Witchfinder General Page #3

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-Tell us your foul iniquities!

-No!

Your familiars, woman. Confess!

Stop. For God's sake, stop.

Quiet, old man, and be thankful

you're not getting the same.

How many of them? A dog? A ferret?

Come on, tell them!

John. The Witchfinder, he's coming.

I trust you are using

the prescribed methods, Stearne?

Naturally.

Has she confessed?

Well, give me time.

She's only been here an hour.

Continue with the interrogation.

I shall be gone for a while.

You're always going off somewhere, sir,

aren't you?

-What do you mean?

-Nothing.

I've been called over the hill

to the next village.

I shall be back by tomorrow.

You will remain in charge here.

Carry on your work

while you're away, aye, sir?

Indeed.

-And the priest?

-I said to leave him be.

What do you want?

-You.

-Where's Master Hopkins?

-Gone.

-Gone?

-Where?

-Just gone.

He's left me in charge.

No! No!

No!

And don't think I don't know

why the old priest is being spared, eh?

Stearne, the priest.

I've changed my mind.

Confess!

Confess.

He confessed. You heard him.

I've heard nothing yet, Master Hopkins.

Refresh Master Salter's memory, Stearne.

You heard him.

You did, too.

Yes, Master Hopkins.

Witnesses.

Get up, you blasted witch! Get up!

Come on!

You are, all of you, confessed idolaters.

However, these proceedings shall be

carried out through due process of law.

What law demands, we shall satisfy.

You will each be tied in a prescribed

fashion, and cast into the moat.

Should you then sink, we will know

that your confessions are false.

If on the other hand

you are seen to swim or float,

then your confessions of witchcraft

are proven beyond a doubt

in the sight of God.

And you will be withdrawn from the water

and hanged by the neck

until you are dead.

You can't hang me. The law forbids it!

I'm with child.

And who would want

to make you pregnant, witch?

Quiet. Stearne, go on with your task.

Oh, God, help me!

-No!

-No!

-No!

-Help me...

Hey, look! One of them is gone already.

They swim.

-The mark of Satan is upon them.

-Give us a hand here! Come on!

They must hang.

She was innocent.

God forgive you, Matthew Hopkins.

Jailer,

take them to the tree.

The money from the magistrate,

nine guineas in silver.

Good. Now we can leave.

-Good morning, soldier.

-Good morning.

What'll you be after in the way

of horses, then, aye?

A dozen or so for General Cromwell's

armies up north.

Well, lost a few, have you?

Aye, at Cheriton Wood.

That's a pretty sorry looking bunch

of old nags you got in there, friend.

-The best we could find.

-Then they'll have to do.

-A dozen you say, eh?

-Aye.

We'll be back in Suffolk soon where,

thank God, they still breed strong horses.

Oh, I doubt you'll find much better there.

I'm just back from those parts.

The mounts up there are much like these.

Have you been through

Brandeston at all, man?

Brandeston? Aye.

And a fine commotion

they're stirring up there.

What, over you taking their horses?

No, nothing like that. A mass hanging.

-Who?

-Witches, I heard.

Two women and a priest.

-Where was the priest from, man?

-Brandeston, I suppose.

A brave old boy for all his white hairs.

Was he a friend of yours?

Two troopers, Gifford and Harcourt,

will be here directly.

Have them take these horses here

back to the regiment

and report that I'm delayed.

I'll join them further north.

Do you understand?

Yes, but where will you be going to?

Anything else?

Sara!

Sara?

Sara!

Sara.

Sara!

Sara!

Sara!

They took him and killed him.

They said he was an idolater.

I know, I heard.

-Sara...

-One of them, the Witchfinder,

he...

He...

I didn't want to...

I thought I could save him.

I thought they'd have pity.

We kneel before thee, oh, Lord, in humility

to ask for a blessing on our union.

We ask for forgiveness of our sins

and strength to lead righteous lives

as man and wife.

We pray also for the soul of thy servant,

John Lowes.

May he know eternal peace.

And it is in thy sight, oh, Lord,

that I hereby swear

I shall not rest from

the pursuit of his murderers

till they stand before thee,

ready to answer to thee for their sins.

Take this money and whatever you need

from the rectory and go to Lavenham.

-You'll be safer there.

-I will, Richard.

Find lodgings and stay there.

I'll come to you.

I love you very much.

Oh, Richard!

Shepherd, I seek two men.

Witchfinders, they call themselves.

They were said to be headed this way.

-Matthew Hopkins and his assistant?

-Aye.

I've heard they're in Hoxne, about

four miles yonder, but I can't be sure.

Thank you, Shepherd.

Get out!

Oh, come on, Johnny, give us a kiss.

-Oh, get away from me.

-Stop it, you dirty rascal!

Stop it!

Here, I'll bet you two pennies.

-Ale, soldier?

-Aye, to wash the dust from my throat.

-Another one for you?

-Aye, get a move on with it.

She's got a powerful thirst still.

Landlord, I'm looking for a man

called Hopkins.

-I heard he was coming this way.

-Matthew Hopkins?

-Would you know where he is, friend?

-Aye, he's gone to Cambridge today.

But you got an accusation to make,

I'll get your confession for you.

I do the pricking, you know, not Matthew.

I'm your man, friend.

John Stearne, they call me.

I'm husband to Sara Lowes.

-You all right, friend?

-Yeah.

-You better get out of here.

-Yeah, I'm going, don't worry.

As for you, soldier, you are coming down

to see the magistrate.

Am I? Not with you.

Quick, Matthew!

For God's sake, Stearne,

what have you done? Who was that?

-Richard Marshall.

-Who?

He's married to the girl, Sara.

-How did he find you?

-He was looking for you.

He found out about Brandeston.

We're going to have to separate.

I won't run from him.

We have work to do down south

in Lavenham.

Not me. He's after our blood.

Seems to me he's already had

some of yours.

Well, he's not going to have any more,

you understand?

You're forgetting our powers.

He could be a witch.

He's a man who's out to kill both of us.

Then it appears to me that we should

take steps to see to his death first.

Come. We travel to Lavenham.

I full well understand

your feelings, Cornet,

but you're an officer of the army,

a soldier,

and desertion is punishable by death.

However, in this case,

there are two factors

which will stay me from subjecting you

to a full court-martial.

One, we are grouped here at Naseby

in preparation for a major assault

on the Royalist armies.

We need every man we can get.

And you're a pretty good soldier,

most of the time.

Thank you, sir.

Secondly, I would sleep ill

if I had to send to the gallows

a man who had saved my life.

But, Cornet, remember this.

If you should leave your command again,

I will have no alternative but to throw

the whole weight of military law

against you.

-Understand?

-Yes, sir.

Dismissed, Cornet.

And may God help you in your search,

Cornet Marshall.

Robert, hello.

-Richard, you're back.

-Aye.

-What happened with the Captain?

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