The Last King (2003–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Episode #1.3 - full transcript
Subtitles by MemoryOnSmells
The fire flew from street to
street like the devil himself!
Why are these houses still standing?
We must have a fire block.
If you pull down a man's house, he
is owed compensation. Who pays it?
How can you talk of money now?
Many houses will have
to be sacrificed.
Better to destroy half the city ourselves
than lose all of it to the fire.
Can you feel the heat of
God's wrath, Charles Stuart?
His glorious day of
judgement is come!
- Christ and his fiery angels...
- Get him out of here.
A golden guinea for any man with the
courage to stay and fight the fire!
- I'll stay, sir!
- Good man!
How can I help?
Find the Duke of York. He'll tell
you where you can be most useful.
At the first count, 13,000
households have been destroyed,
four bridges and 90 churches.
St Paul's Cathedral has been
scorched from the face of the earth.
The old city has vanished.
It's as though it never existed.
- And the dead?
- A handful that we know of.
No one knows how many of the poor and
indigent have disappeared without a trace.
Who did this to us?
Who burned my house?
The fire is an act of God.
No one is to blame.
London will be rebuilt...
and better than
before, I promise.
A Papist ran from Farrinor's bakery in
Pudding Lane holding a lighted torch.
It was the Catholics. Them
French and Spanish Jesuits!
It was them bloody
Papists all right!
Do you really believe a
Catholic can rule here?
You must protect your
loyal Catholic subjects
from the false accusations
of the rabble.
Why not blame the
Quakers instead?
One religious minority
is as good as another!
The fire was an accident.
We can only tell the truth.
We cannot make
people believe it.
An accident is no use to a
man who has lost everything.
He must have someone to blame.
The last hope of toleration lies
buried in the ashes of London.
I am dying... at
last, thank God.
You will soon be well again.
He is... foolish and wilful.
It is your duty to serve him.
Make him... see...
that Louis is his saviour.
He must... die... in
the Catholic faith.
Better all England be
burned to the ground...
than he should lose
his immortal soul.
Now kiss me... and go.
I... want to go to my husband.
I have kept him waiting...
too long.
Tell him I can make
him a true king!
Forgive me, ladies,
if excess of love...
if excess of love me beyond
rules of modesty does move.
'Tis some excuse, that
I my love declare
when there is no medicine
left to cure despair.
Oh, heaven! Can fair
Aurelia weep for me!
There is some comfort
to my misery...
The king's in again.
Third time this week.
Your verse speaking
was shoddy tonight.
No one comes to Drury Lane
to hear me speak the verse.
You're jealous
because I'm popular.
Jealous of a common slut who was selling
oranges to the pit a year or two ago?
I think not! I'm an artist.
Come on, Charlie,
don't be sulky.
You know you love me.
What do whores know about love?
If you've got flowers, leave them
with the others at the stage door.
Might the divine Aurelia consent to
dining with her most fervent admirer?
You mean dine with a man who
hasn't introduced himself?
You might not be a gentleman.
Forgive me.
I am Charles.
Charles who?
Nell, I've never witnessed a
dramatic talent to match you.
I taught her everything she knows.
On stage and in bed.
You always said I was a
natural in both departments!
Nell has a certain art with vulgar comedy,
but she should aspire to higher things.
The tragedies of my great-uncle
William Shakespeare, for example.
She would make a
moving Cordelia.
I hate tragedy. The theatre
should be about entertainment.
I agree. Comedy is the
spirit of the age.
That'll be two pounds
and 15 shillings.
- You know I never carry money.
- Neither do I.
Good God, but this is the poorest
company I have ever been in!
- You're very beautiful, Nell.
- You don't have to pay me compliments.
I'm not one of your simpering court ladies
with a head full of romantic poetry.
I warn you...
I want more than a quick pleasuring
and a few trinkets for my trouble.
How much more?
I don't mean money.
I want respect.
I know what I'm worth, and any man who
spends time with me better know it too,
and that includes kings!
But if you do want to give me a token
of affection, I won't be offended.
I'll make you rich, Nell.
Comfortable will do.
To start with.
He is a very handsome
little fellow!
He has much of his
father in him.
I hardly know the gentleman
well enough to say.
I mean his father the
king, of course.
Henry Jermyn certainly
is a gentleman.
Some might even call him a prince
among men, but is he a king now, too?
What's Jermyn to do with it?
This is his child, is it not?
It is yours and you know it is.
The child cannot be mine. I have not
visited your bed these many months passed.
I will not acknowledge him.
I demand the tone of the
evening be elevated!
Miss Nelly must give us a speech.
Something noble from Jonson or Dryden.
I'm a professional, Rochester. I
don't work unless I get paid!
I made more money than that
selling oranges in Drury Lane!
There is no a whore in London who
would not be glad of such a fee.
Then find a whore who needs the money.
This one's retired.
Steal what riches you can...
while the sun still
shines, actress!
The king will soon
grow bored of you
and toss you back on the
dung heap where you belong!
As you are intent on poetry, Rochester,
why not provide it yourself?
A short epigram in your
honour, then, Your Majesty.
We have a pretty, witty king
Whose word no man relies on
Who never said a foolish thing
Nor ever did a wise one.
Be just, Rochester.
The wise words are my own.
The deeds are my ministers'.
Your expenditure reaches beyond your
resources. Your creditors are insistent.
Parliament would sooner see my household
starve than grant me what is due.
The Commons is loyal in its way.
It means to bring the king to heel
before throwing him a few scraps.
- Is that what you want?
- I will not be Parliament's slave.
If I have to rule
without them, I will.
- The people will not support you.
- My people are loyal.
It is Parliament that stokes
the fires of sedition.
The behaviour of
some does not help.
Lady Castlemaine's extravagance
is matched only by her depravity.
Is this not true, Danby?
Alas, certain vile things are being
repeated on the streets, Your Majesty.
She brings your court
into disrepute...
Any man would give his right
arm to share her bed.
Lady Castlemaine may drag
herself through the gutter,
but she shall not take the king's
reputation with her. Enough is enough!
Bishop Braybrooke's tomb was
discovered during the rebuilding work.
The body is perfectly
preserved despite the fire.
- When did this good bishop die?
- 200 years ago and more.
Miraculous that a body of such
antiquity should defy age and decay.
The corpse is most delicate.
You must take care
not to disturb it.
Perhaps... Lord Coleraine,
we might be allowed a moment
alone to consider God's mercy?
Of course.
His skin is remarkably dry.
His face seems almost animated.
I could half believe some distant
spark of life yet lingered in him.
If it does... I'm the
woman to find it!
The bishop is truly intact!
But not aroused by
your attention, alas!
I'm not yet defeated.
Oh! No living soul could
resist such a courtesy!
His spirit is truly extinct.
Bored!
Do not move.
Bloody freezing in 'ere!
Why can't I be a goddess
who kept her clothes on?
Fine clothes, precious jewels,
and now a portrait by the
great Sir Peter Lely.
My lord.
- You've surpassed yourself.
- The king is very generous.
Your new house is the
talk of the town,
but it's no more
than you deserve.
- You are Venus to the life!
- Whoever she was!
The goddess of love. A most
fitting subject for you.
Well, the goddess of love has had
a bellyful of art for today.
Be careful, my lord. That
hand belongs to royalty now!
- I saw you before the king.
- First come, first served, is it?
- You weren't always so modest.
- I wasn't the king's mistress then.
He will not be faithful to you.
It makes no difference.
You cannot love him!
Aren't I capable of
the finer feelings?
You've sold yourself at a good price.
Now you can have your fun.
If it's money you want, you
won't find me ungenerous.
I thought you were
the king's friend.
- Does he object to a little sport?
- Perhaps not, but I do.
I belong to the king not because he
bought me but because I choose it.
And as long as he wants me,
I'll be his and his alone.
And you know what?
I do love him.
He's kind and decent,
and he'll look after me.
How's that for a transaction?
I've known many
ladies of wealth and
position who played the
whore to perfection,
but I've never seen a whore
make such a fine lady.
Do not presume too far, George!
You know my regard for Nell.
I intended a compliment!
Speaking of titled whores...
your consideration for Nell will
make Castlemaine mad with jealousy.
Everywhere I go, all I hear about
is Castlemaine's dissipation!
She goes too far.
She always did, but what you
once loved now repels you.
You're her oldest friend.
Speak to her.
I defer to no man in
appreciation of my own talents,
but persuading Castlemaine to change her
behaviour is a task beyond even my skills.
No matter.
I'll deal with her myself.
Your Majesty!
Are you one of these excitable
men, Captain Churchill,
who fancies himself in love
with Lady Castlemaine?
In truth I have little feeling for
her, but she was... insistent.
And a gentleman should
not be impolite.
- She's also generous.
- Too generous!
I gave this ungrateful wretch 500 pounds!
He had feelings for me then!
What have you done with it?
Invested it... in a
pension, Your Majesty.
It must be the first
time Lady Castlemaine's
money's seen the
inside of a bank!
I forgive you, then. You do
this for your bread and butter.
You needn't think
you're coming back!
What are you doing here anyway?
Is this my thanks
after all I've done?
To be thrown onto the
street like a whore?
No whore was ever rewarded as
handsomely as you have been,
but now my purse, like my
patience, is exhausted!
I will not be usurped by
that slut of an actress!
I forgave you when you corrupted Monmouth.
I forgave your greed,
but I am sick of your meddling!
The whole world is sick of it!
The mob hates you and for
once, the mob is right!
Have this lady's goods packed.
She is leaving.
Do that and I'll cut off your hands
and hang them round your neck!
All I ask is that you live quietly
and cause me no more grief.
Do that, and I care
not who you love.
You've been a kind of queen.
Be proud of that...
and accept your time is done.
They say she has not been well.
Well, she was always delicate.
But her last letter said she
has never felt stronger.
The king's devotion to his
sister is most touching.
And useful. I am told Louis
is no stranger to her bed.
In that case, we may be
confident she has his ear.
Among other things
This show of family
affection will not blind
Parliament to the
king's true purpose.
We may be certain it will not
stomach any treaty with France.
What Parliament does not
know need not trouble it.
There must be no concealment,
especially where France is concerned.
It is for the king to
decide foreign policy.
Parliament will not pay to make
common cause with Papists.
- Louis is too strong to keep as an enemy.
- He is too strong to be anything else!
When he has finished with the Protestant
Dutch, he could turn his attention to us.
You cannot seriously think he would
launch a crusade against England?
What I think is not important.
It is what the people
fear that matters.
Little Minette! You
have grown beautiful.
I am an old married woman!
You are my baby sister first
and before everything.
- Who is that?
- Mademoiselle de Keroualle.
- My lady-in-waiting.
- A charming girl.
Very charming and very young!
I am responsible to
Mademoiselle's parents.
I would fail in my duty if she
returned to them dishonoured.
Besides, is it too much
to ask that I should
have you to myself
for these few days?
Only God knows when we shall
see each other again.
Please, Madame, let
me fetch a doctor!
No.
The king must know
nothing of my illness.
France will provide a subsidy of
two million livres to His Majesty
in return for recognition of Louis' claim
to sovereignty over the Netherlands.
Oh, it's a bargain, Danby. Or are
there more items on the bill of sale?
England must also agree, at a
time to be decided by France,
that both our countries will
declare war on the Dutch.
We've no justification for
an attack on Holland!
Justification will be found.
And when Parliament discovers you intend
to use French money to rule alone?
Parliament will know nothing of this
treaty because no one will tell them.
Such a business cannot
remain secret for long.
I will not be servant
in my own house.
I mean to rule.
With Parliament if I can,
without them if I must.
Why was I not told
of this, Danby?
Who the king chooses to trust
with his decisions is his affair.
There are those who would
call this treaty treason.
I think you are amongst
them, my lord.
Am I alone?
No one will overhear us.
I fear for your life if anyone
should discover our purpose.
Does Louis accept
my new proposal?
You have agreed one
dangerous treaty.
Are you ready to contemplate a
second infinitely more daring?
- Do you trust me, Minette?
- With my last breath.
- Then put aside your fears.
- Very well.
If you convert to
the Catholic faith,
Louis will provide you with the
money to govern in your own right.
You need never turn
to Parliament again.
Everything is prepared.
The treaty wants
only a signature.
For your own safety and for the
preservation of the monarchy,
do not give such an undertaking.
I am not going to.
You are.
What?
As my trusted ministers, it is only right
that it be your names on the treaty.
A treaty you could then disown.
We have already been party
to one reckless adventure.
This new one must surely end
with our heads on the block!
Your Majesty, in the name
of our long friendship,
I beg you to reconsider, not
for my sake, but for yours.
If you are truly my
friend, Lord Arlington,
you will do my bidding.
Why must it be us? Why
not Buckingham or Danby?
I think you know.
Because we are Catholics.
I protected you when the Test Act would
have seen you thrown from office.
Now it is time for you to
be loyal in your turn.
As a Catholic I applaud
your intention,
but as your minister, I
deplore and fear it.
This will help you rest.
It's just a chill
on the stomach.
I will be well again soon.
- Promise you'll write to me.
- Every day.
Come on, boys.
You have no intention of becoming a
Catholic, have you? The truth, now.
You cannot take Louis' money and
offer him nothing in return.
He will have his Dutch war.
But he expects you to convert,
and to carry England with you.
Only fools believe that
England will return to Rome.
The King of France is not
an easy man to deceive.
The time may yet come when I have to
fight Parliament as our father did.
I am determined I will not suffer the
same fate. Louis is my protection.
If you face rebellion you will
announce your conversion,
obliging Louis to come to
the aid of a Catholic king.
If I have to bring England to heel with a
French army, then by God I will do it!
No matter what may happen, I
will always be at your side.
Always.
God have mercy on me.
I am in hell!
No!
Tell my brother...
that I have loved him
more than life itself.
That my only regret in dying...
is to be leaving him.
You cannot hide here
for ever, meu amor.
Your ministers are waiting.
Everyone I've ever
loved has betrayed me.
Minette was never
a traitor to you.
Only a fool ever allows
himself to love.
I have lost my
friends, Your Majesty.
Perhaps you have seen them?
No, I've seen no one.
Your Majesty has been most
kind since I came from Paris.
My sister always spoke very
fondly of you, Mademoiselle.
Poor Madame!
She was so good. I
loved her very much.
Did she suffer terribly?
She was never afraid, Your
Majesty, even at the end.
She told me her only
sorrow was in leaving you.
Your life was dearer
to her than her own.
Thank you, Mademoiselle.
Sit down.
My sister took your good name...
most seriously.
The protection of your honour
was her most pressing concern.
My honour is my own affair now.
And with your sister gone, I
must find another protector.
Hm.
But alas, sir, I have no money of my own.
I cannot remain in England.
Unless, of course, Your
Majesty wishes me to stay?
His Majesty can think of
nothing more charming.
You may kiss me now if you wish.
William! How was the
journey from Holland?
Why, you've grown handsome!
Mary would be proud.
I do not remember my mother well.
I was young when she died.
Both my sisters are gone now.
It grieves me to hear of your
country's recent hardship.
As England is the cause of much of it,
I am surprised to hear you say so!
It is a sad day when England
sides with Catholic France
against a fellow Protestant nation.
Louis has either bribed or tricked you.
England was sorely provoked,
and undertook war
with a heavy heart,
but as you come to me to apologise and
make reparations, I bear no grudge.
- Blood is thicker than water, after all.
- I did not come here to surrender, Uncle.
Then why did you come here?
To tell you that Holland
will not be bullied.
- The war is lost! Do you not see that?
- We will defend Holland to the last ditch.
As long as one Dutchman remains
alive, we are not defeated.
- Such defiance will only bring misery.
- Better misery than disgrace.
However, if you wish to bring this
war to an honourable conclusion,
- I am willing to listen to your proposals.
- YOU are willing to listen?!
My Lord Buckingham only means
to convey his impartial concern
for your people's best
interests, Your Majesty.
Why should we abandon a war we are
winning, if not to our advantage?
You cannot afford
to fight for ever.
Your supplies are exhausted and you
must turn to Parliament for more money.
And I do not think it will
give you what you want.
Parliament will act
loyally, damn it!
When you are ready to
talk seriously, sir,
you will not find
me unreasonable.
I never treated her well. I
pray for her forgiveness.
I have sworn before God to be
a better husband next time.
You know my opinion
of this new match.
It is undesirable for
you and for England.
- Mary of Modena is ideal.
- I will not be defied.
- I will not marry a Protestant.
- Then you will not marry at all.
You owe me this marriage.
A Protestant princess would
calm the fears of the people.
I am a Catholic and I will
have a Catholic wife.
If we have children, they will
be brought up in the true faith.
If there is a boy he
will be king one day.
And I pray he does his
duty to God and country.
You're my brother and my
blood and I love you...
but God knows, you will
be the end of us all.
The mob's fury against
this dangerous marriage
will soon grow uncontrollable.
Your Majesty must calm
his people's fears.
This unrest is fanned by those in
Parliament who speak against the king.
Hear! Hear!
We in Parliament seek only
good Protestant government.
We will not keep silent
over treason in our midst.
Am I a traitor, then?
It is from loyalty that
we challenge the Duke
of York's right to
lead England to ruin.
It is often those who protest their
loyalty who prove the blackest rebels!
We are more loyal than those whose
deepest attachment is to the Pope!
If you have a son, the Catholic
monarchy will be restored!
It should never have been interrupted
by the bastard usurper Elizabeth!
The sooner England rejoins the path of
righteousness, the better for us all.
There will never be peace among
your subjects while they're afraid.
Remove the cause of their fear
and they will be content.
The Test Act carries your signature yet
Catholics remain close to the throne.
The Act makes an institution of bigotry
and the king a puppet of Parliament!
If the people are to
trust in Your Majesty's
goodwill, the Act
must be enforced.
It is the law of the land which
we must all obey, even the king!
You've made your
choice, Shaftesbury.
So be it.
We must be enemies.
If I have made a choice, it
is one you forced on me.
The king should rule with Parliament.
You would destroy it.
It is the power of the king
that faces destruction.
True power lies not with king
or Parliament but the people.
I am content to be
judged by them.
For Your Majesty's sake and the
good order of the country,
I must retire into private life.
I do not wish you to
leave my service.
I need my old friends
about me at such a time!
To retain my position
I must deny my faith
and take Holy Communion
in the Church of England.
That I cannot do.
Damn it, man, it's
only a form of words!
How we worship when no one is at
hand to see us is our own affair.
No man should be asked to
renounce his religion.
If our deeds are good
and our hearts true,
I am convinced God forgives
any transgression,
no matter what faith
we call ourselves.
Tear up the Test Act and tell
Parliament to be damned.
- No, you must make this bargain.
- It's not YOUR position that's at stake!
Those who choose
the Roman religion
should not be surprised
at the consequences.
- God bless and keep Your Majesty.
- Which God, Arlington?
Yours or Parliament's?
Now do you see the
cost of your marriage?
I fear the true cost will be much greater
than the loss of a few ministers.
This is a fine place you've
dragged me to, Shaftesbury.
I never saw such a nest
of traitors in my life!
There is no treason here, only a
desire to save England from tyranny.
If you are wise
you will join us.
- I'm no rebel.
- Nor I.
But my loyalty is to a Protestant
king in a Protestant country.
When the Duke of
York becomes king,
he will drag England
back to Rome and destroy
the power of Parliament
once and for all.
That cannot happen.
If the king will not defend
the true succession, we will.
An attack on the Duke of York
is an attack on the king.
Then so be it.
You forget I am the
king's friend.
Suppose there was another French
treaty beyond the one we know?
One which bound King Charles
to take the Catholic faith
in return for French gold and a Papist
army to suppress his own people?
- There is no such treaty.
- I have proof.
The king does not love
you as you think.
He loves only his own power.
He is truly his father's son.
He has played you for a fool.
If James is removed from
the succession, what then?
- The king is childless.
- By his Papist queen perhaps,
but his many bastards prove the
fault hardly lies with him.
He can divorce and marry again.
But if not, he already has a son who would
unite the whole country in loyalty.
A fine young man, and
a good Protestant.
Subtitles by MemoryOnSmells
The fire flew from street to
street like the devil himself!
Why are these houses still standing?
We must have a fire block.
If you pull down a man's house, he
is owed compensation. Who pays it?
How can you talk of money now?
Many houses will have
to be sacrificed.
Better to destroy half the city ourselves
than lose all of it to the fire.
Can you feel the heat of
God's wrath, Charles Stuart?
His glorious day of
judgement is come!
- Christ and his fiery angels...
- Get him out of here.
A golden guinea for any man with the
courage to stay and fight the fire!
- I'll stay, sir!
- Good man!
How can I help?
Find the Duke of York. He'll tell
you where you can be most useful.
At the first count, 13,000
households have been destroyed,
four bridges and 90 churches.
St Paul's Cathedral has been
scorched from the face of the earth.
The old city has vanished.
It's as though it never existed.
- And the dead?
- A handful that we know of.
No one knows how many of the poor and
indigent have disappeared without a trace.
Who did this to us?
Who burned my house?
The fire is an act of God.
No one is to blame.
London will be rebuilt...
and better than
before, I promise.
A Papist ran from Farrinor's bakery in
Pudding Lane holding a lighted torch.
It was the Catholics. Them
French and Spanish Jesuits!
It was them bloody
Papists all right!
Do you really believe a
Catholic can rule here?
You must protect your
loyal Catholic subjects
from the false accusations
of the rabble.
Why not blame the
Quakers instead?
One religious minority
is as good as another!
The fire was an accident.
We can only tell the truth.
We cannot make
people believe it.
An accident is no use to a
man who has lost everything.
He must have someone to blame.
The last hope of toleration lies
buried in the ashes of London.
I am dying... at
last, thank God.
You will soon be well again.
He is... foolish and wilful.
It is your duty to serve him.
Make him... see...
that Louis is his saviour.
He must... die... in
the Catholic faith.
Better all England be
burned to the ground...
than he should lose
his immortal soul.
Now kiss me... and go.
I... want to go to my husband.
I have kept him waiting...
too long.
Tell him I can make
him a true king!
Forgive me, ladies,
if excess of love...
if excess of love me beyond
rules of modesty does move.
'Tis some excuse, that
I my love declare
when there is no medicine
left to cure despair.
Oh, heaven! Can fair
Aurelia weep for me!
There is some comfort
to my misery...
The king's in again.
Third time this week.
Your verse speaking
was shoddy tonight.
No one comes to Drury Lane
to hear me speak the verse.
You're jealous
because I'm popular.
Jealous of a common slut who was selling
oranges to the pit a year or two ago?
I think not! I'm an artist.
Come on, Charlie,
don't be sulky.
You know you love me.
What do whores know about love?
If you've got flowers, leave them
with the others at the stage door.
Might the divine Aurelia consent to
dining with her most fervent admirer?
You mean dine with a man who
hasn't introduced himself?
You might not be a gentleman.
Forgive me.
I am Charles.
Charles who?
Nell, I've never witnessed a
dramatic talent to match you.
I taught her everything she knows.
On stage and in bed.
You always said I was a
natural in both departments!
Nell has a certain art with vulgar comedy,
but she should aspire to higher things.
The tragedies of my great-uncle
William Shakespeare, for example.
She would make a
moving Cordelia.
I hate tragedy. The theatre
should be about entertainment.
I agree. Comedy is the
spirit of the age.
That'll be two pounds
and 15 shillings.
- You know I never carry money.
- Neither do I.
Good God, but this is the poorest
company I have ever been in!
- You're very beautiful, Nell.
- You don't have to pay me compliments.
I'm not one of your simpering court ladies
with a head full of romantic poetry.
I warn you...
I want more than a quick pleasuring
and a few trinkets for my trouble.
How much more?
I don't mean money.
I want respect.
I know what I'm worth, and any man who
spends time with me better know it too,
and that includes kings!
But if you do want to give me a token
of affection, I won't be offended.
I'll make you rich, Nell.
Comfortable will do.
To start with.
He is a very handsome
little fellow!
He has much of his
father in him.
I hardly know the gentleman
well enough to say.
I mean his father the
king, of course.
Henry Jermyn certainly
is a gentleman.
Some might even call him a prince
among men, but is he a king now, too?
What's Jermyn to do with it?
This is his child, is it not?
It is yours and you know it is.
The child cannot be mine. I have not
visited your bed these many months passed.
I will not acknowledge him.
I demand the tone of the
evening be elevated!
Miss Nelly must give us a speech.
Something noble from Jonson or Dryden.
I'm a professional, Rochester. I
don't work unless I get paid!
I made more money than that
selling oranges in Drury Lane!
There is no a whore in London who
would not be glad of such a fee.
Then find a whore who needs the money.
This one's retired.
Steal what riches you can...
while the sun still
shines, actress!
The king will soon
grow bored of you
and toss you back on the
dung heap where you belong!
As you are intent on poetry, Rochester,
why not provide it yourself?
A short epigram in your
honour, then, Your Majesty.
We have a pretty, witty king
Whose word no man relies on
Who never said a foolish thing
Nor ever did a wise one.
Be just, Rochester.
The wise words are my own.
The deeds are my ministers'.
Your expenditure reaches beyond your
resources. Your creditors are insistent.
Parliament would sooner see my household
starve than grant me what is due.
The Commons is loyal in its way.
It means to bring the king to heel
before throwing him a few scraps.
- Is that what you want?
- I will not be Parliament's slave.
If I have to rule
without them, I will.
- The people will not support you.
- My people are loyal.
It is Parliament that stokes
the fires of sedition.
The behaviour of
some does not help.
Lady Castlemaine's extravagance
is matched only by her depravity.
Is this not true, Danby?
Alas, certain vile things are being
repeated on the streets, Your Majesty.
She brings your court
into disrepute...
Any man would give his right
arm to share her bed.
Lady Castlemaine may drag
herself through the gutter,
but she shall not take the king's
reputation with her. Enough is enough!
Bishop Braybrooke's tomb was
discovered during the rebuilding work.
The body is perfectly
preserved despite the fire.
- When did this good bishop die?
- 200 years ago and more.
Miraculous that a body of such
antiquity should defy age and decay.
The corpse is most delicate.
You must take care
not to disturb it.
Perhaps... Lord Coleraine,
we might be allowed a moment
alone to consider God's mercy?
Of course.
His skin is remarkably dry.
His face seems almost animated.
I could half believe some distant
spark of life yet lingered in him.
If it does... I'm the
woman to find it!
The bishop is truly intact!
But not aroused by
your attention, alas!
I'm not yet defeated.
Oh! No living soul could
resist such a courtesy!
His spirit is truly extinct.
Bored!
Do not move.
Bloody freezing in 'ere!
Why can't I be a goddess
who kept her clothes on?
Fine clothes, precious jewels,
and now a portrait by the
great Sir Peter Lely.
My lord.
- You've surpassed yourself.
- The king is very generous.
Your new house is the
talk of the town,
but it's no more
than you deserve.
- You are Venus to the life!
- Whoever she was!
The goddess of love. A most
fitting subject for you.
Well, the goddess of love has had
a bellyful of art for today.
Be careful, my lord. That
hand belongs to royalty now!
- I saw you before the king.
- First come, first served, is it?
- You weren't always so modest.
- I wasn't the king's mistress then.
He will not be faithful to you.
It makes no difference.
You cannot love him!
Aren't I capable of
the finer feelings?
You've sold yourself at a good price.
Now you can have your fun.
If it's money you want, you
won't find me ungenerous.
I thought you were
the king's friend.
- Does he object to a little sport?
- Perhaps not, but I do.
I belong to the king not because he
bought me but because I choose it.
And as long as he wants me,
I'll be his and his alone.
And you know what?
I do love him.
He's kind and decent,
and he'll look after me.
How's that for a transaction?
I've known many
ladies of wealth and
position who played the
whore to perfection,
but I've never seen a whore
make such a fine lady.
Do not presume too far, George!
You know my regard for Nell.
I intended a compliment!
Speaking of titled whores...
your consideration for Nell will
make Castlemaine mad with jealousy.
Everywhere I go, all I hear about
is Castlemaine's dissipation!
She goes too far.
She always did, but what you
once loved now repels you.
You're her oldest friend.
Speak to her.
I defer to no man in
appreciation of my own talents,
but persuading Castlemaine to change her
behaviour is a task beyond even my skills.
No matter.
I'll deal with her myself.
Your Majesty!
Are you one of these excitable
men, Captain Churchill,
who fancies himself in love
with Lady Castlemaine?
In truth I have little feeling for
her, but she was... insistent.
And a gentleman should
not be impolite.
- She's also generous.
- Too generous!
I gave this ungrateful wretch 500 pounds!
He had feelings for me then!
What have you done with it?
Invested it... in a
pension, Your Majesty.
It must be the first
time Lady Castlemaine's
money's seen the
inside of a bank!
I forgive you, then. You do
this for your bread and butter.
You needn't think
you're coming back!
What are you doing here anyway?
Is this my thanks
after all I've done?
To be thrown onto the
street like a whore?
No whore was ever rewarded as
handsomely as you have been,
but now my purse, like my
patience, is exhausted!
I will not be usurped by
that slut of an actress!
I forgave you when you corrupted Monmouth.
I forgave your greed,
but I am sick of your meddling!
The whole world is sick of it!
The mob hates you and for
once, the mob is right!
Have this lady's goods packed.
She is leaving.
Do that and I'll cut off your hands
and hang them round your neck!
All I ask is that you live quietly
and cause me no more grief.
Do that, and I care
not who you love.
You've been a kind of queen.
Be proud of that...
and accept your time is done.
They say she has not been well.
Well, she was always delicate.
But her last letter said she
has never felt stronger.
The king's devotion to his
sister is most touching.
And useful. I am told Louis
is no stranger to her bed.
In that case, we may be
confident she has his ear.
Among other things
This show of family
affection will not blind
Parliament to the
king's true purpose.
We may be certain it will not
stomach any treaty with France.
What Parliament does not
know need not trouble it.
There must be no concealment,
especially where France is concerned.
It is for the king to
decide foreign policy.
Parliament will not pay to make
common cause with Papists.
- Louis is too strong to keep as an enemy.
- He is too strong to be anything else!
When he has finished with the Protestant
Dutch, he could turn his attention to us.
You cannot seriously think he would
launch a crusade against England?
What I think is not important.
It is what the people
fear that matters.
Little Minette! You
have grown beautiful.
I am an old married woman!
You are my baby sister first
and before everything.
- Who is that?
- Mademoiselle de Keroualle.
- My lady-in-waiting.
- A charming girl.
Very charming and very young!
I am responsible to
Mademoiselle's parents.
I would fail in my duty if she
returned to them dishonoured.
Besides, is it too much
to ask that I should
have you to myself
for these few days?
Only God knows when we shall
see each other again.
Please, Madame, let
me fetch a doctor!
No.
The king must know
nothing of my illness.
France will provide a subsidy of
two million livres to His Majesty
in return for recognition of Louis' claim
to sovereignty over the Netherlands.
Oh, it's a bargain, Danby. Or are
there more items on the bill of sale?
England must also agree, at a
time to be decided by France,
that both our countries will
declare war on the Dutch.
We've no justification for
an attack on Holland!
Justification will be found.
And when Parliament discovers you intend
to use French money to rule alone?
Parliament will know nothing of this
treaty because no one will tell them.
Such a business cannot
remain secret for long.
I will not be servant
in my own house.
I mean to rule.
With Parliament if I can,
without them if I must.
Why was I not told
of this, Danby?
Who the king chooses to trust
with his decisions is his affair.
There are those who would
call this treaty treason.
I think you are amongst
them, my lord.
Am I alone?
No one will overhear us.
I fear for your life if anyone
should discover our purpose.
Does Louis accept
my new proposal?
You have agreed one
dangerous treaty.
Are you ready to contemplate a
second infinitely more daring?
- Do you trust me, Minette?
- With my last breath.
- Then put aside your fears.
- Very well.
If you convert to
the Catholic faith,
Louis will provide you with the
money to govern in your own right.
You need never turn
to Parliament again.
Everything is prepared.
The treaty wants
only a signature.
For your own safety and for the
preservation of the monarchy,
do not give such an undertaking.
I am not going to.
You are.
What?
As my trusted ministers, it is only right
that it be your names on the treaty.
A treaty you could then disown.
We have already been party
to one reckless adventure.
This new one must surely end
with our heads on the block!
Your Majesty, in the name
of our long friendship,
I beg you to reconsider, not
for my sake, but for yours.
If you are truly my
friend, Lord Arlington,
you will do my bidding.
Why must it be us? Why
not Buckingham or Danby?
I think you know.
Because we are Catholics.
I protected you when the Test Act would
have seen you thrown from office.
Now it is time for you to
be loyal in your turn.
As a Catholic I applaud
your intention,
but as your minister, I
deplore and fear it.
This will help you rest.
It's just a chill
on the stomach.
I will be well again soon.
- Promise you'll write to me.
- Every day.
Come on, boys.
You have no intention of becoming a
Catholic, have you? The truth, now.
You cannot take Louis' money and
offer him nothing in return.
He will have his Dutch war.
But he expects you to convert,
and to carry England with you.
Only fools believe that
England will return to Rome.
The King of France is not
an easy man to deceive.
The time may yet come when I have to
fight Parliament as our father did.
I am determined I will not suffer the
same fate. Louis is my protection.
If you face rebellion you will
announce your conversion,
obliging Louis to come to
the aid of a Catholic king.
If I have to bring England to heel with a
French army, then by God I will do it!
No matter what may happen, I
will always be at your side.
Always.
God have mercy on me.
I am in hell!
No!
Tell my brother...
that I have loved him
more than life itself.
That my only regret in dying...
is to be leaving him.
You cannot hide here
for ever, meu amor.
Your ministers are waiting.
Everyone I've ever
loved has betrayed me.
Minette was never
a traitor to you.
Only a fool ever allows
himself to love.
I have lost my
friends, Your Majesty.
Perhaps you have seen them?
No, I've seen no one.
Your Majesty has been most
kind since I came from Paris.
My sister always spoke very
fondly of you, Mademoiselle.
Poor Madame!
She was so good. I
loved her very much.
Did she suffer terribly?
She was never afraid, Your
Majesty, even at the end.
She told me her only
sorrow was in leaving you.
Your life was dearer
to her than her own.
Thank you, Mademoiselle.
Sit down.
My sister took your good name...
most seriously.
The protection of your honour
was her most pressing concern.
My honour is my own affair now.
And with your sister gone, I
must find another protector.
Hm.
But alas, sir, I have no money of my own.
I cannot remain in England.
Unless, of course, Your
Majesty wishes me to stay?
His Majesty can think of
nothing more charming.
You may kiss me now if you wish.
William! How was the
journey from Holland?
Why, you've grown handsome!
Mary would be proud.
I do not remember my mother well.
I was young when she died.
Both my sisters are gone now.
It grieves me to hear of your
country's recent hardship.
As England is the cause of much of it,
I am surprised to hear you say so!
It is a sad day when England
sides with Catholic France
against a fellow Protestant nation.
Louis has either bribed or tricked you.
England was sorely provoked,
and undertook war
with a heavy heart,
but as you come to me to apologise and
make reparations, I bear no grudge.
- Blood is thicker than water, after all.
- I did not come here to surrender, Uncle.
Then why did you come here?
To tell you that Holland
will not be bullied.
- The war is lost! Do you not see that?
- We will defend Holland to the last ditch.
As long as one Dutchman remains
alive, we are not defeated.
- Such defiance will only bring misery.
- Better misery than disgrace.
However, if you wish to bring this
war to an honourable conclusion,
- I am willing to listen to your proposals.
- YOU are willing to listen?!
My Lord Buckingham only means
to convey his impartial concern
for your people's best
interests, Your Majesty.
Why should we abandon a war we are
winning, if not to our advantage?
You cannot afford
to fight for ever.
Your supplies are exhausted and you
must turn to Parliament for more money.
And I do not think it will
give you what you want.
Parliament will act
loyally, damn it!
When you are ready to
talk seriously, sir,
you will not find
me unreasonable.
I never treated her well. I
pray for her forgiveness.
I have sworn before God to be
a better husband next time.
You know my opinion
of this new match.
It is undesirable for
you and for England.
- Mary of Modena is ideal.
- I will not be defied.
- I will not marry a Protestant.
- Then you will not marry at all.
You owe me this marriage.
A Protestant princess would
calm the fears of the people.
I am a Catholic and I will
have a Catholic wife.
If we have children, they will
be brought up in the true faith.
If there is a boy he
will be king one day.
And I pray he does his
duty to God and country.
You're my brother and my
blood and I love you...
but God knows, you will
be the end of us all.
The mob's fury against
this dangerous marriage
will soon grow uncontrollable.
Your Majesty must calm
his people's fears.
This unrest is fanned by those in
Parliament who speak against the king.
Hear! Hear!
We in Parliament seek only
good Protestant government.
We will not keep silent
over treason in our midst.
Am I a traitor, then?
It is from loyalty that
we challenge the Duke
of York's right to
lead England to ruin.
It is often those who protest their
loyalty who prove the blackest rebels!
We are more loyal than those whose
deepest attachment is to the Pope!
If you have a son, the Catholic
monarchy will be restored!
It should never have been interrupted
by the bastard usurper Elizabeth!
The sooner England rejoins the path of
righteousness, the better for us all.
There will never be peace among
your subjects while they're afraid.
Remove the cause of their fear
and they will be content.
The Test Act carries your signature yet
Catholics remain close to the throne.
The Act makes an institution of bigotry
and the king a puppet of Parliament!
If the people are to
trust in Your Majesty's
goodwill, the Act
must be enforced.
It is the law of the land which
we must all obey, even the king!
You've made your
choice, Shaftesbury.
So be it.
We must be enemies.
If I have made a choice, it
is one you forced on me.
The king should rule with Parliament.
You would destroy it.
It is the power of the king
that faces destruction.
True power lies not with king
or Parliament but the people.
I am content to be
judged by them.
For Your Majesty's sake and the
good order of the country,
I must retire into private life.
I do not wish you to
leave my service.
I need my old friends
about me at such a time!
To retain my position
I must deny my faith
and take Holy Communion
in the Church of England.
That I cannot do.
Damn it, man, it's
only a form of words!
How we worship when no one is at
hand to see us is our own affair.
No man should be asked to
renounce his religion.
If our deeds are good
and our hearts true,
I am convinced God forgives
any transgression,
no matter what faith
we call ourselves.
Tear up the Test Act and tell
Parliament to be damned.
- No, you must make this bargain.
- It's not YOUR position that's at stake!
Those who choose
the Roman religion
should not be surprised
at the consequences.
- God bless and keep Your Majesty.
- Which God, Arlington?
Yours or Parliament's?
Now do you see the
cost of your marriage?
I fear the true cost will be much greater
than the loss of a few ministers.
This is a fine place you've
dragged me to, Shaftesbury.
I never saw such a nest
of traitors in my life!
There is no treason here, only a
desire to save England from tyranny.
If you are wise
you will join us.
- I'm no rebel.
- Nor I.
But my loyalty is to a Protestant
king in a Protestant country.
When the Duke of
York becomes king,
he will drag England
back to Rome and destroy
the power of Parliament
once and for all.
That cannot happen.
If the king will not defend
the true succession, we will.
An attack on the Duke of York
is an attack on the king.
Then so be it.
You forget I am the
king's friend.
Suppose there was another French
treaty beyond the one we know?
One which bound King Charles
to take the Catholic faith
in return for French gold and a Papist
army to suppress his own people?
- There is no such treaty.
- I have proof.
The king does not love
you as you think.
He loves only his own power.
He is truly his father's son.
He has played you for a fool.
If James is removed from
the succession, what then?
- The king is childless.
- By his Papist queen perhaps,
but his many bastards prove the
fault hardly lies with him.
He can divorce and marry again.
But if not, he already has a son who would
unite the whole country in loyalty.
A fine young man, and
a good Protestant.
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