Elizabeth I Page #14

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No.

No, pygmy.

Send Sir Francis Bacon.

He's a persuasive enough fellow.

Keep Lady Essex here

until it is all over.

Ma'am.

Well, little Bacon...

and what, sir,

I wonder,

are you about, hmm?

Her Majesty requires your presence

at the Council.

And I am sure

to be there, Sir Francis,

but at the moment I am

all of a sweat after playing tennis.

And the court is no place

for a sweaty man.

She requires it

at once, my lord

and her conditions...

Her conditions!

Her conditions are

as crooked as her carcass!

I command you all

to put down your weapons

and to depart

to show your allegiance

to the Queen

But we

will not do so.

Take him to the hall

and keep him there until we return.

Treason, my lords!

Rebellion!

The Queen has had

her mind poisoned

by evil counselors,

my lords.

Robert Cecil.

Robert Cecil will sell us to Spain.

Let's die

before we let him.

To court!

...for was not Lucifer

cast out for just that sin?

To the court!

To the Queen!

There is a plot

laid for my life.

Sir Robert Cecil is

a traitor to this country.

Who will join us

to get rid of him?

You promised us the Sheriff of the City,

my lord. I do not see him.

- He will come out for us.

- Soon, I hope.

We must hang together

or we shall hang separately

for the people

are not with us.

To the court!

There is a plot laid for my life.

- Your Majesty...

- There's a noise below.

Is there some fray

in Fleet Street?

Ma'am...

Ma'am, there is

great danger.

Do you have no confidence

in your queen, pygmy?

Justice!

Justice!

Justice!

Justice?

We do not seek to fight.

All we seek is the removal of certain

counselors of yours

who have worked against

those of us who really love you.

Justice!

You do not come

to seek justice.

You come to decide

which of us

shall rule this kingdom...

you or I,

and I tell you, Essex,

it is I who rule.

- Do your work, Sir Thomas.

- Ma'am.

Fire!

Return fire!

Return fire!

Forward!

Boy...

Return fire!

Murderers!

Reload!

Retreat!

- My lord.

- Barricade those doors!

Where are the hostages?

It seems they were

let go, my lord.

- Burn these letters from King James.

- No.

Burn them now.

Burn everything!

In the name of the Queen,

open up!

To the river!

Which way now,

my lord?

All is lost.

We are dead men.

Halt! Halt!

What of the mad

ungrateful wretch?

He is captured,

ma'am.

Hah.

I swear before God,

that I bear a true heart

to Her Majesty.

I was in fear of my life

from my enemies.

My lord, you remind me

of the Athenian

who cut himself

and then cried murder.

Was it to defend yourself

that you imprisoned me

and those whom the Queen sent to you

to call you to your senses?

Oh, Sir Francis,

whom I ever served well

and to whom

I gave my love freely,

have you served your Queen

so faithfully?

Have you not lied

and pretended

friendship to me

and deceived her

as to your loyalty that...

I loved you,

my lord,

as long as you continued

a dutiful subject.

And I have

spent more hours

to make you a good subject

to Her Majesty

than ever I did

about my own business.

Which has of late

been to crawl

upon your hands and knees

to Robert Cecil.

And Robert Cecil

is in the pay

of Spain.

My Lord of Essex...

the difference between

you and me is great.

For wit, I give you

the preeminence.

You have it abundantly.

I thank you.

Have you come to apologize?

For nobility also

I give you place.

I am not noble,

though a gentleman.

I am no swordsman,

but I have innocence, conscience,

truth and honesty

to defend me.

You have a wolf's head

in a sheep's clothing, sir.

Oh, Master Secretary,

I thank God

for my humiliation

that you are come here

in the ruff of all your bravery

to make your oration

against me today.

Who says I am

in the pay of Spain?

Name your authority.

Or is this some

new fantasy of yours?

Why, that is easy answered.

He stands next to me.

The Earl of Southampton

told me

that he knew it

for a fact.

I am sorry for it,

my lord, but l...

l... l...

Did not you say that?

I did not, my lord,

and you know

it is not so.

I never said

that the Secretary

was in the pay of Spain.

Then I am damned,

my lord,

and you with me.

- Guilty.

- Guilty.

Guilty.

- Guilty.

- Guilty.

You have been pronounced

guilty of treason.

And you will suffer

the punishment

of traitors...

which is death.

No! No!

I swear upon mine honor,

I never meant any harm to Her Majesty.

And if I have been

led astray,

then I humbly beg

your pardon,

but I am

no traitor, sirs.

My lord, you know I ever loved

the Queen and I told you so.

So be it, my lords.

While I would not

have it thought

that I despised

the Queen's clemency...

I would not make any cringing

submission to obtain it.

There is also the question

of monopolies, ma'am.

Just as some thought

the Earl of Essex

abused his privilege

of the ownership

of the tax

of sweet wines,

so now some

of the Parliament see

the profits of many

in the hands of too few,

and...

Your Majesty?

The Queen cannot be safe

while I live...

and I do humbly

ask her pardon.

I give her thanks

that she has moderated

the terrible

sentence of treason,

but I do solemnly swear

that the four quarters of my body

are hers,

were always hers,

and I do yield them

up to her with a glad heart.

I ask forgiveness

of my sins...

which are numbered

as the hairs on my head...

and most especially

this last,

this great

and infectious

sin of mine...

rebellion...

against her

whom I swear

I did always love

with all my heart.

"Our Father,

Who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will...

Thy..."

Executioner,

strike home.

Put his lapdog, little Southampton,

in the Tower.

No more blood.

Please, God, no more blood.

I will spare the others

where I can.

Send me their names.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You knew what it was

to love him too, I think.

I think I did,

Your Majesty.

Well, you may go,

little pygmy.

I mean no harm

by the name.

It's but my humor.

Yes, Your Majesty.

"Her conditions were

as crooked as her carcass."

Well, well, well.

You may leave us now.

He had sent you

this ring

and these verses.

"My prime of youth

is but a frost of cares,

My feast of joy

is but a dish of pain,

My cup of corn

is but a field of tares,

And all my good

is but vain hope of gain.

The day is gone

and yet I saw no sun,

And now I live,

And now my life is done."

Why so many glum faces?

Are my people

out of love with me?

Money is all, ma'am.

Many in the House speak

against the monopolies

you grant the traders.

They say only a few

are favored.

Taxes were granted

to the Earl of Essex

which should not

have been granted.

The enemy of monarchs

is the overmighty subject.

If this poor old wife

before you has offended

by granting profits to the few

and not to the general number,

then let us have an end to that.

Let us be one.

I do assure you

there is no prince

who better loves

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