The Tudors (2007–2010): Season 1, Episode 10 - The Death of Wolsey - full transcript

Previously on the tudors.

It is my contention that this
marriage can be dissolved by no power,

human or divine.

You know perfectly well what the
king desires and what he shall have.

My only satisfaction is
that in frustrating you

I hasten your fall from
the king's good graces.

I have a book to show you.

These writers say that the king is both
emperor and pope absolutely in his own kingdom.

Every day brings more news of
the virulence of this heresy.

Of what do you speak, papa?

The disease of lutheranism.



Surely it won't come here?

It is already here.

You are leaving me.

You're married.

You must never ask to
see me again. You promise?

Do you love another? Is that it?

We were never legally man and wife.

By all the angels I was
intact when I came to your bed.

Alright! So you were a fucking virgin!

That's not the point!

We have decided that this great matter
is too important to be here decided

but to prorogue this
tribunal until october 1st.

Cardinal wolsey!

You are here charged with derogating
the king's lawful authority.



Majesty! Your majesty!

Majesty!

I need to appoint a new chancellor.

Someone I can trust.

I don't want to be chancellor.

You will do as I command!

I've been waiting for so long. For what?

We will have sons!

No! No. Your wife won't let
you go. I should have realized.

Stay here, I beg you. Anne!

I'm the king of england!

You think you know a story.

But you only know how it ends.

To get to the heart of the story,

you have to go back to the beginning.

THE TUDORS
Season 01 Episode 10

His majesty the king!

My lords and councilors,

there is a great deal of work to do.

In the past, those who held the
reins of government deceived me...

many things were done without
my knowledge or my approval.

But such proceedings
will stop in the future.

Your grace will be appointed
president of the council...

jointly with the duke of suffolk.

Your majesty.

We shall convene again very shortly.

To discuss those matters which
remain close to our hearts.

A word!

Although it pleases me much that
wolsey is no longer here among us...

yet even in his absence,

does he not cause you disquiet?

How so?

He was attaindered, but not for treason.

Which means he still lives.

And so long as he lives, he remains
a danger both to the realm and to us.

He is far away in york.

In disgrace.

I think you exaggerate the danger.

And I think that you
don't understand it!

The king, as you know,
could easily change his mind.

And if he did, if wolsey
ever returned to this court...

we would both have cause
enough to fear his vengeance.

CBUTCB HOUSE OF
CARDINAL WOLSEY YORKSBIRE

This is intolerable. We
must have the roof mended.

With what? And by whom?

We have no money and no bloody servants.

Surely the king never meant
you to live so wretchedly?

After all, you are
still archbishop of york!

Well, perhaps it's not the king's fault.

I have had cause to
remember the old prophecy:

"When the cow rideth the bull,

then,priest, beware thy skull.

" You mean that cow anne boleyn?

Indeed so.

Which is why I'm
writing her this letter.

Even if she is the
cause of all our misery?

Well yes, since she's the
cause, she can also be the cure.

If I could only persuade her that
I am not her enemy, but her friend.

I still have the letter
in which she promises

to reward me for all
my pains and efforts at

such time as she becomes crowned.

I seem to remember that, at the time,
you thought her promises rather amusing.

Well yes, perhaps I did.

Since then I have rather
lost my sense of humour.

Sir thomas,

I notice you allow yourself none of
the trappings of your great office.

I'm not so vain as to display
its power, master cromwell.

But I tell you this I
fully intend to use it.

May I ask... to what effect?

Here.

Here is a report of a sermon
recently given in cambridge

by a certain hugh latimer a
senior member of the university.

"Mr. Latimer said that holy
scripture should be read

"in the english tongue
of all christian people,

"whether priest or layman!

"He raged against the gilding of
images, "the running of pilgrimages,

and superstitious devotion!

"He said that all men were priests

and that we had no need for
priests or popes on earth!

" Times have changed, master cromwell.

I plainly see the risk

and the danger involved in such an
opendoor policy towards these newfangled,

erroneous sects.

You condemn all reformers as heretics?

Wolsey was far too soft on them.

I intend not to be.

Will you burn them?

"This belief that the pope
and the clergy possess separate

"power and authority is
contrary to scripture.

"The king is the representative of
god on earth "and his law is god's law!

The ruler is accountable to god alone and the obedience
of his subjects is an obedience required by god!

" "For the church and the pope
to rule the princes of europe

"is not only a shame above all shames
"but an inversion of the divine order.

One king, and one law in
god's name in every realm.

" This book is a book
for me, and for all kings.

And there are other books like it!

Books which detail the
abuses of power, privileges,

the greed of the clergy
in your majesty's realm.

Books which wolsey deliberately
kept hidden from you.

I should like to read them.

Now that I've taken power unto myself,

I shall work day and night, if
necessary, to resolve things.

Including my annulment.

I swear to you now,
everything will be different.

His majesty the king!

Ambassador chapuys.

Your majesty.

I hear you're a very able
and intelligent diplomat.

Like me, I'm sure you're aware of
all the new religious controversies.

I know of some new heresies that have
sprung up here and there, certainly.

If only the pope and his cardinals could
set aside their vain pomp and ceremony,

and start living according to the precepts
of the gospels and the early fathers.

I am well aware that your majesty is in
the midst of an argument with his holiness.

Ha!

I'm not talking about myself.

You see, excellence, when luther attacked the
vice and corruption of the clergy, he was right.

Had he stopped there, and not gone on
to destroy the sacraments, and so on,

I would have gladly raised my pen in
his defense, rather than attacking him.

The need for reformation
in the church is manifest.

The emperor has a duty to promote it.

As do I in my own domain.

I'm glad we've had this
opportunity to exchange opinions.

Your majesty.

Ambassador.

I'm surprised you have so much time.

- To do what?
- To do nothing!

What are you saying?

Aren't you supposed to
be running the country?

I leave that to norfolk.
He's had more practice.

And in any case, meetings with
ambassadors are infinitely tedious.

They're all liars,
hypocrites and middleaged men.

Would you prefer them to be women?

My friend, if all ambassadors were beautiful
women I'd be serving my country day and night.

Ah, here we are!

Your grace.

Let me present my ward, miss catherine brooke.
This is sir anthony knivert. Miss catherine.

Sir.

Anthony is one of our finest horsemen.

Except for when I fall off.

- Are you enjoying your walk?
- Yes, your grace.

Good. Then I shan't
delay you any further.

A pretty little thing, isn't she?

Indeed she is.

I'm going to marry her!

You have been in exile, mr. Fish?

Yes, sir.

It was cardinal wolsey's
pleasure to keep me in holland,

for fear I might speak the truth.

So why did you try to return?

I thought, sir,that
with the cardinal fallen

and sent away that circumstances in this
country might be changed for the better.

More tolerant.

Do you have friends in this country?

Of course, sir as an englishman.

At court?

Do you have friends at court?

Do you deny you are
the author of this work:

"A supplication for the beggars?

" No, sir.

What is it?

Sir, an appeal to his majesty to redress many of
the terrible and scandalous abuses of the church.

Uhhuh. You seem to suggest that the real aim
of the church is to seize all power, lordship,

obedience and dignity from the king.

In fact you go further,

you claim that the church
itself is a source of rebellion

and disobedience against the
king! Don't you, mr. Fish?

And here, mr. Fish,

if I may you say that the exactions taken from the
people are not given to a kind, temporal prince,

but to a cruel, devilish bloodsucker,

drunken in the blood of the
martyrs and saints of christ.

Shame on you, mr. Fish.

For who are these cruel,
devilish bloodsuckers...

but the anointed priests
of our holy church,

those who show us the way to heaven!

But then, you don't believe in
that either, do you, mr. Fish?

Who are you?

I'm a christian man,

the child of everlasting joy,

through the merits of the
bitter passion of christ.

This is the joyful answer.

It is also heresy.

What is it? What has she done?

She is wearing purple.

And purple is the color of royalty!

You know, I sometimes wish that all
spaniards were at the bottom of the sea!

Mistress boleyn,

you should not abuse the
queen's honor with such language.

I care nothing for katherine.

I would rather see her hanged than
acknowledge her as my mistress!

Is that it?

Yes your majesty.

Thank god.

What is it, mr. Cromwell?

Your majesty, I...

mr. Cromwell!

I must beg your majesty's indulgence,
and forgiveness, before I...

Go on.

I had cause, recently, on
a visit to waltham abbey,

to speak to a learned friend there.

We spoke... about your
majesty's great matter.

We...

we came to the conclusion that
your majesty's advisers might not,

perhaps, be approaching the matter in
the most convenient way to solve it.

You mean through the courts?

Yes. As your majesty well knows,
kings are set above the law.

They are answerable to god
alone, who anointed them.

So it seems to us that the matter is
not and never has been a legal one.

It is a theological one.

But in that case who
should pass verdict upon it?

We would suggest that your
majesty canvas the opinion

of theologians at
colleges around europe.

Their sentence would be soon pronounced, and
could be implemented with little enough industry.

But by that simple measure,

I trust that your majesty's troubled
conscience might be pacified.

Will you write a paper
showing your argument?

If your majesty trusts me to do so.

No. I command you to do so.

And then I command you, as a royal agent,
to visit the universities in europe.

I want the opinion of their theological
faculties as soon as possible!

Thank you, mr. Cromwell.

There is still time to recant
of your heresy, mr. Fish.

If you acknowledge that
your opinions were misguided,

evil,

contrary to the law of god...

then you will be spared the great
pains you must otherwise endure.

I beg of you acknowledge your sins.

God will welcome you back into his fold.

Recant.

You still have a moment.

The lord is my shepherd,
I can want nothing.

He feedeth me in green pastures,
he leadeth me to fresh waters...

though I should walk now in the
valley of the shadow of death,

yet I will fear no evil,
for thou art with me...

thy staff and thy
shield will comfort me,

thou preparest a table for me,

against mine enemies,

my head thou anoints with oil,

and filleth my cup full
oh let thy lovingkindness

and mercy follow me
all the days of my life,

that I mayest dwell in
the lord's house for ever.

I have something I want to say to you.

I have decided to ennoble
you and your family.

You are to be created earl
of wilshire and ormonde

and I am also appointing
you lord privy seal.

George will become lord rochford,

and be made a member of council.

Your majesty I am lost for words.

Your bounty is unceasing.

I also have high hopes for mr. Cromwell.

I'm glad. He is a friend of the family.

You know his thesis!

I want you to visit the pope
and the emperor at bologna

I want you to put to them our new case.

Please tell me you are not losing hope?

It's true. I...

I had always fancied that the king,

after pursuing his course for
some time, would turn away,

would yield to his conscience,

as he has done so often before.

I believed with all my heart
that he would return to reason...

but now, I...

madam, I pray you.

Don't give way.

No, excellence.

I shall never give way.

Thank you for what you
have done for my father.

For my whole family.

There is more...

I've made alterations to
wolsey's old palace at york place.

You said you liked it...

I am giving it to you.

What is it?

Have I made you unhappy?

No.

I would only be unhappy if
you ever stopped loving me.

London would have to melt
into the thames first.

It is everything now for the lady anne!

Sir thomas, does this not
remind you of a wedding feast?

It seems to me that nothing
is wanted but a priest

to give away the nuptial rings
and pronounce the blessing.

God forbid that should happen.

It's none of my business.

My new job as chancellor
will be to do my utmost

to contend for the
interests of christendom.

Perhaps the king's majesty is more inclined
towards the reformers than you know.

I don't think so.

I know him better than
you do, excellence.

His deepest instincts are
traditional and faithful.

He may threaten to break with rome,

but I don't think he will ever do so.

I hope you are right.

The consequences would be unthinkable.

Everything seems to move
in your favor, your grace.

I have bad news.

I happen to know that the king has sent
wolsey an intaglio portrait of himself.

So?

So, it is traditionally
a sign of goodwill.

It may presage a reconciliation.

A small gift to ease the king's
conscience is hardly a sign t

hat the bishop of york will be
restored to his former glory.

Think of it this way: After satan fell
from heaven, was he ever invited back?

You were.

I see that you have accepted the
patronage of mr. Cromwell, mr. Wyatt.

How very transparent the world is!

But was I wrong to do so, mr. Tallis?

I think so. Yes.

You should be your own man.

Don't be a fool, tallis.

You never will survive long in this slippery
world without the support of a great man.

You think mr. Cromwell is a great man?

No, I think he's a
coming man! Mark my words.

For what it's worth, I did fuck her!

What is it, thomas?

I have had a reply to my letter.

From mistress boleyn?

What did she say?

That she will not speak
to the king on my behalf.

Then our hopes are over!

No.

I have resolved to write to
another lady who is far greater,

far greater than that mischievous whore

and far more likely to be kind.

Madam,

the king is here.

Please. Be seated.

Majesty.

I came because I heard you were unwell.

And that it was necessary for
the physician to have bled you.

How are you feeling now?

I am very well. Your majesty
is kind to show concern.

How is our daughter?

She writes to me in perfect latin,

and tells me she dances
the galliards every day,

and can play the lute, much to
everyone's satisfaction and joy.

You should be proud of her.

I am proud of her.

You ought to invite her to court, you
could watch her dancing and playing.

It might please you.

Katherine,

I I hear that several of your
agents have been sent abroad

to canvas theological
opinion about the divorce.

For every scholar that votes for you,

I could find a thousand
who would vote for me!

My lords...

every day I'm forced to read
new reports of dissatisfaction,

confusion and delays
throughout my kingdom.

My exchequer is empty and we are
borrowing money at a biting rate!

Your graces are
presidents of this council.

And yet I hear nothing from you on
these matters, nor any other matter.

Your majesty must forgive me,

I yes, yes, I know I must forgive
you, I must always forgive you.

But I grow tired of forgiving you!

I have given you everything,

including the right to
call yourself prince!

And what do I get in return?

I used to think the cardinal vain,

selfserving and greedy,

just as you told me!

But now I understand
the burden he carried...

uncomplainingly.

Your majesty should not forget
that he also stole from you,

and he served the interests of the
french even above those of england.

Is that what you think, thomas?

It is certainly true that the cardinal
was vainglorious beyond measure.

It did him tremendous harm,

and made him abuse the
considerable gifts god gave him.

And yet he is a better man than any of
you for managing this kingdom's matters!

I will talk to him.

Yes, you must!

Ambassador chapuys, your majesty.

Ambassador.

I have a letter for your majesty.

From the emperor?

No. From cardinal wolsey.

S is... so strange. Do
you know what it says?

The cardinal is offering to create
a rapprochement between you and he,

the emperor, and rome.

The coup would be signaled by
the arrival of a papal edict

ordering henry to leave anne
boleyn and return to his marriage.

The emperor will offer his
financial and moral support,

and insist that wolsey be
reinstated as chancellor.

Do you think it could work?

The cardinal is nothing
if not ingenious.

I want you to set up a new parliament.

Important things need to be done.

My exchequer is empty, for one thing.

I will do as your majesty commands.

But I must warn you that you may
not find this parliament as...

compliant as those before.

How so?

Well, though I must confess to being amongst those who
called for greater tolerance and freedom of speech...

I fear that the freedom so given, by your
majesty's kindness, is now openly abused.

There are many dissenting
voices in the kingdom...

chiefly on religious matters.

There are calls for a reformation.

How many have you burned, thomas?

Six.

All lawful,

necessary and...

and welldone.

Welldone?

Yes, harry.

What did he say?

In so many words,

he told me that he was
inclined to pardon wolsey,

and restore him to royal favour.

And what did you say?

I agreed with his majesty that
the cardinal had many talents.

You did what?

I agreed with the king that
his eminence had many talents.

I cannot believe this!

Have you not spoken yourself of the terrible
vengeance he would exact on all of us,

if he ever again had the power?

Or perhaps you don't think "vengeance"
to be one of his many "talents"!

I do, indeed.

Which is why I cultivate
the king's good graces.

Your majesty will be pleased to
know that the university of paris,

the greatest prize of all,
has declared in your favour.

And italy?

I confess that the
universities there are divided.

But padua, florence and venice
have all declared for your majesty.

Spain? Katherine's country.

Spain is against.

Are you surprised?

And you, my lord!

Did you get to see the
emperor and his holiness?

How are they?

Your majesty, the
emperor refused to see me.

And his holiness?

The pope simply gave me this
edict, to bring to your majesty.

What does it say?

The edict instructs your majesty to order
lady anne boleyn to leave your court.

It refuses to allow your majesty permission to remarry
while the papal curia is deciding your majesty's case.

Mr. Wyatt.

I am busy.

There is someone you should see.

Not now, mr. Wyatt.

It concerns the cardinal.

Your excellency. What can I do for you?

My lord, i would ask
a very great favour.

These are troubled times. It seems
to me that, in certain quarters,

there is now a blatant and open
hostility to our holy church.

As we discovered in germany

and what do you expect me to do?

I beg you to use the great
influence you have, here at court,

to pull england back from the
brink of catastrophe and ruin!

For the love we all bear
for christ and his apostles.

What apostles?

I don't believe christ had
apostles not even st. Peter!

Those men were all liars and charlatans who
pretended to follow christ and speak in his name.

And they built a church upon their lies!

Your honour... your honour...

so grateful.

Sir, this is augustin de augustinis.
A private physician to thomas wolsey.

Wolsey. What do you know about him?

Sir, I know that wolsey sought the
help of the emperor and the P... P...

the pope?

Yes, your honour. His holiness,
the pope, against his M...

majesty.

They communicated?

Yes...

and who else?

Wolsey conspired with queen katherine,

because he said it was
the only way he could be...

- restored to power.
- Yes... yes...

the king must know of this.

Now you know the truth,
you must act against him.

He and his fellow priests and prelates
think they can control your majesty's realm!

That they are higher than you...

and by taking instruction from the pope, was not
wolsey acting as an agent of a foreign country?

The presumptionf the pope!

Thinking he could tell
you... you... what to do!

Hold! You within! In
the name of the king!

Get out! Get out of bed!

Thomas wolsey, you are
arrested by order of the king,

and charged with high treason.

You will be taken from here to
london, where you will be tried.

There, there joan.

No tears. No tears for me, I beg you.

Forgive me,

that you have not
much to remember me by.

No.

I have a life and everything
in it to remember you by.

Guards, shackle him.

If I had served god as
diligently as I served the king,

he would not have given
me up in my grey hairs.

Move on!

Joan...

Joan!

I regret to have to inform your majesty

that I can no longer continue to
serve the emperor at this court.

There is so much hatred here
for everything that is sacred

and true that those who speak
brazenly of it have driven me away.

You are not to blame.

You have always served me
with wisdom and kindness.

I will not forget it.

Send my love to my nephew.

I will inform his
highness of your plight

and of the malice and unkindness
of his majesty towards you.

Yes, tell him.

But this also,

for the love I bear this
country as well as him.

He must not think to use force
against his majesty or his people.

It would be a sin
against my conscience...

and against god!

Lord, we have not spoken as
long or as often as we should.

I have often been about other business.

If I wanted forgiveness
I should ask for it...

but for all that I have done,

and for all that I am yet to do,

there can be no forgiveness.

And yet, I think, I am not an evil man,

though evil men pray
louder, seek penance,

and think themselves
closer to heaven than I am.

I shall not see its gates lord,

nor hear your sweet
words of salvation...

I have seen eternity, I swear...

but it was only in a dream,
and in the morning all was gone.

I know myself for what I am.

And I throw my poor soul
upon your forgiveness.

In the full knowledge that...

I deserve none at your loving hands.

Welcome... to hell!

Ah!

Mr. Cromwell.

Majesty...

cardinal wolsey is dead.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I wish he had lived.

How did he die?

He took his own life...

No one must ever know.
Do you understand?

No one. Never!

I'll finish my game, and we'll talk.

Go.

Go!

Sir thomas,

I have just heard!

By his majesty's order,

fifteen senior clergymen have been
arrested for recognizing wolsey's authority.

There is also a statute before parliament which
recognizes that, in matters, temporal and spiritual,

the king is above the law and
shall give account to god alone!

What can be done?

I'm reminded of something
wolsey once told me:

That I should only ever tell the king
what he ought to do, not what he could do.

"For if the lion knows his own strength,

no man could control him.

" We're standing on
the edge of the abyss...

and god knows what shall become of us!

I want you.

I'm going to come.

No. You mustn'T.

Perhaps you could imagine a
way to keep his interest more...

prolonged?