station, and forget your duty to your kith and kin? MORE bows his head to it, turns to MARGARET and ROPER, who steps forward eagerly. ROPER Shall I sir?

MORE:

No thank you, son Roper Margaret, will you?

She steps forward.

MARGARET Yes.

A moment’s confrontation She takes the chain from his shoulders MARGARET If you want.

MORE There’s my clever girl.

MARGARET turns to NORFOLK, about to hand him the chain.

Revised 4-5-66 61 68 Continued

ROPER Well done, sir!

MORE and NORFOLK both look sharply at: ROPER, defiant.

ROPER:

In my opinion, that thing’s a degradation! In my opinion-

MORE:

(-with sudden rage)

Silence!

(more softly)

Will! Silence! Remember that you have a wife now, and may have children! NORFOLK steps forward, with deliberate formality and takes chain from MARGARET. NORFOLK

His Majesty accepts your resignation very sadly. He is mindful of your goodness and past loyalty: And in any matter which concerns your honour and welfare he will continue your good lord- CUT TO 69 EXT. MORE’S GARDEN

The chain rests on NORFOLK’s arm as he and MORE emerge from the house to the garden, walking fast 62

NORFOLK:

(curtly)

All right Thomas, make me understand. Because tell you now—.to me this looks like cowardice! MORE

(a bit ruffled)

All right, I will. This isn’t “reformation”, this is war against the Church. Our King, has declared war on the Pope because the Pope will not declare that the Queen is not his wife. NORFOLK And is she?

MORE looks at him, laughs, pats his arm. NORFOLK shakes off his hand and repeats: Is she?

MORE arrests him. Makes a display of looking about, conspiratorial. MORE

Have I your word that what we say here is between us two?

NORFOLK:
(impatient)

Very well.

MORE:

And if the King should command you to

repeat what I may say?

NOR FOLK:

I should keep my word to you!

MORE:

Then.what has become of your oath of

obedience to the King?

Revised 4-5-66 63

69 Continued

NORFOLK:
sorts this out. Then; astounded:

NORFOLK:
You lay traps for me!

MORE No, I show you the times.

CUT:

70 EXT. MORE’S GARDEN & STEPS

NORFOLK:
his face heavy with distaste and unhappiness, climbs the river wall from MORE’s garden. He turns: NORFOLK

All right—we are at war with the Pope! The Pope’s a Prince, isn’t he? MORE

He is also the successor of St. Peter, our only link with Christ. NORFOLK

So you believe! And will you forfeit all you’ve got—which includes the respect of your country—for a belief? MORE

Mm. Because what matters to me is that

I believe it. Or rather, no—not that I believe

it, but that I believe it. I trust I make myself obscure?

64

ò NORFOLK

Perfectly. Why d’you insult me with his lawyer’s chatter?

MORE Because I am afraid.

71 EXT. RIVER MUD-FLAT

NORFOLK:
Man, you’re sick!

He descends the steps, turns and looks up, framed in green willow. This isn’t Spain, you know! ... This is England!

ò

CUT:

72 MORE’S HOUSE ò GREAT HALL

MORE’s household is assembled in the hall. Their babble dies as a door opens in the gallery above and ALICE, MARGARET, ROPER, MORE emerge. MORE

My friends, you know why I have called you here. I have to-day resigned my office. I am no longer a-

(smiles at them) “Great Man”.

Murmur of sycophantic laughter from HOUSEHOLD. STEWARD steps forward, righteous: STEWARD

Sir, we want you to know that we’re all on your side!

65

MORE:

(sharply)

My side? What side is that?

STEWARD:

(unctuous)

Well sir, we all know what you think.

MORE:

None of you knows what I think! And if you guess at what I think and babble it about,. you do me no good service! Reaction Shrt his POV. HOUSEHOLD stare back uncomprehending, puzzled by his sudden urgency. MORE

Now since I am no more a Great man, I no longer need a great household. Nor can I afford one. You will have to go ... However I still number some Great Men among my friends; and they still need great households, No-one will be turned away from here until we’ve found another place for him (to STEWARD; quietly)

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