JAMES. Your Graces, gentlemen. It pleases me to thank Almighty God for bringing me into a promised land, this England, where religion is purely professed. I find I sit amongst grave, learned and reverend men. Please.

He gestures to them to rise and they do.

Dean Andrewes, speak to me of the state of the Church of England.

ANDREWES. Your Majesty, the Church of England has stood in a near-perfect state, like the primitive Church of our Lord, these past forty years. Indeed…

JAMES (interrupts). Forty years? Pis h posh! Ha! Just because a man’s been sick of the pox for forty years, does that mean he shouldn’t be cured?

ANDREWES. Your Majesty…

JAMES. Doesn’t everything in this world decay and decline? Why not an institution? No. My Church will reform. My Church, Your Graces, Your Divinities! I am Head of the Church of England. First, understand this: you are not to persecute Puritans.

Horror among the DIVINES.

I know that, in Her late Majesty’s reign, some amongst you treated them brutally. I will have no more rackings, brandings and burnings, no persecution!

ANDREWES. Your Majesty, why are you playing the Puritan?

JAMES. Because, Dean, I am your King Solomon. I can play any which way I choose. Now, who will play the baby, which Solomon ordered cut in half?

Some laugh but there is unease.

For isn’t that what you’d do to my Church? Cut it in half?

ANDREWES. What of Catholics?

A rustle among the DIVINES.

JAMES (smiles). What? Are there some here, disguised in the priestly frocks of Church of England vicars? Polishing their altar rails, swinging, perhaps, a little too much incense on a Sunday? (Smile goes.) Catholics who fled abroad are welcome to return.

Discontent among the DIVINES.

ANDREWES. Sire, Roman Catholics are the enemies of your throne!

JAMES. Oh dear, oh dear. (Slaps his hand.) Naughty naughty. I have talked to the Jesuits.

ANDREWES. Your Majesty has talked to…

JAMES. They unmasked a Catholic plot against me. The criminals have been arrested. But all loyal Catholics have my protection.

Uproar among the DIVINES.

ANDREWES. Sire, you played the Puritan, now you play the Papist!

JAMES. Understand, Dean. I am for the medium in all things. I will have a new way in my Kingdom, in which all are included. You will be moderate or I’ll damn well have you all strung up in chains in the Fleet Prison!

ANDREWES and the DIVINES recoil.

Bring in the other religionists.

CECIL. Now!

Enter JOHN REYNOLDS, HENRY BARROW just behind him, and other PURITANS. They kneel. JAMES gestures for them to get up.

JAMES. Doctor Reynolds. I am now ready to hear, at large, what you can object or say to the Church of England.

REYNOLDS. The sacraments of the Church must be reformed.

ANDREWES. There has been reform enough to the Church of England.

REYNOLDS. Not so.

ANDREWES. Very much so.

CECIL (aside). Five hours later.