More's Legal Forest

Scenes 7 a-d

What's this?

- You crossed him! - Somewhat.

- Why? - I couldn't find the other way.

You're too nice altogether, Thomas.

- Woman, mind your house! - I am minding my house!

God save Your Majesty!

God save Your Grace!

God save the King!

Lift!

Drop blades!

Sire! Sire! Sire!

Are you coming my way, Rich?

No.

I think you should, you know.

I can't tell you anything.

Well?

Thomas?

Stay friends with him.

Whatever may be done by smiling, you may rely on me to do.

Set your mind at rest.

This is not the stuff of which martyrs are made.

Good evening, sir, Lady Alice.

Will wants to talk to you, Father.

I told him it wouldn't be convenient.

You were quite right.

You're very free with my daughter's hand, Roper.

Yes.

It's of that I wish to speak.

Sir, you've had a disagreement with His Majesty.

- Have I? - So Meg tells me.

I offer my congratulations.

If it's true, is it a matter for congratulation?

Yes!

Sir, when last I asked you for your daughter's hand...

...you objected to my unorthodox opinions.

- I did. - Yes.

Well, since then my views have somewhat modified.

Well, that's good hearing, Will.

Mind you, I modify nothing concerning the various corruptions in the Church.

- Quite right. - But an attack upon the Church herself...

...no. I see behind that an attack on God.

- Roper! - The Devil's work...

...to be done by the Devil's ministers!

For heaven's sake, remember my office.

If you stand on your office...

No, I don't stand on it, but there are certain things I may not hear.

Sir Thomas.

Richard?

I fell.

Lady Alice.

- Lady Margaret. - Good evening.

Do you know William Roper, the younger?

By reputation, of course.

- Good evening, Master... - Rich.

You've heard of me?

Yes.

In what connection? I don't know what you can have heard.

I sense that I'm not welcome here.

Why Richard? Have you done something to make you not welcome?

Cromwell is asking questions.

About you. He's always asking questions about you and your opinions.

Of whom?

Of him, for one. That's one of his sources.

Of course. That's one of my servants.

All right, Matthew.

Well, you look at me as though I were an enemy.

Why Richard, you're shaking.

Help me.

How?

Employ me.

No.

- Employ me! - No.

I would be faithful.

You couldn't answer for yourself even so far as tonight.

Arrest him!

- For what? - He's dangerous!

- Libel. He's a spy! - That man's bad!

- There's no law against that. - God's law!

- Then God can arrest him. - While you talk, he's gone!

Go he should, if he were the Devil, until he broke the law.

- Now you give the Devil benefit of law! - Yes, what would you do?

Cut a road through the law to get after the Devil?

Yes. I'd cut down every law in England to do that.

And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned on you...

...where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?

This country is planted with laws from coast to coast...