Witchfinder General Page #5

---

Here you are, 12 guineas in silver.

To be spent in the service

of our Lord, Magistrate.

We must thank you for your good work,

Master Witchfinder.

Thank you, Magistrate, for your aid.

-Witchfinder!

-Greetings, Stearne.

Is that all you've got to say after

leaving me there with Cromwell's men?

Well, I provided us both

with the opportunity to escape.

Only you did and I was captured.

Fortunes of war, Stearne.

You know me well enough to know that

I wouldn't hesitate to fire and kill you.

Aye, you would that.

I hold all human life dearly, Stearne,

especially my own.

Oh, come now.

-You've escaped and all is well.

-Maybe.

I even saved your share of the pay

even though I did all of the work myself.

Now, are you going to be sensible

or do I kill you?

By the way, do you know

what they call me now?

What?

Witchfinder General.

There are those who think that I should be

appointed such for all of England,

appointed by Parliament.

Here! Look.

-Sara. She's here.

-Very nice, eh, Matthew?

No, you fool.

Don't you realize that if she's here,

that trooper must be around, too?

-But he's away fighting.

-Suppose he got leave after Naseby.

Where do you think he'd go?

To see her, of course.

-We better move along then, eh?

-No.

That man, Marshall,

is not going to give up.

He's proved that to us already.

Then we have to get him

before he gets us, right?

We have the power to do it, legally.

-Prove him a witch, huh?

-Exactly.

-He'd never confess, not that one.

-On his own, no.

But if we had him and the girl?

Yeah, she's the niece of a man

we executed for witchcraft.

And Marshall is her husband.

I owe that jumped-up plowboy

a seeing-to.

Go out and ask around.

Find out if he's been seen.

If not, we'll tarry here a while

until he does arrive.

-Who is it?

-Sara, open the door. It's me.

Richard?

They were here, Hopkins and Stearne.

I didn't know what to do.

I saw them in the street.

-I didn't know if they saw me or not.

-I know.

I know.

Well, I'll be in the tavern

with the others, then.

He's here, Matthew! Just arrived.

-Where's he gone?

-To see the girl.

-Alone?

-Yeah. The three others are in the tavern.

Go and get us an extra man to help.

Where are we going to take them,

Matthew?

Up to the castle.

The magistrate here is very helpful.

That's where you interrogated the others,

is it?

Yes.

Now, hurry to it, man.

What are you going to do?

You say Hopkins arrived two days ago.

Yes, and then he was with the other one

in the street today.

And they haven't left yet?

I'm not sure. I've been too scared to leave.

Come on! Open up in there!

Drop that sword, soldier.

This man accuses you, Sara Lowes,

and you, Richard Marshall,

of consorting with the Devil.

-Is that not so, Master Webb?

-It is that, sir.

Will you describe your evidence to us?

I observed the accused talking

with their familiars

and making the signs of Satan, sir.

And what were these familiars

to which you refer?

Black cat and a stoat, sir.

You're a very observing citizen,

Master Webb.

Well, Sara, do you confess?

And what do you have to say, soldier?

I'm going to kill you, Hopkins.

I don't think you'll find that easy.

The law is with me, remember?

And what are you? An accused witch.

They must be submitted to the test.

Take them, Stearne.

Hopkins!

A Royalist sympathizer,

evidently.

But what are we going to do with him?

Leave him. I'll inform the magistrate later.

We have more important work to do.

Come on.

Get moving.

Orders from the magistrate.

Suspected witches.

Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.

-I heard them.

-Where are they taking them?

To the castle to test them.

Test them?

They're accused of witchcraft.

-Harcourt, you come with me.

-Yes, sir.

-Shall I look after him, sir?

-Yes, try and find him a physician.

I've heard much of how

Hopkins conducts his interrogations.

Come on, Harcourt.

All right, Stearne.

No!

Well, Captain Marshall,

do you now confess?

Keep at it, Stearne.

You're doing God's work.

Put her over here.

And you, Master Webb, help him.

Master Hopkins and his assistants,

are they here, man?

-That they are, sir.

-Well, let us pass, then.

You're here to help the Witchfinder?

-We're here to find him, yes.

-Have you a signed pass?

Sara, I'm going to place this iron

on your back.

Should you faint or cry out,

we can only take it that Satan has

intervened to spare you your agony.

However, I could show mercy if...

If Captain Marshall were to confess

to witchcraft first.

But will you do it, sir?

I shall kill you.

So, you have no

proper authorization, then.

What do you mean?

-From the magistrate. Authorization.

-Not here with us, no.

Well, we'll go back and get one then.

All right. Then I'll let you pass.

Master Webb,

go and see what is the matter.

Yes, Master Hopkins.

What do we do, Matthew?

We shall carry on with God's work

as before, man.

And fetch Captain Marshall over here.

He shall kneel before his wife

and watch her suffer.

-But Matthew...

-Go do it, man!

Oh, God!

You took him away from me.

You took him from me.

You took him from me.

You took him from me!

You took him from me!

May God have mercy on us all.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes