Doctor Who (1963) s03e24 Episode Script

Priest of Death (The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, Part Three)

Oh, it's only you.
What's the time? Oh, I'm sorry, monsieur.
I didn't mean to wake you, I, I Never mind.
What time is it? It's dawn, monsieur.
The Tocsin's rung.
Curfew's over.
And the 'Sea Beggar' dies today.
Are we gonna leave Paris now? No.
No, I'm sorry, Anne, but I must go back to the Abbot's house.
No! Monsieur, no! I must! Now, my friend should be there by now.
He may know who the 'Sea Beggar' is.
If you go back there, they'll arrest you.
No they won't, the Doctor should be able to stop them.
They'll recognise you before you can find him.
The Captain of the Guard and Monsieur Colbert.
Hmm.
Perhaps if I disguise see if we can find some other clothes.
Ah, yes.
Well, this should do.
Ugh, but it's so dirty, monsieur.
Yes, well, never mind.
Now, if I can find that hat Monsieur? Good girl.
Yes, well I don't think the Captain'll recognise me in this.
If we ally ourselves to the Dutch in their conflict with Spain, the common cause will unify the country, and prevent further civil strife.
Oh, surely the marriage between Henri of Navarre and His Majesty's sister has already put an end to the disturbances? For how long? As I have pointed out, frequently, in this chamber, it would take but one small incident and the whole of Paris could be in uproar.
Incidents occur daily, and still the city does not rise.
If we allied ourselves with the Dutch even those incidents would not take place.
My Admiral has a good point there.
Pray accept it, Marshal, and let us finish with this tedious business.
Your Majesty, France cannot afford this war.
So we are told frequently by our mother.
The recent conflict inside the country has brought us almost to ruin.
There is no money to pay for the forces that would be needed to wage war with Spain.
But is it not so that under the treaty signed at Loire, the English will come to our assistance? Not you as well, my little Councillor? The Admiral and the Marshal quarrel well enough without assistance.
I apologise, sire.
I had hoped to end the deadlock between them.
It was good to hear a different voice.
So, Elizabeth of England has agreed to help us? Does anyone here trust her? She breaks more promises than she keeps.
She has no love for Spain.
She has yet to come out into the open and say so.
However, if Your Majesty is so eager to fight this war, perhaps we could raise the money by leasing the Alpine hunting grounds to Italy? Do you mock me, Marshal? Of course not, sire, but the war will have to be paid for.
Some sacrifices will have to be made.
We will give away nothing of our land.
Besides, the bears there are French.
They may not like to be sold.
Ha, true! Next winter you will accompany us on our hunt.
Your majesty! There is enough money in France to finance the war.
Enough of this war.
I am bored with Spain.
But I beg to advise, Your Majesty No, Admiral, please! Talk of it some other time.
War is so tedious.
Move to matters closer to us.
If the King refuses to make war, may it please God that another war will not be forced on him, which it would not be easy to renounce.
No, monsieur.
I won't stay here alone.
Then you must come with me! But they'll arrest me at the Abbot's house! They won't.
Now look, I'm almost certain that my friend is pretending to be the Abbot.
Now he'll make sure that no harm comes to you.
But, monsieur Now you must trust me.
I'll take care of you.
You've been very kind to me, monsieur, but well, I'm I'm afraid to go back to that house.
Look, I'll be with you.
Besides, you won't stay here, so where will you go? Well all right, I'll come with you.
Look, if anything happens on the way to the Abbot, if I'm recognised, then we'll have to run.
Now you must come back here, do you understand? Well supposing they catch me? No they won't.
I'll be the one they chase.
Now if you come back here I'll know where to find you, and I can join you as soon as possible.
All right.
Good girl.
Come on.
How much longer are the Huguenots to suffer these frequent violations of their rights? The treaty drawn up by the Queen Mother to conclude the religious difficulties of the country was generous in the extreme to the free thinkers.
Words were spoken.
Signatures were exchanged.
But they did not prevent many acts against the Huguenots.
Do you question the promises of the Queen Mother, Admiral? It is easy to promise.
You speak treason! Enough! Why is it not possible for our councillors to talk without quarrelling? Sire, it is imperative that the religious differences of the country be fully discussed! Admiral, grant me but a few days more in which to amuse myself and then I promise you, as King, that I shall make you happy and all those of your religion.
Kings are recognised only by the power they wield.
The Queen Mother seems to claim this power.
Take care, Your Majesty, that it does not prove detrimental to yourself, and to France.
Your Majesty! Tavannes, no more.
Marshal! This meeting is over.
Since my noble mother has seen fit to depart, let us do likewise.
We need to get on with the Feast of St.
Bartholomew, so until the day after tomorrow, let us enjoy ourselves.
Was that wise? To insult the Queen will only make her work harder against you.
It is time her power was challenged.
The King still fears his mother.
Surely this may damage all for which you've worked so hard? Let us hope not.
Ha ha! Admiral, come with us.
We are going to play tennis.
Your Majesty, I must beg to be excused.
I have work which must be done.
Oh, my dear Admiral, we are pleased with you! Since now our mother will not speak to us for the rest of today, you will come with us.
I have a new racquet I want you to see.
Come! You will have to wait in here.
The Abbot cannot be disturbed.
Yes, but I must speak to him.
It's most important.
You do not understand, young man.
The Abbot is saying his office.
His what? His office.
We cannot disturb him while he is at prayer.
Well how long's he going to be? You must curb your impatience, young man.
If you will tell me what your business is, then perhaps I can help you.
Erm I, I have a message for the Abbot, concerning a man who is to die today.
If it is a case for the last sacraments, then there is no need to trouble the Abbot.
I, myself, will come with you.
Well, no.
I mean, I mean, it's very kind of you but Is there something more? Well, yes.
And I can only discuss it with the Abbot.
What is this? My Lord Abbot.
Doctor! Silence! Who is this man? And why does he disturb my peace? It appears he comes from a dying man.
Well? Um, I, I I've brought back the servant who ran away.
Monsieur! You have done well, my son.
Father, you may leave us.
I will settle this matter.
Very well, my Lord Abbot.
I felt you would be safer here, as Bondot waits for the 'Sea Beggar'.
Father Abbot, a word with you.
The young man has returned the girl to us, Marshal.
What girl? The one who lodged with the 'Sea Beggar'.
Oh, she is of no importance.
I must speak with you alone.
Very well.
Take the girl and wait outside.
I'll tend you later.
Is Bondot prepared? Of course, I never fail.
Neither will my servants.
If Bondot Listen! Bondot has been prepared for the last few hours.
Quick, we've got to tell Nicholas.
Is the 'Sea Beggar' on his way home? I don't know.
The King delayed him after the council.
He had seen fit to insult the Queen Mother and His Majesty was naturally pleased with him.
De Coligny will allow no one to take him away from his work.
I think we can take it he is on his way by now.
The girl, the servant who ran Colbert! How dare you interrupt us! But she is with the Englishman from the Admiral's house.
I've just seen them! What? The Englishman with the girl.
He's the one who was with the Huguenots.
Who did he say he was? I never asked him.
Fetch him back! I've sent the guards after them.
He was taking her out the side door.
My Lord Abbot, what mistake have you perpetrated now? He could not hear what was being said.
I sent him out of the room.
In any case, it is too late for him to warn the Admiral.
For your sake it had better be.
Will you get out of my way! But monsieur, I cannot allow Steven? Nicholas! Quickly, it's the Admiral! Monsieur Be quiet! What's wrong? The plot! The Catholics? Yes! It's the Admiral they're going to kill! de Coligny?! Today! Now! But how? I don't know, but you've got to warn him.
He's at the Louvre.
There's a council meeting.
No, it's over.
They're going to kill him on the way back.
Where? The Rue St St.
Germaine? The Rue des Fosse St.
Germaine? Yes! Stay here! Admiral! Admiral! See how honest men are treated in France? The shot came from that window.
Search the house! We must get him to a surgeon.
We should have heard by now.
The King may have delayed him further.
Due to your stupidity, the Englishman has had a chance to warn him.
I said he did not hear anything.
Then why did he run off? I don't know.
If this should go wrong, you are to blame, and you will be the one to answer for it.
The Cardinal Is in Rome and cannot help you now.
If de Coligny is delayed by the King, then the news of his death will be delayed also.
Bondot is an excellent marksman.
You know that.
There is only one thing for us to do, that is to wait.
Meantime, I will retire to my room.
You will not.
You will wait here, with me.
Father Abbot! Well? The attempt has failed.
I see.
Was Bondot caught? He rode away.
The Admiral was only wounded, not killed.
So, the 'Sea Beggar' lives.
You have failed! Call the guards! It is strange, Father Abbot, that since you came everything which had been so carefully planned has gone wrong.
This man is a traitor to the Queen.
Kill him! You heard my order, kill him! Monsieur De Teligny, I am waiting.
I I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but the news I have must be given first to the King.
Well, what's the matter? Why must I always be interrupted? And I was winning.
Your pardon, sire, but I bring news of the greatest importance.
Well what is it? Admiral de Coligny has been severely wounded.
Someone tried to shoot him.
Will I never have any peace?! Your Majesty, the Admiral is badly hurt.
What happened? The assassins were waiting in the Rue des Fosse St.
Germaine.
As we came down the street they fired at him.
Were they caught? No, sire.
We searched the house and found the weapon, the men had gone.
Well they must be found.
An inquiry.
Call the council! The Admiral's assassins must be caught and punished! Call the council! Oh, my Admiral! My little father! I will see you avenged.
Take me to my own room.
Help me up.
No, Admiral, wait for the surgeon.
He'll be here soon.
Why did they do it? Monsieur, are you sure we shouldn't take him to his own room? No, he's lost so much blood.
Go and wait for the surgeon bring him straight in! Yes, monsieur.
Nicholas, I'm sorry.
I tried to tell Gaston, he wouldn't listen to me.
I know, he told me.
I knew that the 'Sea Beggar' was going to be killed.
Until this morning I didn't know who that was.
I could've told you.
How did you find out? Well, when I ran away from you yesterday, I went to the Abbot's house.
The Doctor wasn't there, but I overheard some men talking about the 'Sea Beggar'.
Who were they? I don't know.
But, well one of them was the same man who came to see the Abbot this morning.
So the Abbot is behind this.
No! The Abbot is the Doctor.
Now that I've seen him I'm certain of it.
He's just pretending to be the Abbot, that's all.
Now listen, Steven How is he? He's very weak.
The King has called for an inquiry but it won't do any good.
What do you mean? As I left the Louvre I heard that some of our men have taken the law into their own hands.
How? The Abbot of Amboise was murdered just outside his own house.
What? The Abbot is dead and they're blaming it on the Huguenots.
But he wasn't the Abbot! The King has summoned the council.
I must return to the Louvre.
Take care of him, Nicholas.
Yes.
and, Marshal, since you claim to know nothing of this attempted assassination, I have a special charge for you.
You will be responsible for the Admiral's safety.
Empty the street of Catholics, station your men around his house, and mark me well, if anything further happens to him, you pay with your head.
We do not need the Marshal's protection, sire.
To drive Catholics from their homes will only make them hate us even more.
Is that possible? Your concern for your friends does you credit, sire.
I gave you an order! See it is done! But, sire Not another word! From either side.
I've had enough of your bickering.
Leave me.
All of you! You summoned the council? I gave orders I was to be left alone.
Without my knowledge or consent? I asked to be left alone, mother.
The threat over your friend, the Admiral? You are the King.
Yes, I am the King! And to be obeyed! Now keep out of my sight unless you care to end your days in a convent.
I would wish you have the courage, my son.
I have but to give the order.
Summon your guards, have me arrested.
But you had better have a good reason for the council and for the people.
The attempted assassination of my Admiral, by you and Tavannes.
Do you deny it, Madame? No.
Have a care.
I mean what I say.
I shall send Tavannes to the block! You would execute the Marshal of France for doing his duty? Duty? He's an assassin! He tried to rid you of a dangerous enemy.
de Coligny is my friend.
You, Madame, are my enemy.
If ever I were to be may God help you.
Look at these before you decide who are your enemies.
You think the Huguenots would stop at killing me? They want your blood too.
So you keep telling me every day of my life.
Why? I protect them.
They're all my subjects.
What have they to gain? Until now, nothing.
And now? We have a Protestant prince in Paris - Henri of Navarre.
You think they give a fig for your protection now that one of their own is within grasp of the throne? The Huguenots must have done it! The free thinkers! They shouldn't be allowed to come here! They've done it! It's a wicked thing! The Huguenots will stop at nothing! They even kill our priest! Nothing is sacred to the Huguenots! Something will have to be done.
The Huguenots must be banned from entering towns! They will kill these poor defenceless priests elsewhere! Now lock them up and kill them! You're certain that no one saw the body brought here? Just look at them.
They all believe the Huguenots killed him.
What happened? What have they done? The Huguenots murdered him! No! They did.
We saw them! There were fifteen of them! Just struck him down! But he'll be revenged! Hold that man! He's responsible! After him! Go on! Get him!
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