Episode 3 Gunpowder

I am Robert Catesby. My purpose is to kill the King of England.

We mean to lead the Catholics of England out of their oppression.

We will seize Princess Elizabeth,

we will place the child upon the throne.

Northumberland shall be Lord Protector.

You will all have heard of Father Gerard. He now stands with us.

My master is the protector of the Catholics of England.

Spain and England have need of this treaty.

You have so much of your mother in you.

The King, his counsellors, and his Parliament,

-I will blow them all to hell!

-Enough!

This programme contains some violent scenes and some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting.

Let me help you with that, little brother.

Put them down there.

BANGING ON DOOR

BANGING ON DOOR

It's Wintour.

There must be 4,000 lbs of powder here.

6,000. I doubt there'll be a firkin of powder left anywhere in London.

200 weight?

Aye.

Well done.

Laid on top of the powder,

the nails will fly like wolven through the air.

We've laid our plan. We must see it through.

Go.

I will meet with you presently.

BELL TOLLS

Forgive me for keeping you waiting, Your Excellency.

Will you take a refreshment?

Wine from Galicia. It is the best.

Ah.

Then let us not delay.

-Salud.

-Salud.

-Salud.

Oh.

This is very good. Very good.

Father, I hear rumours of a multitude of plots and schemes.

The misguided men behind them

put the future of the holy church in England at stake,

though it is not their intention.

Cecil and his heretic fanatics

will use these plots to fall like wolves upon lamb.

The words you speak will be my own, sir.

-You counselled against their proposed course?

-I did.

Catesby and Wintour...

..they visited me in Spain to ask for our assistance.

Their hearts are set on revenge.

And they will not be moved otherwise.

Can you help us, Father?

Can you tell us what Catesby intends?

He confessed to you.

If Catesby and his friends are not stopped,

Cecil will arrest innocent Catholics all over the land.

He will tear them limb from limb.

You alone have the power to save thousands of innocents

from such a terrible and dreadful end.

I cannot speak of what I was told in the confessional.

Do you know to whom you speak, sir?

This is Don Juan Fernandez de Velasco, Duke of Frias,

Constable of Castile.

-You owe him obedience.

-I owe obedience to a higher lord, sir.

I believe you are sincere

and want nothing more than to avoid further bloodshed.

I do. With all my heart and soul.

Can you help us, Father? Is there someone to whom you can direct us?

By your speech you are from Yorkshire.

I'm from Stonegate in York.

-Your father?

-A notary.

Does he still live?

Dead.

-Your mother?

-She married another.

And you, do you have a wife?

-You would interrogate me?

-I would know you.

There is nothing you need to know except I am a soldier.

When the time comes, when those who have wronged us assemble above,

I will light the fuse and I will see them blown to hell.

Her name was Maria.

My wife.

Was?

Is she dead?

She's dead to me.

You have everything?

Once I've lit the match I'll ride to Dover for the arrival

of Stanley's army and I'll join them for the rebellion.

To time the fuse.

All that is left for me...

..is to say farewell.

Farewell.

Cousin.

Robert.

-Gerard?

-Safe. He left for the coast

and he is in hiding there, awaiting passage to France.

-And Garnet?

-Also safe.

-I would make peace with you, cousin.

-I will not lose you, Robert.

I am not lost.

I do God's work now.

For the first time in my life my purpose is clear

and my heart is full for it.

-I think you love me, cousin.

-You know that I do.

Grant me a promise, then.

Should I fall or we fail in our endeavour, protect my son.

Cecil will try and take the boy

and make him his ward so he may have possession of my house and land.

Do not suffer this to happen, I beg you.

When I can no longer safeguard my son, take him into your care.

You may safeguard him yourself.

-Take him and fly from the Kingdom.

-You know that I cannot.

What you intend is murder.

-There is no other name for it.

-Counsel me not.

All I ask is a promise.

Protect my boy.

The path you tread is right well worn.

It leads to a bitter and lonely end.

Turn back, Robert.

It is not too late.

Protect my boy.

Farewell, cousin.

Farewell, cousin.

Farwell, little cousin.

Father Gerard, wait, please!

I am a friend and servant of His Excellency the Constable of Castile.

What do you want from me?

Father, I seek urgent conference

with Robert Catesby.

I do not know that name.

Father, my instructions are to seek out Master Catesby

and his friends and lend them whatever assistance they may need

in their design against the King.

God be praised.

I-I do not know where he hides.

He is a hunted man.

Do you at least know how he intends to strike this blow?

They will strike at the opening of Parliament.

And the method?

Gunpowder.

You are all men of honour and piety.

I am proud to stand with you.

In two days this tyrant King

and his lords will be buried under the rubble of the Parliament.

Stanley will invade with his army,

and across the land our followers will rise to overthrow the heretics.

True religion shall reign once more.

Our business now lies to the north.

Tom, keep you here a while to see the blow is struck

and when Fawkes' work is done, ride hard and bring us news of it.

God bless us all.

Farwell, Tom.

Godspeed, Thomas.

We'll see you on the morrow.

At the dawning of a new day.

Your Parliament opens in two days, does it not?

-It does.

-The King will be present?

He will.

-And the Queen?

-Yes, and the Prince, too.

But not the Princess Elizabeth?

No. She is in the country for her schooling.

Then the Princess will survive.

They mean to murder you all at opening of the Parliament.

You will save the King's life by this generous intelligence, My Lord.

I am most grateful, Your Excellency,

and rest assured this generosity will be met with the light

liberality when the articles of the treaty are settled.

Catesby.

Our army will gather at Pepperhill at dawn on the 5th.

-How many?

-Hundreds have sworn allegiance to our cause.

There is more.

And this is just a fraction of the muskets we've been promised.

Put this in your master's hands. Do not delay in your duty.

I will speak with my friends in the lower house and urge them

to vote for the proposal.

-This is most excellent news.

-KNOCK ON DOOR

My Lord, I was charged to see that Your Lordship received this letter.

-Charged? By whom?

-A stranger, My Lord. I did not know him.

Bring more wine.

My Lord, I keep you from your correspondence.

No, might be some tedious matter of business or law.

I would hate to think that I detained you from your affairs.

Something amiss, My Lord?

Most strange.

Most strange.

What is it, My Lord?

"God and men have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time

"and think not slightly of this advertisement but retire yourself

"into your country where you may expect the event in safety.

"For though there be no appearance of any stir,

"yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow, this Parliament."

"Yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow, this Parliament,

"and yet they shall not see who hurts them."

My Lord Monteagle, you must show this to the King.

It is most likely written by a madman or a fool,

nevertheless I thought it the safest course to bring it

to Your Majesty's attention since I was unable to decipher its meaning,

and Your Majesty's gifts of interpretation

being what they are.

My Lord, you must to sleep.

I would not have presumed to disturb His Majesty's repose were it

not for one line in this strange letter.

"They shall not see who hurts them."

It makes no more sense than any of the rest.

His Majesty's father died by the hand of someone he never saw.

How did he die?

Destroyed as he slept in his bed by an explosion of powder.

-You are playing one of your games, Master...

-No, sir.

Games, tricks, sporting pleasures - these are your domain.

I am sworn to preserve the King's life.

You have been removed from the fireside

and now seek to warm your backside by the means of this ruse.

He wants to play you like a lute, My Lord.

Sir William.

Your Majesty.

Conduct your searches.

Go to it, man!

If this be a game, sir...

..it will be the last one you play.

You two circle down there. Keep an eye out for any loading carts.

You're with me. Come on.

Every corner.

No lip from you, boy, you hear me?

I told you before and I won't tell you again!

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

KNOCK ON DOOR

Open this door in the name of the King.

Open this door now!

BANGING ON DOOR

Open or we break it down!

-WOMAN:

-What's happening here? Get out.

Master Percy has the lease of this undercroft to store his firewood.

You will not trespass without his permission.

Now be gone.

Master Percy will hear about this.

What have you found?

No, My Lord.

Nothing?

You searched every house?

We did, sir.

From the corner to the Parliament stairs,

saving Thomas Percy's undercroft.

What?

The undercroft. Where his firewood's stored.

Fetch Lord Cecil.

Now!

VOICES OUTSIDE

I told your men you can't come in!

Master Percy has the lease of this cellar in the name of his patron.

What patron?

The Earl of Northumberland.

Break it down.

HE YELLS

Cut the fuse.

Go!

Come on, you papist!

Open your eyes.

Traitor.

See. See how your work is undone.

I have issued a warrant for the arrest of Thomas Percy

by all possible means, especially to keep him alive

so that the rest of the conspirators may be discovered.

Bring this man.

Whatever he is, bring him before me.

Kneel before your true sovereign lord.

I will not.

You will kneel.

What manner of man are you?

Answer the King. What is your name?

John Johnson.

Are you a papist?

What do you have to say for yourself?

Would that I wish I had blown you Scots

all the way back to your mountains.

I will never...

doubt you again, My Lord.

You were master of your own salvation, sir.

It was you who divined the meaning of the letter, not I.

Yet another troubled night.

Come, My Lord, I'll get you to bed.

I will have my wife by my side.

Annie.

I am shocked, sir.

If my kinsman Percy has committed any crime he will answer for it.

We shall speak of this presently. Until then...

keep to your house, My Lord.

You sent word to summon them here?

Aye, they promised to join us.

-At Pepperhill?

-Aye.

Our powders are damp. We have to get to shelter.

Robert.

Fawkes is taken!

And the deed?

No. He was discovered

before the Parliament assembled.

All is lost. We must fly for Spain.

No. We fight on!

If we stay, we die.

What shall we do?

Robert?

We could run.

We could ride for the coast.

With luck we might even make it.

What then?

What then? Waste our days hiding away in Flanders or Spain,

drawing up plots we will never enact?

No. I will not live the ruined, scheming life of the exile.

I will plant my feet in this soil. I will fight.

You will lose.

Then I will sound a defeat so loud

our enemies quake to hear it.

They shall know the English Catholics suffer in silence

no longer. What we have done - what we have dared...

..shall put the fear of God in them.

Those of you who wish to leave...go.

Those of you who want to fight on to the end...

..follow me.

Hyah! Hyah!

Robert's plot has been uncovered.

Father, you must escape.

You must escape now to Spain or France, across the seas.

Cecil and his men search high and low. They were everywhere.

No. I will not go. My duty's here.

-But you must go.

-No, I will not go.

I cannot bear to think of you arrested.

To see you dragged on the hurdle and brought to the scaffold.

-I think I should die.

-You will not die.

My body will live.

But my heart will die.

I have had so many gifts in this life.

But none so great a gift as knowing you, Anne.

When you walk into the room, my heart...

lifts.

When I am with you,

Cecil and Wade are but...

ants or spiders.

You make me...unafraid.

I would rather make you terror-stricken

so that you might live.

Knowing you, Anne,

has made me a better man.

It's made me the best man I could be.

GROANING

What is your true name?

How have you lived, by what trade of life?

HE SCREAMS

Did you have conference with the Earl of Northumberland?

We know you acted in collusion with Catesby, Wintour, Wright

and their followers.

They will be apprehended and they will pay.

Speak.

Speak.

HE SCREAMS

Leave off your work here for now.

We have intelligence of Garnet's whereabouts.

HE SCREAMS

VOICES OUTSIDE

Anne. Anne. The storm is upon us, wade is here.

-BANGING ON DOOR

-We must hide. Be quick.

-No, you must hide.

-What?

They know I am within. They will not leave without.

I am found.

My judgment day has come.

You must live so that I may die a good death,

knowing you're alive.

I leave all my love with you.

BANGING ON DOOR

With you.

DOOR BREAKS OPEN

SHOUTING DOWNSTAIRS

Take him.

HEAVY FOOTSTEPS

Are there any here of the Catholic faith?

AGREEING

I'm your fellow.

HE SCREAMS

My name is Guy Fawkes.

I will give you the name of no other.

My name is Guy Fawkes.

I see now...

that it was not God's will that we should succeed as we had planned.

But we can honour him at the last.

I told you once...

that I would not be taken prisoner again.

Against this...

..I will defend myself with my sword.

I mean here to die.

I will play such a part as you do.

And I.

And I.

All the powder is damp. We must dry it - fast.

Catesby and his plotters have been sighted at Holbeche House.

They are desperate enemies to the Kingdom.

But His Majesty has ordered they be taken alive where possible,

so that the country may see them tried

and executed as the traitors they are.

-God save the King! ALL:

-God save the King!

They're here.

Take up positions.

GUNFIRE

For James!

Fire!

-Reload!

-Fire!

Robert! Robert!

Brother!

HE SCREAMS

Don't touch it, don't touch it.

We need to get out.

Clear the door!

Well, brother, we go on this journey together.

Stand by me, Tom...

and we will die together.

Aye!

THEY YELL

GUNFIRE

SWORDS CLANG

HE YELLS

HE YELLS

Leave him!

Robert Catesby is dead.

Fawkes has confessed.

But he does not name you.

HE GROANS

HE GROANS

I believe it is your preferred wine.

DOOR CLOSES AND LOCKS

The Court of Wards

has seen fit to grant me wardship of young Robert Catesby.

However, young Robert is nowhere to be found.

Anne Vaux has also disappeared.

Where is she hiding the boy?

Do you really expect that I would surrender her...

..and young Robert...

..to you?

The rack makes men talk.

In this instance...

I will prove you wrong.

I'm not afraid.

So much bloodshed so narrowly avoided.

You may not have been a conspirator with Catesby

but you stoked the fire with your teaching.

That was your part.

And what of your part?

Mine?

You cannot be surprised when those you persecute turn on you.

No more wine for me.

I'll take vinegar.

Thank you, sir.

For the civility you have shown to me.

CROWD JEERS

HE WHISPERS

ANGRY SHOUTING

HE YELLS

Behold - the heart of a traitor!

God save the King!

-ALL:

-God save the King! God save the King!

ANGRY SHOUTING

Mr Garnet,

it is expected you should recant.

God forbid I had never any such meaning.

I meant to die

a true and perfect follower of Christ.

Into your hands, O Lord,

I commend my soul.

CHEERING

ANGRY SHOUTING

God save the King!

-ALL:

-God save the King!