Anne of the Thousand Days Page #4

If a man is married, king or commoner,

he is not free.

I never married Oatherine.

England married Spain.

My father coupled my brother Arthur

with Oatherine for the Spanish Alliance.

Arthur died and I became heir, so it was

decided that I, in my turn, should...

...marry my dead brother's widow.

I was 17 and she 23.

So England and Spain married,

not Henry and Oatherine.

There's a...

There's a curse on that marriage.

All my sons were born dead.

For 20 years I've had dead sons.

Now she's past the age

of bearing children.

What has this barren marriage

to do with you and me?

You cannot touch my heart.

You cannot bribe me with favours.

The only love I will give you is the

love of a loyal subject for her king.

Very well then.

As your King,

I command you to return with me

to the court.

I command you to be

lady-in-waiting to my wife,

Oatherine the Queen.

You will be in my presence

every day of your life.

Then we shall see.

[both laugh]

- Was he shouting for me?

- Bellowing.

- How they all tremble when he bellows.

- And you?

Does that tremble?

No. But you so hated coming here

you spoke wildly.

- I fear you might provoke his anger.

- That was six months ago.

I'm still young. I love dancing

and new clothes and gifts.

- [arrow whistles and thud]

- And power.

Power is as exciting as love,

I discover.

And who has more of it than the King?

[dog barks]

The warship will be launched

from Portsmouth

in five days time, Your Grace.

Here is the warrant.

But a name is needed for the vessel.

The "Anne Boleyn".

- The ambassadors from Spain?

- Deal with them yourself.

She almost reigns. She entirely rules.

And I believe gives... nothing for it.

- She could prove powerful.

- Thomas, this is a man's world.

The seat of power does not lie

between a woman's legs.

Wolsey, Nan reminds me that her

father's patent of the Earl of Wiltshire

- has not yet been drawn.

- Indeed. It should be done at once.

Good. Good.

I must tell you, My Lord,

a game we ladies-in-waiting play.

A game of titles.

Who has the most titles in the land?

I said that, of course, His Majesty.

But another said, "No, no."

"The great Oardinal Wolsey

has more than the King."

"He is Bishop of Tournai, of Lincoln, of

Bath and Wells, Durham and Winchester."

"He is also Archbishop of York

and Papal Legate in England,

which puts him above

the Archbishop of Oanterbury."

"Who knows?

He may one day be Pope."

"So he is the most powerful churchman."

"He is also Lord Ohancellor and

therefore the most powerful layman."

I said, "How fortunate for His Majesty

that the good Oardinal

is devoted only to the King

and to England."

"Oonsider how dangerous it would be

if so powerful a man

had ambitions of his own."

His Sovereign,

I confess your royal favours

showered on me are more than I deserve.

I can render nothing

but my thanks, my prayers

and my unending loyalty.

And what livings would you shed

to prove your loyalty,

my good Vicar of Hell?

Any, or all, sir, at your command.

And your wealth, My Lord?

I believe he is richer even than you.

- So many livings, so many palaces.

- I wonder.

Such vanities mean little to me

if I may serve you.

Ohoose anything I have

and it is yours, Majesty.

I will. I will.

When I have given it some thought.

[laughs] Thank you. Thank you, Anne.

My Lord, you are as generous

as you are great.

I shall ask the King to show me

your palace at Hampton Oourt.

Bull's-eye.

[melancholic tune]

[chatter and laughter]

Oome, girl, play something cheerful.

Men prefer women who laugh and are gay.

Well, what more do you want?

- Nothing.

- For yourself, your family and friends?

- Nothing.

- Liar!

You have a taste for power. It's very

common. I've seen it many times.

You don't get it for nothing.

You have to pay.

You ordered me to court.

The power is yours, not mine.

I'm mad for you. I dream of you

at night. I long for you by day.

And you dare tell me

that I have the power?

I'm no good with any other woman.

I think of nothing but you,

of you and me playing dog and b*tch,

horse and mare,

of you and me in every way.

I want to fill you up night after night.

I want to fill you up with sons.

Bastards. They would be bastards.

One word more and I'll strike you.

One word more.

Without marriage, if you and I

have sons, they will be bastards.

Anne.

Forgive me. Forgive me, Anne.

[bell tolls]

[knocking]

- Who is it?

- Norfolk, with a message from the King.

[aside] The devil take him.

Bess.

- Bess, be gone. Oome on.

- [woman grunts]

- Out you go, out you go.

- [sleepily] What?

For form's sake.

- [she sighs]

- Oome on, come on.

Enter.

Well?

The King commands that you

come at once to the Palace at Greenwich.

Does he, My Lord?

Is he ill?

Is there some urgent danger?

A boat is waiting.

Norfolk!

Is the tide with or against us?

I leave such details to the boatman

and other riffraff, My Lord.

You may go.

[knocking]

Enter.

What keeps you half the night

from getting here?

Your Grace, pardon me.

Tide is flooding.

Tell the Lady Anne the law of England,

My Holy Lord Ohancellor.

Is it not true that I can make

legitimate whomsoever I choose?

- Most certainly.

- The documents can be drawn at once?

- Within the hour.

- So?

Oould any child of the King's body

be made legitimate?

Yes.

And such a child would be heir

to the throne of England?

- Most certainly.

- Thank you. Thank you, Thomas.

- Take the flooding tide and go home.

- Wait.

Madam?

Surely such a child would be heir

to the throne after the Princess Mary,

daughter of the King

and his rightful Queen?

- Well, My Lord?

- That might be argued.

No. Let us have it clearly.

Princess Mary is first in line

against any son His Majesty

may father out of wedlock.

After Mary comes the Duke of Richmond,

his bastard by Bessie Blount.

Oan you deny that he would inherit

if she died?

Richmond? Oh, he's a sickly fellow.

I doubt if he'll live out the year.

Then my sister's child by the King.

We're affectionate, Mary and I,

and forgive each other little things,

but if she would rather her son

sat on the throne than mine,

I would rather mine than hers.

And so mine, you must agree,

would be fourth in the lists.

Who knows, madam,

you may not be capable of a son.

I'll give the man that marries me

a houseful of lusty sons.

Marriage.

If I were free of Oatherine...

You cannot be free of Oatherine.

- If I were...

- It is impossible.

For the last time,

if I were free of Oatherine

and made you the Queen of England,

would you marry me?

Yes.

If you make me Queen of England,

I'll marry you...

...and give you sons.

Meanwhile...

I'll go alone to my bed,

with Your Gracious leave.

- Brilliant, Your Grace. Brilliant.

- You think so?

Yes. Keep promising her marriage

and the siege will soon be over.

- In a month you'll have breached her.

- You think I was lying?

If wooing, praise,

gifts and power have failed

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