Robin Hood Page #6

Sire, forgotten men are dangerous men.

The barons need to be told

that when the French come,

we are all Englishmen.

- Fitzrobert.

- Baldwin.

We'll make an army of the north

and march on London.

The barons need leadership.

Wiser kings know

they must let men look them in the eye,

hear their voice.

Together, let us ride north to meet them.

They march against their king, Marshal.

Their king.

We will meet them with the pikes

of our militia in their gizzards.

You have lost your touch, Marshal.

Perhaps we'll look to the barons

without you.

Saddle up with a spare horse.

I leave immediately.

I want to know where to find Godfrey.

My Lord.

- I found him, My Lord.

Where?

Nottingham.

In plain sight, living as Walter Loxley's son.

Then we go to Nottingham.

Take no prisoners.

Leave no stone un-scorched.

Take two men, four horses.

Ride hard for the coast, then on to Paris

and give a message to the King.

I'll make the place famous.

Come, Allan!

I'll get them drinking. You get them dancing!

All right.

Music, laughter,

the crackle of a bonfire and a roasting pig.

Life has returned.

You have returned it, Robin.

How did you know it was me?

Who else would sit by me uninvited

like a friend from the old days?

How are you, William?

I'm well and troubled.

Ah. And what brings you?

I'm riding on to Barnsdale tonight.

I've heard something of the barons' anger

against the crown's tax collector...

The anger has turned into action.

They assemble to march against the King.

You think you can persuade the barons

to turn back?

Turn back, no.

To join King John against a French invasion.

- A what?

- Help me, Walter.

I cannot go with you.

I cannot speak for this king.

He is the only king we have.

But not the only hope.

Explain.

- Marion.

- I'm here, Walter.

This is my old friend,

William Marshal.

Lady Marion Loxley, my son's wife.

Lady, I was glad to see Sir Robert

when he disembarked in London.

I think you know better, Marshal.

Sir William, I know,

would like to meet Robin Longstride again.

We've met before.

Yes, Sir, I know. In London.

No, when you were a child.

Hobby-horse age.

Sir Walter and I returned from the Holy Land

to fetch you home.

But you'd gone.

We had lost Thomas Longstride's son.

It was a wound that never healed.

You need to know what I know.

Your father was a stonemason.

Is that pleasing to you?

Yes. It is.

But he was more than that.

He was a visionary.

What did he see?

That kings have a need of their subjects

no less than their subjects

have need of kings.

A dangerous idea.

Your father was a philosopher.

He had a way of speaking

that took you by the ears and by the heart.

None of these things

can be written down, Robin.

You must commit them to your very soul.

This is the science of memory.

"Rise and rise again

until lambs become lions.' '

Finally, hundreds listened,

thousands, who took up his call

for the rights of all ranks from baron to serf.

"Rise and rise again

"until lambs become lions.' '

What happened to him?

Close your eyes.

... foundation is set on

the rights of liberty for all people!

Longstride, give up the charter

and their names!

You were there.

You saw it.

I will not.

Not dead.

Not now.

Not now.

Here is my copy

of the main contract.

This charter of rights

was written by your father.

And here are... There are the names

of all the barons that signed the charter.

Fitzrobert, Baldwin, Marshal and myself.

What he wanted

was a charter for every man...

- Wait there.

To have the same rights.

Sir Walter? A messenger for you.

Bring him in.

Step forward, sir.

- My Lord.

I'm listening.

Peterborough's been burned

by the King's men.

Fitzrobert gathers an army

to slay King John in London.

Marshal requests your presence

at counsel in Barnsdale.

Wait outside, will you?

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

The time for pretence is over.

Now, hold me like a son.

Go.

Maggie. Where's my lady?

I could not find her, sir.

Whether we fight for our lives,

our family and our honour,

we must fight till the death.

You've spent too long in the palace, William.

Spending time in the palace

gives me perspective.

As we speak,

King Philip sails for our coast.

Godfrey and his marauders are French!

Every minute that we waste in disunity

brings closer the destruction of our country!

We have been bled

by the King long before Godfrey.

Go back to London and tell the King

that we will meet him

on a field of his choice.

Make way!

We will not fight

to save John's crown.

Rather let him bend the knee to us.

I'll give you more,

Sir Baldwin.

My breast for your sword point.

Use mine.

Go on.

No?

Oh, this is what you want, isn't it?

This is what he wants.

Fine, I'd rather give it to you

than have it taken by the French.

You mistake me, Sire.

I have no right and no ambition

to wear the crown.

But let the rightful wearer beware.

From now we will be subject only

to laws that we have a hand in making.

We are not sheep

to be made mutton of by your butchers.

Godfrey set himself to turn you against me.

Then he did more than was needed

to accomplish that.

A very important decision.

Don't you think that we've paid

too much taxes for far too long...

This is where I was born.

- What does it mean?

- It means never give up.

We will not be loyal to a crown

that robs and starves us!

The King must listen to what we have to say!

A king does not bargain for the loyalty

that every subject owes him.

Without loyalty there is no kingdom.

There is nothing.

I'm here to speak for Sir Walter Loxley.

Let the man speak.

Let him speak!

Speak! Speak!

Speak, if you must.

If you're trying to build for the future,

you must set your foundation strong.

The laws of this land

enslave people to its king,

a king who demands loyalty

but offers nothing in return.

I have marched from France

to Palestine and back.

And I know

in tyranny lies only failure.

You build a country

like you build a cathedral,

from the ground up.

Empower every man

and you will gain strength.

Hmm.

Well, who could object

to such reasonable words?

If Your Majesty were to offer justice,

justice in the form of a charter of liberties,

allowing every man to forage for his hearth,

to be safe from conviction without cause

or prison without charge,

to work, eat and live

on the sweat of his own brow

- and be as merry as he can...

- Sir, Godfrey's men are on to Nottingham.

...then that king would be great.

Not only would he receive

the loyalty of his people

but their love, as well.

So what would you have? Hmm?

Castle for every man?

Every Englishman's home is his castle.

What we would ask, Your Majesty,

is liberty.

Liberty by law!

Your Majesty, My Lords,

the French fleet is in the Channel.

Sire, you have a chance

to unify your subjects high and low.

It falls on your nod.

I only have to nod?

I can do better than that.

I give my word

that such a charter will be written.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote