Restoration Page #4

Ah, Merivel.

ls it you ?

lt is me.

lt-lt is in fact l, Sire.

Time has changed you,

Merivel.

As with many of my people, some

vital part of you appears to be asleep.

Something has arrived,

Merivel.

Something that may rouse

even you from sleep.

The plague.

La peste.

Deptford, four people

have died. lt will spread.

Some of us will be spared

and some will die.

But all of us will awake.

[ Chuckling ]

- [ Laughing ]

- [ Gasps, Chuckles ]

Come along, Merivel.

There is much to discuss.

You see, l have started work

upon this toad.

- Ah.

- Will you help me to dissect it ?

Yes, if you

wish me to, Sire.

Yes, l do wish you to,

Merivel.

l have summoned you

to talk about your wife.

Pin, Merivel.

When l married her to you,

it was to hide her...

from the intelligent gaze

of my mistress, Lady Castlemaine.

Now, observe the sheen of the gut.

lt's like a jewel.

You may imagine, then, my fury

when she commanded me...

to end my liaison

with Lady Castlemaine...

and likewise

to terminate my amours...

with certain actresses

of the playhouse.

So l banished her

to Suffolk.

Now the grosser part of me...

is uncommonly sensible

to her absence.

The royal tool is waving about

in search of her.

She is skillful and enthusiastic

in these matters.

Merivel, l desire you

to impress upon Celia...

to be content

with what she has.

Tell her to come to me in humility

and she may have it all again:

her house, servants, money and the King

in her bed from time to time.

l desire her

penitent return...

when the portrait

is finished.

Um... he's a slow painter,

Your Majesty, what with all the cherubs.

What is a painting

without cherubs ? Hmm ?

Precisely, Sire.

Make this clear, Merivel:

l expect her in my bed

when the portrait is complete.

The King would give no promise

whatsoever with regard to you.

But he must

have said something.

He desired that you

stay here at Bidnold...

until you became aware

of the changeful nature of all things.

But how long does he say

this will take ?

Months ? Years ?

Am l to grow old

and see my beauty vanish...

and all that once pleased him

turn to decay ?

l'm sure he does not

intend that,

but he has put the matter

into your hands and into mine.

lnto your hands ?

Yes.

For l am to judge

when you are ready.

And the King has promised to correspond

with me regularly over the matter.

And how shall l arrive

at this wisdom ?

He has suggested, perhaps,

that we together...

exercise our gifts

for music.

- Just arrived, sir.

- Will, l need you

to do something for me.

- Anything, sir.

- You must forge a letter

to me from the King.

[ Mutters ]

Sir.

And, uh, the King makes

no mention of a date...

for me to have, uh,

completed the painting ?

- My dear Finch.

- ''Finn.''

Ah !

He has no interest, it seems,

in the painting whatsoever...

but for his continued

suspicion of cherubs.

So it seems to me

that it is to music...

that His Majesty owes

his greatest affection.

- We are all mere pawns.

- Mmm ! Prawns, yes.

No, no, ''pawns.''

''Pawns'' !

Hmm.

Merivel, wake up.

There is something l must tell you.

Celia !

The bird is ill.

The bird. The bird.

Oh, the bird !

Please, we must do something.

Birds are not really

my specialty--

But, Merivel,

it is dying !

Merivel, why are you

no longer a physician ?

Um--

When l asked the King why

he was marrying me to such a fool,

he said that you had

a great gift for healing.

Perhaps l should stay.

We should watch over the bird together.

Yes, l would like that.

[ Birds Chirping ]

lt's dead.

[ Gates ] Are you not putting

yourself at terrible risk, sir ?

Forging the King's seal

is a hanging offense.

l love her, Will.

l must do all l can...

to discourage

completion of the portrait.

Sir Robert ?

l'm sure your wife

is greatly dismayed...

at the loss

of her favorite bird.

lnconsolable, l fear.

Which must, in turn,

cause you much distress.

Of course.

l did all that l could.

Sir Robert, now that the painting

is nearly complete,

l feel it is my duty to thank you for

your hospitality during my stay here.

Th-Th-The desire

to finish the work...

has perhaps made me

less than an ideal guest.

- For that l am sorry.

- No, matter, Finn. No matter.

- l understand better than

most the lure of court.

- [ Chuckles ]

- Sir Robert.

- Hmm ?

May l be forward with you ?

During my stay here,

l-l've noticed...

that a certain bond

has formed...

between yourself

and Lady Merivel.

A-And that you are perhaps--

although she has warmed

considerably--

unsure how to further

the matter.

Perhaps i-i-i-if l were

to broach the subject with her,

her natural shyness

might find some release ?

My God, it's a most

delicate situation.

But that might be

the very thing.

- l think. Well, l'll do what l can.

- [ Chuckles ]

l will, of course,

act most subtly.

?? [ Harpsichord ]

[ Whispers ]

Merivel !

l have spoken to Lady Celia,

and my impression is...

that your advances

would not be unwelcome.

?? [ Harpsichord Continues ]

[ Bell Chiming ]

[ Chiming Continues ]

Voila ! Venus !

Uncommonly bright !

A good portent. Venus being the

brightest of all the evening stars...

and the reigning planet

of earthly love.

Come and look.

Uh, uh--

Here. Here.

Ah.

- You're right, Merivel.

lt really is a beautiful star.

- Yes.

And it smiles on us

from on high.

We are blessed.

[ Chuckles ]

Merivel ?

Merivel !

[ Groans ]

No !

No ! No !

[ Grunting ]

Celia, you must think

no more of the King.

lf he is not weary of you now,

he soon will be.

[ Gasps ]

- You're wrong, Merivel.

The King wants me back.

- [ Laughs ]

Do you think he will curtail

his amours with the actresses

of the playhouse ? Never.

He is a loose fish !

He cannot be held or kept.

l am your husband, and all that l ask

is that you allow me to love you.

lt just arrived

from the palace, sir.

Mr. Finn

has betrayed us.

l-l shall leave for

court in the morning.

And, Will, pack

one of our pineapples.

l shall take it

as a gift to the King,

though l fear that--

What, sir ?

That no offering of this

kind will be enough.

[ King ]

Ah, Merivel !

This is my new plan

for our native city, Merivel.

Yes, come along, Merivel.

See how Fleet Street

is thus straightened.

And there is here one straight view

from Ludgate Circus...

past St. Paul's

and on to the Royal Exchange.

And here's another street from, uh--

from Smithfield down to the river...

where, perhaps, the halls

of the lesser companies...

might be built

along Thames Quay.

[ Chuckles ]

All for the beauty, ornament

and convenience of the city.

Sit down, Merivel.

Ohh !

l-lt is a brave

new plan, Sire.

Now, l have--

Do you remember we once

made a plan together, Merivel ?

And in that plan,

love was not asked of you.

lndeed, it was the only thing

specifically forbidden of you.

By ignoring what we agreed,

you have driven yourself

out of paradise.

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