( horses galloping )
Man: l now believe
that all crowns
corrupt those
who wear them.
l never thought that l would lead an army
against my own countrymen,
but for three bloody years brothers
fought brothers in the struggle
to be treated fairly
by our king.
( men shouting )
We won and the king was
imprisoned in his London palace,
but the people
paid dearly.
l was convinced then
we could heal the nation,
but the path to reform
was to prove longer and darker
- than l could ever have imagined.
- Come on, over here!
( man screams )
- Help me here!
- Sir!
Nurse:
Pull it tight.
- Man: All right, lad. All right.
- ( soldier screaming, crying )
Shh shh.
Bring down the prisoners.
Man: Bring the next 10
prisoners down, sergeant!
Man:
No, move along, next.
Take it, be quick.
- Look out!
- Long live the king!
Man:
Stay where you are!
No, please, sir.
No, sir, please please!
Man:
Keep back, stay in line.
Next!
Man: Next!
( men laughing,
chattering )
- Man: Who's this?
- Man #2: Do you see what l see?
Man:
Wait, Daniel, look.
- General Fairfax.
- At your service.
l thought the rebels
wore short hair
to protest against
courtly decadence.
l didn't expect
to find their chief
with such
a luxuriant mane.
You came to talk
of hair, madam?
l have a message
from your wife.
Then you've traveled far.
My wife is in Yorkshire,
as l understand,
tending our estate.
Then you mistake your wife
for a dozy housemaid, eneral.
Lady Fairfax has tended house
long enough.
- lndeed?
- lndeed.
lndeed she's headed
for London.
She thinks three years is long enough
to lose her husband to the wars.
You kept it for me.
What do you think?
Forgive me, madam.
l do not sleep well.
Best place to look
at the stars.
- What is your name?
- Oliver Cromwell.
Well, then you are
a liar, Mr. Cromwell.
You guard my husband's tent
every night
and have done ever since
an assassin tried to take his life.
Why do you forfeit
your sleep for him?
Your husband is one
of god's beloved.
lf he died,
l am his deputy.
lt would be inconvenient.
Fairfax:
Lost your tent, lieutenant?
Or are you just trying
to steal my wife?
Time we got you back
to yours.
( crowd shouting )
( bells chiming )
( crowd cheering,
applauding )
Oh, Henry, you're safe.
There is our victory.
The lord has granted us
a great victory, brethren.
Give them something to eat.
God bless the general.
Man:
Well done, General!
Well done,
General Fairfax.
Well done, General Fairfax.
Well done.
God bless you.
Well done!
Do not thank me.
lt is you who won
England's freedom,
Every one of you!
Now the king
has decreed...
Your majesty, step away
from the window.
Man: ...awarded to Lord
General Fairfax
for valor in the field.
At last,
we can all sleep soundly,
Knowing that for once the king
cannot impose a new tax
on us in the morning.
You make it sound as if we fought
the war only to save your profits, Holles.
- Where's the treaty?
- All ready for your signatures.
But first, let us cross
to the palace
and toast a new era
of peace and prosperity.
- ( quiet music playing )
- So is it true
men who've been to war return
with more steel in their bones?
- l have no complaints.
- How do you expect to drink a toast
without a cup of wine?
- To your favorite soldier.
- To his favorite soldier.
Man:
Make it near 600,000.
Good work.
God's blessing
on you, General.
And all our men.
The lord chose you
to be the nation's warrior,
as he chose our cousin
Oliver to be its conscience.
( chuckles )
Holles, when will
the troops be paid?
As soon as we can.
Parliament has other pressing debts.
This is not the treaty.
The armories
and gunsmiths are owed.
This no more than a warrant
to ensure free trade.
Where are the law reforms,
the guarantees of basic freedoms?
l believe if you read it carefully,
you will find them.
We'll remove the king's
power to appoint judges.
You do not say why.
Every man has a right
to fair trial and opportunity.
lt is a fundamental
principle.
lf you have not the guts
to write it, then let me.
There is a procedure.
Fairfax:
He's right, Holles.
Let us enforce
the king's limits.
None of us would want
to fight this war again.
By all means, amend it.
Ready, my dear?
l'm afraid we must leave.
Now do you see why
l saved his life?
- Evening, Elizabeth.
- Evening, milord.
Please forgive
the late hour, Elizabeth.
Papa, how do you?
How do l?
As well as can
be expected for a man
who's seen his daughter
wed a traitor.
lt will not continue
in the future.
ln the future? lf your husband
proceeds on this course
- we shan't have a future.
- Milord.
- Come into the parlor.
- No, l won't impose.
Only came to see
if you're well, my dear.
- l am well. We both are.
- l'm glad.
So you've enjoyed chasing his majesty
about the country, Thomas,
Confining him like a child
to his rooms,
driving our friends and cousins abroad
in fear of their lives?
lt was he who first raised
his flag against the people.
- Let us all sit down.
- No, l'll be on my way, my dear.
lt may have escaped
your notice, Thomas,
but London is not
a welcome place
for loyal subjects
just now,
our friends' houses lying
empty and ransacked,
your rebel redcoats
lining every street.
To keep the peace,
not to harm you.
You know where
to find us, my dear,
for the time being,
at least.
( distant birds chirping )
Fairfax: Oliver.
Oliver, we have
a meeting with the king.
( laughs )
Rumor has it you have
a home somewhere.
What do you think?
You forgot to say how often
he may cut his toenails.
We're late.
lt's all here, Holles,
the troops' accounts.
- The treaty.
- Man: Mr. Oliver Cromwell, your majesty.
- Anyone else?
- Lord General Fairfax,
Mr. Denzil Holles,
Earl of Whitby,
Mr. Henry lreton,
Lord Baker,
Sir Richard Pritchard.
We have the peace terms,
your grace.
Let me guess.
You would...
dismantle my arsenal,
strip me of my power.
Power to abuse and steal
from your subjects
was never
rightfully yours.
Parliament merely wishes
to bind your grace to the law of the land.
No army shall be levied,
no taxes imposed upon the realm,
unless by the common...
...council of the realm.
l am familiar with the Magna Carta,
Mr. Holles.
Your hand in this too,
Lord Fairfax?
l would call you "General,"
but it is hard
to forget the day
you came of age,
when l laid my hand
on this shoulder
and named you
Lord Thomas Fairfax.
Amusing to think you swore loyalty
to me then forever more.
l swore to honor and defend my king
as he is meant to be.
You were proud
that day.
Trembled a little too,
as a l recall,
all the court whispering
of your beauty--
our angel-faced
Lord Thomas.
Who'd have thought
you'd be seduced
by the cheap glory
of a rebel's cause?
Your majesty wronged
this kingdom.
Lord or not, l was
compelled to protest.
Once your majesty
is a true king again,
l shall be glad
to serve him.
And your wife,
the lovely lady Anne,
how does she like
this rebel in you?
The nation you claim as yours
lies shattered and bereaved.
lf you have any love for it,
you will sign.
l shall consider it,
Mr. Cromwell.
You will grant me time
to read it, l trust.
We await
your grace's reply.
You might permit
your wife to visit
as a sign of goodwill.
Even a common prisoner
would consider it his right
to have a little company.
- Cromwell: Welcome.
- Thank you.
Anne: you have no wish
to live near the town?
Live under the gaze
of a thousand watchful eyes?
That is not living.
How can you dream
unless you look at the sky?
My daughter Bridget.
- And you've met cousin Henry.
- At the celebration, l believe.
God's day to you,
General.
Henry.
Cromwell: My wife.
Our husbands are so like brothers,
l feel we are sisters already.
Please, come in.
You sent for me,
your grace?
( distant bells chiming )
l've read the terms,
Mr. Holles.
Quite a task you had
in marshalling all
of Parliament's demands.
So, "Merchants
shall protect
their trade;
The Puritans,
their blessed consciences,"
And oh, yes,
These latter pages--
"The right
of every Englishman
to life, liberty,
et cetera"--
are in a wilder tone
altogether.
Not yours l warrant?
Parliament has many voices.
l am merely the speaker.
And your vote counts
no more than any other.
Sir, if these triumphal
fighting men wish
to scatter my goods
across the common land,
risk your new
trading freedoms
with their wilder reforms,
you may protest,
but the majority
will win, hmm?
l'll hazard
l'm not alone
in feeling buffeted
by this puritanical storm.
lf your grace thinks
l prefer the days
when your crown officers
roamed the land,
taxing and arresting
at whim...
But if you were
to command my officers,
Mr. Holles,
as Chief Royal Councillor,
second only to the king,
that would be a different prospect,
would it not?
l believe your grace will wish
to withdraw that remark
when he sees how it might be
improperly interpreted.
Lord, though we are not
worthy of thy blessings,
yet with glad
and humble hearts,
we praise thee
for the gifts of thy lands.
All: Amen.
My son Richard.
Fairfax: Glad to
meet you, Richard.
A small war divided the nation
while you were sleeping.
This man won us
the victory.
Remember next time,
you owe him your freedom.
- He exaggerates.
- l'm sorry.
Excuse me.
( gagging )
Annie.
l told you
to take special care.
Please, no one is
to blame.
l think...
l think l'm expecting
a child.
Holles: Following my meeting
with his majesty,
l am informed that those
still loyal to the king
will lead us to the palace
treasures tonight.
Cromwell must not
hear of this.
With the king's
gratitude,
we could still maintain
our trading freedoms
and there is
a guaranteed profit...
...profit for every man
who votes with us,
enough to buy each
of you a new estate.
( men yelling )
- Cromwell: Good night, Tom.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Anne.
He will go back
to Yorkshire now.
We must not envy, coz.
There are enough of us here
to plow the nation
into godly shape.
Did you not hear
the men cheer?
Tommy's our emblem.
We are brutes
without him.
( Fairfax and Anne
laughing )
An heir is better
than any victory.
The king will not--
we will not be punished too harshly
for your rebellion, Thomas?
lf our son
should suffer...
A son.
Get this stuff
out of here!
Come on, come on.
Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!
Get this stuff out
of here. Hurry!
l don't remember giving
you permission to leave.
The king asked for you.
For me?
You didn't tell me so.
What does he want?
To have me obey him.
Then he must be obeyed.
Gentlemen,
gentlemen,
first to the chief business
of the house:
Our representations
regarding the peace settlement
have been delivered
to his majesty,
together with
the supplementary chapters...
Managed to part with her
for a few hours
for the sake
of the nation, Tom?
- We are honored.
- Bad dreams?
Have you packed to go?
We haven't had time
to make plans.
Holles: However,
his majesty proposes
that if we return him
to the throne,
he will be inclined
to do so. To which end,
and in the interests
of a speedy settlement,
l propose we return
the king in due ceremony
two days hence.
All those in favor...
- Aye!
- What is this?
What are you doing?
We cannot budge
on this, Holles.
What in God's name
are you doing?
Counting votes,
Mr. Cromwell.
Must l remind you
how Parliament works?
How Parliament works?
This is how
Parliament works?
We fight long bloody years
for justice,
and when the king stamps
his foot and says he will not play,
we give up
all we've earned?
- We will not vote on this!
- Mr. Cromwell!
What are you plotting,
Holles?
Did the king turn your
feeble bowels to jelly
or did you strike
some Judas deal?
You would shed blood,
risk other men's lives,
some of you your own,
yet you dare not
reform the king.
Digby, Proctor,
you fought with us at Marston.
Why this treachery now?
- Holles: And those against...
- Nay!
- Man: 46, sir!
- Holles: The motion carries!
( men cheering )
How is your father,
madam?
ln good health,
your majesty.
And he wishes
the same for you.
l will not ask
after your husband,
although l trust
he will soon recover.
l knew it, Tom.
All the palace treasure gone.
l'll kill Holles for this.
Oliver, Oliver,
Let us prove it first.
- ( playing quiet tune )
- lt's very pretty.
Sing with me.
Your majesty, l'm no match.
Please your king.
lt was a lover
And his lass
With a hey and a ho
and hey
Nonny no
And a hey
Nonny nonny no
That o'er the green
cornfields did pass
ln springtime
The only pretty
ring time.
( stops playing )
Can you hold a tune,
Mr. Cromwell?
l have some business
with the king.
What a pity.
We were just getting started.
You will come again
tomorrow, my dear.
Well, Anne?
Excuse me, your majesty.
Who proposed the deal,
you or Holles?
- l beg your pardon?
- You think all men are born
to be your playthings,
given lips to kiss your hand,
knees to grovel at the edge
of your well-fingered gown?
( chuckles )
You've lost me, Mr. Cromwell.
Parliament is not a whorehouse built
to serve your private needs.
lf you expect to buy back the crown
with your pirates' gold,
you're not only a thief
and a whoremaster, but a fool.
ls that so? l think your mother
omitted something
from your early education,
Mr. Cromwell.
Most men learn in the cradle
that l am the king
by divine appointment
and will not be taught
good government by you!
Was anything removed
from the palace last night?
Did you see anything?
You?
Holles.
Holles,
l see the palace goods have gone.
lf you would explain it,
we might believe they
were not simply stolen.
These are transitional
times, Thomas.
One must expect a certain
amount of redistribution.
Our victory has been sold,
the troops betrayed,
and l've led God knows how many men
to their deaths for nothing.
Lady Fairfax.
Oliver is shouting
at the king.
He dismissed me
in a way l thought--
- Man: General.
- Holles: Drive on.
- l'll explain.
- Man: General!
Tom, is this
where they came?
Fairfax: Only the king's guards
have access to these tunnels.
- The king does not deny it.
- Nor Holles.
Then we are all that remains
of an honest government.
We still have the army.
But our general
is going home.
Not yet.
Hear this, men:
You long for your homes.
So do l,
but last night the nation's treasures
were plundered.
We must wait to dig
our neglected fields.
- Parliament has betrayed us.
- ( murmuring )
to discount your efforts
and destroy the victory
you have won.
And unless those 89 men
are contained,
l fear there is no chance we shall see
the rewards we are owed.
l must ask you
for one last march--
not war, not bloodshed,
one brief call
to wake the nation.
Shall we crawl home
in meek silence
- because they wish us to?
- No!
- Or finish what we started?
- Finish it!
- Victory will be ours!
- ( cheering )
Man: Victory!
- Cromwell: So what next, Tom?
- The men must be ready to move at dawn.
We must act quickly
to keep the advantage.
So, to Parliament.
- lf l've seemed out of temper lately...
- l understand.
You look in the mirror
after all these years without one,
lt must be a shock
for an old man.
- ( laughs )
- Careful, Tom.
You're in
my territory now.
Perhaps l'll command this raid.
l only obey men
who know north
from south.
Tomorrow.
How are you feeling?
l'm not ill.
lf you'll excuse me, gentlemen,
l can see you're busy.
How did you find the king?
A little saddened, but willing,
l think to hear your demands
- if treated with a little courtesy.
- Fairfax: One moment.
Fairfax: l have arranged
for the king to be moved
to safety until
the treaty is signed.
He will not be harmed.
But tomorrow we will
arrest the traitors
who shared in
the palace treasures.
One half of the nation
already hates you.
Now you make enemies of the rest--
Margaret Holles, all our friends.
l am a soldier.
lf l do not finish this--
What kind of inheritance
do you think you build
for our son?
You chose this course.
He will pay for it,
born into a world his father
turned upside down.
Think.
Think what his life will be.
l will send Holles
away to exile.
Naming him as thief
will be due punishment.
He will never serve
in Parliament again.
Thank you.
Fairfax:
"Dear Holles,
you and Margaret should leave
for France immediately.
Parliament is
to be disbanded
and the conspirators
arrested.
l need not tell you the risks
l've taken sending this letter.
l give you this warning
in the expectation
that should it
become necessary,
my son will have
one friend at least.
Go now, but understand
you may never return.
Yours, Thomas."
Urgent,
for Mr. Holles, please.
Holles: Hurry, my dear.
Margaret, quickly!
l shall see you...
this evening.
Mmm!
- That's mine.
- Hungry work in Parliament.
Tell the chef we have
guests this evening.
To the house.
Why have we stopped?
Cromwell:
Take him to the cells.
Man: Unhand me!
Unhand me! Get off me!
Unlike Holles to be late.
( clamoring )
For the safety
of the kingdom,
this house is disbanded.
The following members
will accompany my officers:
Sir Thomas Soame.
Hands off me, sir.
Nathaniel Fiennes...
Sir Walter Erle.
How dare you?
How dare you?
( laughs )
And one can only suppose
that Mr. Cromwell has cast
a spell upon your husband
and this made him forget
his God, his king,
his duty and his
privilege as a lord.
But l have no doubt your
influence will be enough
to remind him, my dear.
Thomas only wishes
for the treaty.
Have him take care,
madam.
My son and court
are in exile,
not dead.
- Move along.
- Unhand me, sir.
Man: Come on, get in line.
Keep up, get in line.
Get your hands off me!
( shouting )
Get your hands off me!
Not so high and mighty now,
are you, lord?
Unhand me, sir!
Man:
General Fairfax, sir?
He's with his troops.
Thank you.
l came to see if you--
if it was finished.
You think it's time Tom stopped running
around taking risks for the nation.
My wife was the same
when expecting her first child.
But by the second,
you taught her obedience?
Some men have
greatness in them.
You never saw Tom
in battle.
That man was put on earth
to lead armies and build nations,
not stay at home.
You're quick
at reading destinies.
You think l've misread his?
You think Tom should follow
the path of his forefathers,
suspect whatever is new,
change nothing,
question nothing.
l don't believe
l said that.
l'm not convinced that running
so fast is the best way to proceed.
You sent for me, father?
Come with me, son.
We caught him at the docks, General.
He was headed for Antwerp
With instructions
for Mr. Holles to exchange
all these goods for gold.
- Good work, officer.
- Sir.
ls our work done, sir?
Done.
- You can have your pay and go home.
- ( cheering )
They are the faces of
greed and treachery, son.
Take a good look.
Which one is
Mr. Holles, father?
- Guard.
- Yes, sir.
Where is he?
Tom.
Don't worry.
The worst is over.
Then you must tell the king.
He is not pleased with his new quarters.
lf he accepts the terms,
he will escape them.
He's hinting that the prince
in the court
will avenge
his ill-treatment.
ln war he sends
an assassin,
and in peace he makes
threats to my wife.
- So much for the godliness of kings.
- Cromwell: Tom!
Tom, where's Holles?
Was he not in Parliament?
- No.
- Traitor.
We have a traitor!
Was it you?
Did you warn Holles?
Or you?
Are you a traitor?
Oliver!
These men have no reason
to betray you.
Holles must have
heard the march.
Let's set up the trials.
- We'll need more guards in Whitehall.
- Best to keep the whole army.
Once the king's allies abroad
find we're putting him on trial...
The king? We haven't
discussed this.
What is there
to discuss?
You fought a war against
the king's corruption.
Why stop now?
l will talk to him.
He seems reluctant
to grasp the sword
which the Lord
holds out to us.
Tom fights in the field.
These corridors
are new to him.
Lord General Fairfax.
Sit.
Have a plum.
They're quite delicious.
Your wife brought them.
A splendid woman,
Your lady Anne. You'd be a fool
to lose her, Thomas.
l came to discuss
the kingdom.
She's expecting a child,
l understand.
Congratulations.
And l'm curious--
if it is a boy...
do you expect
to pass him your title?
We have lost half
our government to corruption
and still await
an olive branch
from our king.
All the country hopes
and would believe
you care for the people's
welfare above all else.
lf you would
agree our terms,
we could be certain of it.
Am l your...
divinely-appointed king
set on earth by God
to rule this nation?
To reign, perhaps,
rather than to rule
as a shepherd cares
for his flock.
Doubt the sanctity
of your king
and you cannot
by that reasoning
think your own bloodline
divinely privileged.
Even if some
hypocrisy on your part
allowed the Fairfax
line to continue...
l shall not grant it.
Your son will be
plain "Mister," General,
and his sons too.
l hope your
wife understands
the sacrifice you make.
Your majesty, please.
( sighs )
l sign here?
( sighs )
No man commands a king.
No man tells
a king his limits.
A king
rules by God's grace.
Now get out.
( neighs )
l do not recognize this appetite.
( chuckles )
lt will most likely
be a boy then, ma'am.
The king will
go to trial.
l did not wish it,
but he leaves us no choice.
There must be some
public penance
to heal the nation's wounds.
Pardon me, sir,
your secretary.
And if he will
not apologize?
A jury will decide.
A few years
in exile, perhaps.
- Or deposition.
- Deposition?
( whispers )
Thomas, you cannot.
Mr. Cromwell
would see you now.
( footsteps leaving )
( man whimpering )
( moaning )
l know
all about Holles...
and his accomplice.
( groaning )
Tell him.
Man: The king promised
to make Holles
his chief royal councillor
in exchange
for votes in his favor.
( moans )
They see a man seated on a throne
by accident or fate
doling out favors
in payment for loyalty.
- ( man screaming )
- ls it any wonder they grub for rewards?
lt's done, sir.
What gave you
the right to kill a man
using an army officer,
my officer,
as your private
executioner?!
- This is reform.
- We are not butchers, Oliver!
- This is not war!
- ls that so, Tom?
When did it end?
l must have missed it.
Annie?
Elizabeth, where's--?
Annie?
( Anne crying )
Our child?
l'm so sorry.
Come home with me, please.
Try to sleep.
We weren't meant
for this, Thomas.
Our families have
always defended kings.
You have a duty.
( sighs )
( sobbing )
And how were the goods
to be exchanged?
Sir, you are under oath.
Sir!
( men chattering )
Man:
...The Lord is with us in his righteousness.
Cromwell:
How do you like it, Tom?
A fine robe
in which to try a king.
- Get yourself measured.
- ( distant bell ringing )
We lost the child.
Leave us. Go.
l'm so sorry, Tom.
Two gentlemen, madam.
They will not
give their names.
Shall l tell them
it is not convenient?
No no.
Send them in.
Gentlemen,
please come through.
Forgive this
intrusion, madam.
You may not remember,
but we are friends
of your father Lord De Vere.
l stayed at the manor
some years ago.
James, what a pleasure.
Madam, the Earl of York.
Madam.
l fear we find you
in ill health.
No no.
- l'm sure--
- Madam, we must be brief.
Our very being here
puts us all in jeopardy.
There are rumors of a trial.
lt has lord Fairfax's blessing,
madam?
Well, as you can see...
my husband is not here
to explain his views.
Lady Fairfax, we do not
wish to embarrass you,
nor to alarm you,
but out of respect
for our former acquaintance,
it seems only right
to inform you.
The actions of your husband,
like those of his...
friend Cromwell,
are being daily reported
to the prince in exile.
We cannot expect
the prince to see his father
being insulted
without recompense.
Your husband has his own reasons
for the course he takes,
but l think the gracious
and respectful
young lady l met
those years ago
at your father's house
would still, l hazard,
have a proper
and admirable
reverence for the king.
Cromwell's bloody reign
of terror in the name of freedom
is turning the country
against them.
lf we could only
visit his majesty
to alleviate his
situation somewhat...
l'm not at liberty
to help you, gentlemen.
Or even to offer
our condolences?
Now we have our victory,
what will you do, Tom?
Will you send Anne
home now?
You must not let her
blame you for this.
What say you we take
some air, you and l?
( birds twittering )
What was it you said
when we first met
and you trained me
at guns?
"One thing at a time."
Let's mend the nation, Tom.
You have years afterwards
to create an heir.
Perhaps l'm better
at taking life than giving it.
We are fathers
to the nation, Tom.
Man:
Mr. Cromwell, sir!
l said no interruptions!
The king escaped.
We caught him at the river, sir,
but his accomplices
- fled before we could get to him.
- From the safe house?
But no one knows
where it is.
l'll return with you
and see to his restraint.
Pardon me,
ma'am, visit--
l am sorry for your loss.
The king escaped
a few hours ago
with plans to raise
invasion troops
from his cousins
in France.
A messenger was found with letters
written in the king's hand
urging new war
on this country.
( sobbing )
Tell me you
did not do it.
l have not
left the house.
My maid is my witness!
What moves you most, Anne--
your love of Tom
or your hatred of me?
Why do you think
l hate you?
l underestimated you, Anne.
l see there are
two generals in this house.
( crying )
Oliver?
( whip cracks )
What have you done?
For god's sake, Annie,
do you blame me so much?
Respect my judgment
so little?
They told me
they wanted
to offer the king
their sympathies.
- And you believed them?
- l don't know.
l don't know what
l believed, Thomas.
l have tried to embrace
your new world,
tried to see
why everything
l once thought right and fit
must be torn down
because you
and your friends say so.
l don't have any
friends left to talk to.
The only people
who come to this house
come to warn me that--
that you may
soon be dead.
What was l supposed to do?
Not this, Annie.
l grieve the child too.
Men:
l called
Upon the God
Most high
To whom l stick
and stand
l mean
The God that
will stand by...
- Man: l cannot.
- Cromwell: Name one reason
why a man should
hold power over a nation.
- Because he is born to it.
- Cromwell: l said a reason,
Not an excuse.
...To save me
From their spite
That to devour me
Have assayed
E'en mercy,
truth and might
l call upon
The God most high
To whom
l stick and stand
l mean...
Man:
The Commons of England
are hereby assembled
on the 27th day of January
in the year
of our Lord 1649
for the trial
of Charles Stuart,
King of England.
Yours is the last name, General.
- Let us go.
- Fairfax: Wait.
Wait!
We are jurors.
We are here
to serve justice.
This is a mockery of it!
You cannot,
will not execute a man,
a king, before
he is found guilty!
Brethren...
How long have you been
plotting this, Oliver?
Since your traitor wife
colluded with the king
and proved him
rotten beyond repair.
You should be grateful
l've not made
a warrant for her too.
Do you kill the king
to spite me, Oliver,
to punish me
for the wife you envy?
l was fool enough
to think we were fighting
to better the world.
The king lives
or the man,
patronage or opportunity...
old world or new.
This is it, Tom.
This is our victory,
our chance
to set England free.
l am a reformer,
as l thought you were.
l will reform the king.
Anything less
is brutal cowardice.
Too late.
( doors slam )
Start the proceedings.
Charles Stuart,
King of England...
this parliament holds
that you have abused the power entrusted
to you by the law and--
Hold, Little.
l would know
by what power
l am called hither,
by what authority.
l am your king.
l have a trust
committed in me by God
by old and lawful descent.
l...
will not betray it
to answer a new,
- unlawful authority.
- Cromwell: You have heard the charge.
Answer it in the name
of the people.
l do stand more for the liberty
of the people of England
than any here that come
to be my pretended judges.
l ask again--
Your way of answer is
to interrogate the court.
Every man here
has lost a friend
to your
butchering troops.
We are satisfied
with our authority.
lf power without law
may make laws,
may alter the fundamental
laws of this kingdom,
l do not know what
subject he is in England
that can be
sure of his life
or anything
he calls his own.
They sit here
by the authority
of the Commons
of England!
You and all your predecessors
are responsible to them!
Show me one precedent.
Cromwell: l understood you had
read the Magna Carta.
There is a contract between people
and king which you have broken.
Charles: The Commons of England
was never a court ofjudicature.
- l would know how they came to be so.
- ( doors open )
By choice, sound reasoning
and proven honesty,
which is a fairer
method than that
by which you became king.
( crowd murmuring )
l thought
we were fighting
for the same end at least,
but all this time--
Will you fetch the troops and return
with the king's friends?
...and destroy their pride
and hope in all that is sacred.
- Guilty.
- l'm speaking.
- Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
- Charles: l will be heard.
Sir, did you not
hear me?
l am your king!
( shouting )
We should be
at home by now.
l'm taking you
to your father's.
The troops are
agitating, brother.
There is a danger they may
storm the king's cell.
- See they don't.
- Without the general?
We must surely seize the general
before he reaches his noble friend.
Or bring him back
to control the troops.
He's a traitor! He could raise
a troop to ride against us.
l shall be general now.
Man #1 : Thomas has found
his way back to us.
He'll help us crush
this blasted rebellion.
- We've heard about your refusal to sign.
- Man #3: We'll have the king
back on his throne and every courtier
returned to his rightful--
Thomas: The king is dead.
His blood is written in the warrant.
lf you want to
renew the nation
and not merely
his privileges,
you will plot ways to forge
a new and better government
instead of condemning us all
to fresh slaughter and old corruption.
l'm the only one
who can tame him.
- You explained that.
- Annie, he is no good without me.
And are you
no good without him?
Annie, please,
l can make him see.
l must at least try...
for all of us.
( bell ringing )
l have a good cause
and a gracious god.
l will say no more.
l go from a corruptible
to an incorruptible crown
where no disturbance
can be, none at all.
Remember.
Await my sign.
( gasps )
- ( slices )
- ( crowd gasping )
Red.
This is red blood...
like our own.
He was God on earth!
He was your prisoner,
your enemy,
a man who killed
your brothers for gold.
Have you forgotten?
With this, you are
subjects no more...
but citizens, free men.
You do not have to
kneel to any other man!
You are your own masters
commanding your own fate.
- You're back.
- l need to talk to Oliver.
He's very busy.
Make an appointment.
l'll wait,
if that's all right
with you, Henry.
- ls it for me?
- No, madam.
James invites us all
to his estate...
so that we may
ride and talk together,
think how best
to help the prince,
console ourselves.
l shall stay and wait here.
For how long?
For how long will you continue
to suspend your life,
waste your
youth and health,
forget your loyalty
to your true friends
in the hope that that
traitor may remember his?
Word from Scotland.
lt's urgent.
Man: The Scots have declared
Prince Charles their new king.
Cromwell:
Then we shall invade before they do.
Full weapons. All troops ready
three days hence.
Building nations
is not the glorious affair
one might suppose,
just short nights
and fools asking questions.
lf you've come to tell me
the people hate me,
you can save your breath.
l am not looking
for medals.
l brought them liberty.
They will learn to value it.
You will teach
them liberty?
Do not test me, Tom.
You've seen the traitors hanging
by their necks. You wish to join them?
You're not God, Oliver.
You cannot control the world.
No one has ever ruled
this country without a king.
l suggest you go
back to your wife!
Those holy fools
will never tell you the truth.
They dare not.
From this day on,
all you'll hear is lies.
The prince is
not even in Scotland!
The Scots are no threat
unless you make them so.
Do not provoke me, Tom.
Here's your choice, Oliver:
Listen to me,
or doom this republic
to an ill-planned,
brutal tyranny more hated
than the king's.
Tom...
l thought you'd
left me for sure.
( fire crackling )
You came back.
( chattering )
Portraits of the king.
Portraits of the king.
Here, madam. Only a shilling
for a lock of the king's own hair.
Oh, careful with that. That was
the last thing he ever touched.
- Arrest him.
- l've done no crime!
My trade, sir,
is an honest trade.
- Your trade makes children of grown men.
- Oliver, no!
( crowd screaming,
horses whinnying )
( screaming, moaning )
How can we expect
to build a nation of men
if they will ever
act like sheep?
- ( all screaming )
- ( gasping )
( man gagging )
l'm not armed, Thomas.
l merely come to offer
his majesty's greetings,
and to thank you
for sparing my life.
l told you to stay away.
And so l have.
The prince has been
good to us in exile.
He noted you refused to sign
his father's death warrant
and wonders at your role
in this republic.
How much is he
paying you to find out?
Yours is the only will
that can bend Cromwell's.
That's why you're here,
l warrant--
to reform him,
contain him
within the law.
But if that fails,
what then?
You've always been
the nation's warrior.
You raised your sword
against the last tyrant.
Get out.
Get out!
( door opens, closes )
Holles has been seen
in the city.
He's doubtless
visiting old friends.
Still not in
republican uniform, Tom?
l will wear it when you
sign the constitution.
You do remember.
After the investiture.
lnvestiture?
Some say you keep
your courtly locks
to welcome
the prince, Tom.
Some say you're
the messiah.
That does not
make it true.
Thomas: Joyce.
l'm going to do
what's necessary.
l'll need your help.
You'll die for it, sir.
Not if you make
some distraction.
To attention, sergeant!
- Sir.
- Sir.
Better l lift the gun.
No, make a distraction.
l shall do it.
- ( chattering )
- Man: What's this, brethren?
Man #2:
News of Cromwell.
Thomas: How many times did
l save him in the field?
l can't believe, after all
we've been through together,
that it falls upon me
to kill him.
Cromwell:
Will you congratulate me, Tom?
l know you cannot.
You think l've fallen
in love with gowns and glory,
but you're wrong.
l despise them.
You told me to study
the lay of the land. So l have.
And l see our countrymen must have
a captain, a monarch of sorts.
Last night
l stayed up with a globe,
planning.
So many things--
fill ships with men,
honest, working men,
send them to trade
in the furthest lands.
Learn new science,
raise new crops.
You understand, don't you,
What l'm trying to do,
what l'm reaching for, beyond all this?
You want to find
a wilderness.
Now, Lord Protector
of England.
Your highness.
( crowd chattering )
- lt has been a long time,
- ( applauding )
But l'm glad
you could be here.
You never thought l'd come
this far, l warrant.
The crowds must surprise you.
You always surprise me, sir.
And we've barely started.
Come and dine
at Whitehall tomorrow.
We'll tell you how we plan
to conquer the world.
( crowd cheering )
l'd get there
faster with you, Tom.
( cheering loudly )
They've always
loved you more.
There is an adventurous
spirit in the nation.
l know, l have seen it.
l saw you risk
your lives in the war,
sacrifice your
sons and brothers
because you knew--
because you knew that
this nation could be,
- must be improved.
- ( crowd cheers )
We knew.
Did we fight those years together
shoulder to shoulder for nothing?
This is our chance to build
on the peace we've earned
and create
a new world together.
l am asking
for your silver,
not your lives,
roads to unite the land,
ships to expand
the empire.
Would you give up your gaming
and whoring to have these?
( cheering, shouting )
You are the new model
citizens of the world!
Give up your courtly vices.
Rise above this private greed.
- Fix your eyes--
- ( crowd gasping, screaming )
( wheezing )
- Perhaps now you can see our concern.
- ( Cromwell screams )
l saw that traitor's face.
lt was Sergeant Joyce.
You remember Joyce, sir.
( grunting )
That's the last time
you write my speeches, Little.
( running footsteps
approaching )
We'll never win them
with words in any case.
A cause will unite them,
holy cannon fire.
What say we march
on the Scots, Tom?
Still against it?
l gave the order.
Shine our civic torch on the brutes
before we teach the rest?
l ordered the man
to shoot you.
Don't be absurd, Tom.
You saved my life.
Man:
Make way! Make way!
( panting )
We got the traitor covered, sir.
He's on horseback.
My men are in pursuit.
Don't tell me something
l can't hear, Tom.
We're on the ridge.
lt's all ahead of us.
Soldier:
Take him to the tower, sir?
No, to Tyburn.
Burn him in public.
No, you have the wrong man!
l find l cannot kill you,
but one day soon a man
who loves you less well than l
will raise his gun
to stop you.
And he'll be right.
Lord Protector was
but another name for king
and you are a cruel one.
l wish l could believe
that you will change,
listen to reason,
act with mercy,
but l have seen enough
of your bloodlust
and contempt for men's lives
to know that you will not.
Arrest him.
Arrest the traitor.
Take him!
Burn him!
Take him away!
Burn him!
You would regret it, coz.
- ( cheering )
- Woman: Our brave general!
Man:
Our brave general Fairfax!
( panting )
( sobbing )
Fairfax's voice: Anne and l
returned to our Yorkshire estate.
Word of Oliver's exploits
reached my ears
and his army grew more brutal
in pursuit of a vision
that l no longer shared.
l had turned my back
on a soldier's life.
l was not to see him
again for many years.
Then one night
news came from London.
lt's Oliver.
He's dying.
You know l have to go.
Oliver.
lf l could kill you,
l would have done it years ago.
( grunting )
They tell me you're building
quite an empire up there--
new roads,
bridges.
You trying to outdo me, Tom?
l cannot yet
match you for ships.
ls this a game to you?
Has it always been so?
Did l merely imagine
we once fought a war,
shared the same ambitions?
What happened
to the general l once knew?
He would have
finished the fight.
He would have rallied
the people to this republic.
His was the pretty face
they wanted.
Do you not realize
how well you are loved?
l warned Holles.
Part of me wanted
to stop what we had started.
l wanted my son,
the heir l was expecting,
to have at least
one friend.
( crying )
And your daughter?
Molly-- a small rebel.
She's learning left from right.
Come to Yorkshire.
She can teach you.
These fools will not
let me out of the room.
l'd have to
slip out in disguise.
( chuckles )
Make it soon--
for the hunting. No chance
you'll shoot anything, of course.
So my deer are safe.
( laughs )
l was counting on you.
You let me down.
Fairfax's voice:
We were never to meet again
and he died
soon afterwards.
Two years later
we had a king once more.
On his return from exile,
Prince Charles ordered that
Oliver's corpse be dug up
and displayed
on the public gallows.
l see his face still,
hear him asking me,
"What has changed?"
l tell him that l have.
l wonder
after all these years
how things
might have turned out
had l stayed
by his side.
To be true to myself,
l had to let him down.
He was a man l loved,