Elizabeth I Page #5

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It is not too late

to turn her.

Oh, tell me that is true,

for I would have it so.

Bess, you have the great weakness

of the clear minded.

You believe that other people

think like you.

But...

I will arrange it.

So this is her prison.

Stand down the guard,

my lord.

- Where is she?

- Follow me.

- I heard she's grown fat.

- Mmm.

Well, she's had little else

to do but eat and sleep.

And plot,

Your Majesty.

Let us hope sweet reason

will reason her from her unreason.

Since we both know, my lord,

that the other way will lead

my sister to her death.

And on the other side of that

lies war with Spain...

for which poor England

is ill prepared.

You were not announced.

I'm not here.

Why do you come?

Is it curiosity?

To witness

my confinement?

To see what you

have brought me to?

As you see,

I am not well.

Perhaps this

pleases you.

Was it I who brought

you to this, Mary?

Who else?

I am more your friend

than you imagine.

I am the only thing that stands

between you and destruction.

Royalty stands

with itself, madam.

Who else will stand

with us or for us?

We serve the people, Mary.

I am a little bored

with the people.

I think it is time we sent out

for a different set of subjects.

Well, this is what my dog thinks.

Possibly.

- I am come to warn you.

- Of what?

There are those on my council

who would have you dead.

They say you conspire

against my life.

Your Majesty knows

I have never...

Sir Francis Walsingham

gathers evidence.

Of what?

And if I am given proof

I will have no choice

but to take the sin of your death...

the death of

a God-anointed queen...

upon my head.

No, you would not dare.

I would have no choice.

There will be war,

cousin, on my death.

A war of Spain

and France

against this little...

Vile country, nest of

Lutheran chickens?

I do not choose

to stay here.

Well, who would have you?

Scotland?

Or your

oh-so-grateful son?

You are hard, madam.

It's the business of living

that has made me so.

Oh?

Oh, you cast a cold eye

upon me, cousin.

We are both prisoners

of the time, you and I.

Both prisoners?

Then shall we two

walk free together?

I say again,

I am come to warn...

No, I am...

I am come to counsel you.

I am come

to implore you.

I am come to beg you

not to persist

in your treason.

I swear to you, cousin,

that I have no

intent against you.

That all I seek

is liberty.

I pray to God the death

of one of us is not

the only way to buy

the freedom of the other.

Oui.

We shall see.

At last I am able

to fight your cause.

The Dutch.

What in God's name do we

have in common with the Dutch?

Our religion, ma'am.

The Dutch have no religion,

they have cheese.

If we do not contain

the Duke of Parma

and his Spanish army

he'll be knocking at our door

by the end of the year.

I can't tell you how I appreciate

this command, madam.

And how I value

your trust in me.

You are a fireside

general, Robin.

- I would have you by my side.

- Bess!

My cousin Mary plots against

my life and you leave me.

Ah, the Earl of Essex,

my stepson, ma'am.

I have given him

a command.

Is that

Lady Essex's son?

'Tis, ma'am.

He fights alongside me.

He's grown

into a pretty youth.

Your Majesty.

I see a world

in your eyes.

They... they outshine

the stars.

You turn an excellent compliment

for one so young, my lord.

If I may return it,

it is rare to find such...

beauty

gifted with the power

of self-expression.

Come along, sir.

Oh well, off you go.

And don't the pair of you

look valiant indeed?

Farewell, my Bess.

Come back safely.

The Dutch.

Heaven help us.

You have news?

From Holland.

The Earl of Leicester

is safe.

Madam, we have

intercepted a coded letter

from the so-called

Queen of Scots

to Sir Anthony

Babington.

Copy of the original,

and here...

the transcript.

There, and here.

"The affair being thus prepared

and forces in readiness

both within and without

the realm,

then will it be time

to set the six gentlemen...

to work on

the Queen's murder."

She gave me her word.

Proof positive that she...

conspires against you, madam.

How came you

by these letters?

Do we have someone of ours

in her confidence?

And if so, is this

his scheme or hers?

These gentlemen approached her,

Your Majesty.

And she has countenanced their scheme

and given it her encouragement.

This is plain evidence

she seeks your death.

As you do wish for hers, Sir Francis.

You've already marked it with the gallows.

Or did Queen Mary make

that mark herself?

There is no lie or counterfeit

laid here before you, madam.

And though it call down

the wrath of Spain upon us,

I say, she should

be dealt with.

I will not move

precipitately, sir.

The Spanish build ships

these last years

and we have none

to put against them.

I will not

move too soon.

I will write to

the Earl of Leicester.

Whatever

the Earl's view, madam,

we must advise you that...

I am subject of plots

and conspiracies

and all I have to defend me

is you and...

sad old Lord Burghley!

I want Leicester!

Bring him home!

The army, madam,

have need of their general.

So... your spy,

our spy...

who is he, Walsingham?

The young man who once

tried to kill you, madam.

We turned him.

I have done what I have

done for your safety, madam.

Mary of Scotland

is a traitor.

So.

Do you think because I am slow

to make war, that I am merciful?

You think women are kinder

than a man or more gentle?

I'll tell you, gentlemen,

we women have forgotten

more about cruelty than you

could ever remember.

What we do not like is lies.

Why should I not

hang you

as well as the fellow Catholics

you've duped? And I tell you, sir,

we'll hang them not a whit before

we cut them open for a traitor's death.

Shadows

and shadows...

of shadows.

Being alive is punishment enough

for this creature.

For the others,

kill them as I have said.

I want them alive when you cut out

their heart and their bowels!

I mourn more for the death

of one good and faithful man

than I do for 20 traitors.

And now with those I love

across the seas

risking their lives

for my life,

I tell you I want to hang

those conspirators myself!

Oh, I am made of

cruel passions, my lord!

And when the time is right will so act

on them as to astonish the world.

I have love

and compassion too.

And as I can punish,

so can I yearn...

for those who are

true and faithful and...

and who love me according

to my true deserts

as their Queen.

Hang him! Hang him!

Queen Mary must be

brought to trial.

To try an anointed

sovereign, sir,

is no light matter.

The Earl of Leicester would

be in favor of a trial, madam.

Oh, really?

Well, shall we ask him?

My lord, how goes

it in Holland?

We seek your opinion

on an urgent matter.

- Madam, we must...

- How busily my subjects

set about to see

a Queen laid low.

Well, let it be done then.

Let it be done.

But I would have it done

with an eye

to the justice

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