Part 4 — The Spy
CROMWELL ( in a much more light-hearted mood): I was once taken as a boy to see a group of travelling players perform Shakespeare, on the green outside Ely Cathedral.
HARRISON: What did the Bishop of Ely make of Shakespeare upon his holy green?
CROMWELL: It was a Wednesday evening. He was away fornicating in a nunnery as usual. (laughter) He eventually caught the pox and died howling for someone to cut off his bollocks. ( More laughter) There were thirty nuns at his funeral, but I swear the Mother Superior looked the most forlorn and scabrous.
(Harrison bursts into laughter, as does Cromwell after a while)
HARRISON: Which play?
CROMWELL: Hmm? Oh, Henry V.
HARRISON ( Standing & quoting): Now all the youth of England are on fire
And silken dalliance in the wardrobe lies;
Now thrive the armourers, and honours thought
Reigns solely in the breast of everyman:
HARRISON: The next line, Oliver?
CROMWELL: They sell the pasture now to buy the horse…
HARRISON: Following the mirror of all Christian Kings.
CROMWELL: Isn’t that how we started, Thomas?
HARRISON: By selling the pasture? Aye. But rest assured we shall break that curs’d mirror, and no seven years bad luck neither.
CROMWELL: I fear I cannot let theatre, let playwrights have their day, they speak too clearly, and for too many. The people must read, make their own judgements, not be swayed by a mob before a stage.
HARRISON: I fear that to ban might lead to larger unrest.
CROMWELL: We shall see. First I’ll make Milton the state poet, for I swear I cannot understand a word of his new work, Paradise Lost, even in English, then I’ll make you my court Jester.
(There is a commotion outside. Enter BUNYAN with a prisoner. BUNYAN throws the prisoner to the floor.)
HARRISON (Jumping up): What is the meaning of this?
SOLDIER: I found him outside, sir, at the window. He claims to be a royalist spy…
SPY: Aye, loyal to the true heir to the throne, not some farmer…
( BUNYAN hits the SPY)
CROMWELL: Enough man, you have done your duty, and done it well, leave us pray, and prepare yourself for Upton.
( BUNYAN exits. CROMWELL looks at the spy.)
CROMWELL ( to the SPY): A spy you say? From where?
SPY: I say not.
CROMWELL: I say not? What sort of answer is that? You’ve already admitted to being a spy, you could very well be hanged before this night is out, so tell me from whence you came or by God die now by my own hand.
