The Devil's Whore (2008): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript

Blue for constancy.

Flesh for flesh.

Straw for plenty.

Red for justice.

Le Roi.

Your cousin Harry
is the envy of my court.

Let's ask God to bless this union.

On the night of my birth,

a comet appeared in
the sky and bells rang out

A girl.

The bells did not herald my birth...



but the killing of
my mother's Catholic priest

For Catholicism in England
was seen as high treason.

Cousin Harry was my father's heir,

and my childhood playmate.

This is where my mother's priest
used to come and go.

Follow me, Harry.

Be brave.

Mother?

Mother?

Harry and I have a play to show you.

Two birds that grow up and many.

Mother?

I am your servant.

Instruct me.



Mother?

The Virgin Mary told
my mother to leave me

behind and go to
a nunnery in France.

Angelica...

It is Our Lady's will
that I give my life over to God.

My bible is my farewell gift to you.

Please don't leave me!

This was the day I lost my mother

and put my soul into the balance.

If there be a God that steals mothers,
strike me down!

There is no God! There is no God!

Why do you weep, Angelica?

Only for joy
that this day has finally come.

Make her ready.

Harry, I've heard
the Queen say Angelica

was wild as a colt
when first she came to Court.

They tell me she saw devils.

She was but a child, my Lord!

It was her mind was wild, not her.

A wild bedfellow then.

I do love to see a woman with spirit,
and a man to break it.

She needs not be broken, my Lord.

In faith I hope she be broken,
Harry, and this very night.

She's played false else.

- Your work awaits you.
- Not work...

but the purest delight to me,
my Lord.

Angelica Fanshawe is
a delight to all men.

It's nothing, Angelica.

If it is nothing
then why may I not see?

Shall Honest john Lilbume...
not speak the truth

about this King

that tells us God
gave him his throne?!

I say to you, he is a tyrant
that will not let his Parliament sit!

Charles Stewart has no divine right.
For writing this I am whipped!

Will you recant?

The King promises your freedom
if you'll renounce your pamphlet.

My liberty is ease to take...

... but not to give.

I am freeborn John Lilburne!

Beg him to recant, madam!

Do not recant, john.

I closed my eyes
and lived in the dark,

choosing not to see
the world outside was sick

and running mad.

Read his pamphlet.
Read and remember.

For justice and Liberty.

Your husband, madam?

Aye.

Honest john Lilbume.

Whipped for raising his voice
for justice and liberty.

Welcome to Babylon, sir.

Justice and liberty?

He is mistook, madam.

There's nought but these...

since time began.

Well, Sexby...

- I thought you were long dead by now?
- I am at your service, Highness.

No-one left to kill in Germany?

Not a one left to piss
against a wall, Highness.

Well, you've travelled in vain.
I have no need of you.

Yet I heard talk of a fight
to come here in England.

That the King must let his Parliament
sit if he is to have more taxes.

That their heads buzz
with grievances against him.

That this will not
be settled by talk.

Dear God, who is she?

Remember the sewer you were born in
and the hag that gave you life!

Come to me later.

There is a service
you may perform for me.

But there'll be no fight
in England, Sexby.

May I speak with you, my Lady?

Let her speak. Quickly, madam,
for I am waited on at the altar.

My Lady, I am the wife of a man
much misunderstood,

Honest John Lilburne,
that was whipped just now...

Whipped?

Aye, most cruelly,

and will die in the Fleet unless a voice
like yours be raised up to help him.

Wait!

You might ask a favour of her Majesty
on your wedding day.

My Lady,

Lilbume is the villain
that writes lies about His Majesty.

Madam, tell your husband there's no
greater soul on earth than the King.

He is my second father.

Then Honest john must die...

and there is no
liberty in this land.

The garter! Yes!

I will have them both, sir.

Let me be your friend
a while longer.

My boy Harry.

You'll always be my best friend.

But now I must be a husband.

And you will be the best
husband a woman ever had.

What, Harry? Not at your work yet?

A drink of sack.

To make a 'boy' lusty.

Well, then, 'my boy Harry...'

To it.

He is the King's nephew.

And a brave fighter.

You must be brave too now, Hany.

You must not call me 'boy'.

I will be a boy no longer.

Husband, then.

Do you worst.

So Fanshawe married Fanshawe.

Harry did not wed
the house and land,

they were his already.

I did not wed the name,
that was mine already.

We married for love.

- My sewe, sir. Thank you.
- Mistress Lilbume.

My Lady looks well.

Lilburne?

- You have met before?
- Your wife was kind enough

to spare a word
on the day of your wedding, sir.

My husband knows not that I am here.

- He would not beg.
- Indeed.

For I have read his letter.

As well as his pamphlet.
The work of The Beast,

which he was loving enough to send me
as someone conneded to His Majesty.

And indeed he does not beg.

He demands that I intercede
on the side of 'justice' and 'liberty'.

- Perhaps you have not read his pages.
- Sir, some of the pages are mine.

John and I are of one mind
and one flesh.

- Please, site. You are weary.
- Indeed, Madam.

For I have walked from London to speak
to you only the truth, I swear.

You have walked
to no purpose, madam.

She plays with 'truth'
as her husband plays with 'liberty'

and 'justice'.

I came not to play at anything, sir,

but to save my husband
from a slow death in the Fleet Prison.

For I know not how he will live
except a voice is raised up for him,

for I think
the truest man in England.

And though he will not beg, I will.

His demand is only
that the King let the Parliament sit

so he may hear
the grievances of his people.

Husband?

- May we not hear...
- We?

I fare you well, madam.

You may go.

You must never again interfere
in matters you cannot understand.

Give me that!

Did you burn yourself?

Why do you stare at me always?

Wait.

When you were sent here,

Prince Rupert said
you were a good man for a fight.

I want you to take me
to the Fleet Prison.

How will the gaoler make his living
unless he bring in wine and whores?

- I had thought there'd be dungeons.
- There are, my lady.

And there with Lilburne they'll sit,

except the mob that reads his pamphlets
came to burn the gaol down.

I must see your face, madam.

I cannot.

We must have your face, madam,
or your name.

I come to be of service
to your Master Lilburne.

How, madam?

If you would but listen,
my Lady will tell you.

I wish to help you
to His Majesty's forgiveness.

He's a just, wise,

- and merciful man.
- Forgiveness?!

For I think you are
a sincere and godly man.

But you do not know
His Majesty's heart...

He had me whipped at the cart's
arse from Fleet Bridge to westminster!

- Would you see the stripes?
- John.

Let me take to him some
words of conciliation...

Apologise?

- John.
- I?

Her heart means well.

Madam, I thank you,

but I would rather
have another 500 lashes

than I would kneel for forgiveness.

The King must listen
to the voice of reason

in his Parliament and dismiss
his fat-witted advisors!

We shall not live like slaves!

Nor shall we loll in
our beds while he bring in

an Irish Army or a
Scotch Army to kill us!

I... I know nothing
of an Irish Army.

Madam.

My friend loves his crown of thoms,

but God is at work
in his honest heart.

If I may not know your name,
know mine.

I am Thomas Rainsborough.

The means to talk
a King off his throne.

- King off his throne?
- Sir, I will not stay

and quanel with you for I see
your life is a quanel with itself.

When the world has turned,
may you find your true nature.

How will the world be tumed, sir?

When the first is last
and the last is first.

And where shall I be on that day?

You will be where you choose to be.

Farewell, gentle Lady.

Who was the other,
who had no words but 'John'?

A godly man, and a good
man for a committee, I am told.

Sent from Cambridge
to sit in the Commons.

Now that at last the
King permits us to sit,

let my first words in
this new House be on injustice.

Hath not His Majesty swom,

not to deny to any man
either justice or night?

Then where is the
justice for John Lilburne?

That rots still in the Fleet

by a sentence most illegal,

against the liberty of the subject,

bloody, wicked,
barbarous and tyrannical?!

Now we sit,
we must listen to these voices

or they will drown
out our proceedings.

I, Oliver Cromwell,

petition this House that
by its own authority it orders

the immediate release
of Honest John Lilburne!

You waste no words.

What would you have me say?

Did you think me...

'fat-witted'?

Your jouney was wasted.

You thought to bring a prize home
for your husband, did you not?

He must not know.

I will bring in your bags, my Lady.

What thought you
on Master Rainsborough?

If my Lady was a dinner,

he would lick the plate clean.

No more?

He sees into men's hearts.

"The world to turn.'

How may that be, think you?

He dreams.

On a world where no man
needs a King to govem him.

And perhaps,

no woman her husband to govem her.

- Shall I bring in your bags, my Lady?
- where got you those cuts?

Fighting.

- Where?
- Wherever there are wages.

Why are you here Sexby?
Why do you draw my water

and carry logs to my fire?

I am waiting, my Lady.

For what?

For the killing to start...

Killing?

One side will draw a sword.

It is the world.

Your horse waits on its straw.

And my Lord waits on you.

You are returned.

How fares your friend?

She is...

She is much recovered, sir.

Cover yourself, sir.

Harry.

My thoughts are with His Majesty.

A mob, urged on by
traitors in the Parliament,

has forced the release of Lilburne.

This is anarchy.

- Harry, do you not think...
- They have no grievances.

He is the King.

They are his subjects.

- Of course, but might there not be...
- It is not for you to think about.

We will go to London tomonow.

His Majesty has commanded the House

to give up five old dogs
that have bitten him these ten years.

They still deny
the King his night to rule.

They're traitors,
the House must sunender them.

And what if they refuse?

He will seize them.

- He'll enter their Chamber?
- It's parliament.

- But to use force against...
- It is not for you to think about.

Harry.

Will you not come to me tonight?

Aye.

If you will be silent.

Why do men mock me?

Who mocks you, Harry?

Even on my wedding day,
I was mocked.

'A pleasure for all men.'

what?

Are you a whore, madam?

I'm what you see, Harry.
I'm what you know me to be.

Aye.

By day.

But by night, what are you?

When the Devil came to you...

- That you did tell me as a boy.
- Sir?

Aye, Satan,
with his tongue unfurled.

- I was a girl, I...
- Did he enter you?

What?!

Then wherefore these
noises at night?

Harry, why do we fight?

Are we not Harry and Angelica,

best of friends?

Boyd.**

Do you smell it?

It's on the wind.

The House refuses.

I will be master of my enemies.

Follow me!

Do not draw your sword...

unless you be certain of the day.

The King comes with armed men.

Gentlemen,

a barge awaits you at the Watergate.

Let them go, quickly.

If the King takes them, he is strong.
If he fails to take them, he is weak.

Do not attack your enemy's house...

if he be gone from it.

I had not thought
he would do this, Thomas.

Mr Speaker, I must for
a time make bold with your chair.

Five of your members are charged with
treason. You will point them out to me.

Sire, it is not my part to see or speak
anything but as this House desires me.

Hear, hear!

No matter.

My eyes are as good as another's.

I can see all my birds have...

flown.

Know the hour.

And the minute.

And the second.

- It's lost.
- Harry, what is lost?

London is lost.

We leave London
as soon as it is dark.

The apprentice bands are sacking
houses. The militia is out and armed.

They come here to
defend their Parliament.

Majesty.

My dear, sweet girl,
you must not trouble yourself.

Sire, there are matters
Your Majesty may not fully understand.

Concerning the Parliament men.

I think they need not be your enemies,
Your Majesty.

There has been a mistake.

A mistake?

I am... mistook?

A thousand apologies, Your Majesty.
Her mind is wild, still.

Leave us.

Wa... wa... wa

war.

The day depends on us!

And we charge!

Where's your honour, Sexby?

Where are your men?

Half way to Kineton,
seeking you, sir.

Follow me.

You lost your men,
you seek them out.

You're under my command, Sexby.

I don't take orders from boys.

How came you by that?

Give it to me.

Take it from me.

I can have you shot for this.

Then why should I fight
for you or your king?

Come and fight me
on the battlefield.

Hold fast, john!

Hold fast!

- Welcome to paradise, sir!
- For liberty and justice!

I see your world is turning!

He's here, Thomas.

The night has frozen his wounds.

Yet he breathes.

Grab his legs...

Both armies gave thanks to the same
god for the same vidory.

And in truth, the fight
at Kineton settled nothing at all.

It was only the beginning.
As the seasons turned,

ever more blood was spilled
in all corners of the land.

You thought right, Thomas.

They look not for this,
not come by floodwater.

Nor on this day, Oliver.

Make ready the guns, Edward.

- Must there truly be no warning?
- None.

We are too few to storm them.

- Women and children...
- Aye.

They must feel terror
in their hearts.

Fire the first gun.

Fire the first gun and reload.

Fire the second.

Fire the second gun and reload.

We are ready, sir.

Hold.

Thomas, surely they
see how few we are.

All that matter's
is this man's spirit

If I break it,
your men need not draw their swords.

Is this how men fight, sir?

Hear this.
God sent these floods to trap you.

Now he sends you Rainsborough
and Cromwell, like joshua and Gideon,

- to drown you in fire and blood.
- You cannot withstand us.

We have 20 cannon.

- Our duty is clear, sirs.
- You will command the sunender now.

If you do, you may retreat,
bag and baggage when the waters go.

Else your walls will
suffer more ordnance.

My engineers will dig beneath you
and we will blow you all to atoms.

Your men will receive no quarter.

Those that breathe
will go to the Indies as slaves.

Decide now.

Your time is bonowed, sir.

Will you grant us what remains

of this blessed day to pray together,
Colonel Rainsborough?

No, sir.

You blaspheme by giving
the Son of God a birthday party.

This is a day like any other.

Angelica,

the King asks me to tell you he has
recalled Harry from the west Country.

- Then I can go to Fanshawe again?
- No, no, child.

You are to wait till
Harry sends for you.

Bring him in.

Wait.

Stand.

Well, speak.

Sire, on Christmas Day just gone,
the Abbey at Croyland was taken.

Taken?

How, taken?

Surrendered, sire.

To Colonels Cromwell
and Rainsborough.

Sire, we could not
have resisted them.

Surrendered?

Without... a fight?

Well...

You, sir,
will never command men hereafter.

It seems now my enemies need only look
upon my power and it takes to its heels.

I must tell you all,

while they have more stomach
than we have for the fight,

none of us will
see London ever again.

Save yourself, madam!

What's going on? Go, go!

Find them.

You'll watch them hang.

Slowly.

You were not...

touched?

I was never more glad to see you.

My letter was clear.

You were to wait to be brought out.

- I thought I was...
- You thought?

You thought to pay
no heed to my wishes.

Men are dead because you thought.

I was wrong.

It was done because...

I missed my friend Harry.

Did he not miss me?

You reach for your boy.

You will not find him again.

I am Colonel Harry Fanshawe.

I am yours to command, Colonel.

Amen.

Amen.

Let down your hair.

Show yourself to me.

My true, brave husband.

You are my master.

I am Yours.

- My true...
- Madam!

These are the words of
the whores in my soldiers' camps!

Then, Harry...

I commend to you to your soldiers...

... and your soldiers
to their whores.

Where you may command,
I will ever be your dutiful wife.

Where you may not,
I can be nothing but what I am.

Horses for the Earl of Manchester.

Does the Commander-in-Chief
know our plans, General?

The King marches on us, my lord.

I have a plan to assault his guns at
first peep, from behind his own lines.

We shall devise some
signal for your lordship

when it is time
to take to the field.

I will not need your signal,
Colonel Rainsborough,

and I did not loll asleep, General,
when you spoke your plans earlier.

I believe the King
will not press the fight.

Let the winter come on.
Let time heal our wounds.

For myself, I'd march to
Oxford and pull him from his lair.

Would not you, General?

Gentlemen,
we must consider what we do.

If we fight the King a hundred times

and we beat him 99 times,
he will be King still.

But if he beat us but once,

we shall be hanged.
We shall lose our estates.

Sir, I have none to lose.

My lord, if this be so,
then why did we take up arms at first?

Then let us make peace,
on any tems, be it never so base.

- Are your men in readiness, then?
- Armed without and within, my lord.

I'm told...

that none of your officers are men
of estate, but such as are common men.

Yet godly and precious, sir.

They are in this quanel for
their conscience' sake, not for pay.

I pray you look them over.

- The day draws on.
- I pray you.

For most surely it would
raise their spirits even higher

to look upon the face
of their Commander-in-Chief.

For what is our
purpose in this fight,

but to rid England of the
thieving abuses of privilege

and to take back
our common inheritance?

A rich man is but a man
who is a burden on to other men.

Even an earl is but a man.

Who is this?

Major Lilburne, that did
fight most desperately at Kineton

and in our late victory
at Marston field.

Lilburne, the man
who would have us all level.

Will he not bow?

John... will you not
bow to his lordship?

Bow, sir, and all will be well.

All will not be well in this land
until the Earl of Manchester

is but plain Mr Montague.

You will hang, sir!

He will not hang.
I will be hanged first.

- Edward!
- My lord.

Perhaps the earl did not see
how bravely this man fought at Marston.

For it was somewhat dark before he
entered the field of battle himself.

You, sir, are another Leveller!

And I will have no
Levellers in my command!

Bow, or I'll hang you myself.

Edward, you were too hot. But I'll speak
to the earl and he will relent.

Do not spend your breath.

I will fight for
this parliament no more.

Where is liberty when Freeborn
John must bow to a hog in amour?

Fare you well.

He spoke the truth.

There are too many like Mr Montague

that have too much to lose
by our victory.

Goodnight

You were right, Thomas.

Soon we must move towards
Oxford and the King's lair.

And in our way, there are some great
houses that we must secure. Nay,

that you must secure.

Colonel Fanshawe.

- I am Colonel Thomas Rainsborough.
- I know you who you are.

I will accept no bargain nor
hear no threats from you. Do your worst.

My lady and her women
will leave within the hour.

So be it.

My wife.

I will write you a
pass to Oxford, my lady.

- We are busy in the county.
- I will need no pass, sir.

This is the house that I was bom in.

If you wish to take it from us,
you will wade through blood to do it.

This is not Croyland Abbey.

Is this not so, my lord?

The ladies will be
ready within the hour.

- Husband?
- Madam. Hear your husband,

- for I mean to do my duty here.
- And I mine...

sir.

- You will leave, madam!
- I will not, sir.

Angelica, you are the dearest
creature in the world to me...

- Then let me stand beside you.
- Rainsborough has never failed

in a siege. He will
destroy the house and all in it.

Then where else should I be?

I will stay at all costs.

And die by your side.

Then all is lost,

Utterly lost.

- Your Majesty...
- Be silent.

You should have obeyed your husband.

And you, sir...

you should have subdued your wife.

Stay in Oxford if you will, madam,

but expect nothing from
the queen's household evermore.

I will accept any commission
from Your Majesty, however base

- or of low rank...
- No, sir.

You will prepare yourself...

to meet God.

Your Majesty...?

He forgiveth and absolveth**
them that truly repent,

so that at the last,
we may come to his eternal joy...

... through jesus Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

You must say 'amen'.

Amen.

Surely the King does
this only to fright me?

Halt!

- Stand left!
- where is my wife?

Harry.

Be brief, madam.

Farewell, sweet friend.

I have done this, Harry.

I have done this!

Remember me.

Remember your boy...

who loved his sweet
playfellow more than life.

Pray to God for me, Angelica.

Pray to God for me, Angelica.

Please God...

Take aim...

Please, God,
if you hear me, I beg you...

Fire!