in the head. GIESE. We should send for Nicholas to come and examine you.
FRANZ enters with a pitcher and basin, sets them on a washstand, exits.
BISHOP. Nicholas was here all night. An awful night I had. Some cursed Lutheran tried to poison me.
GIESE. Poison?!
BISHOP. Tried to kill me. And very nearly succeeded.
GIESE. Heaven forbid.
BISHOP. Agh! I ask you, Tiedemann: If I’m not safe in my own dining room, where am I safe? Lutherans everywhere. In the kitchen. In the soup.
GIESE. Have you apprehended a suspect?
BISHOP. I can’t tell who is trustworthy anymore. I may have to torture someone to get at the truth.
The BISHOP rises, goes to the washstand, and, through the following dialogue, removes his nightshirt, grooms himself.
GIESE. Are you sure it was poison? What did Nicholas say?
BISHOP. Nicholas! His skills may combat a single instance of poisoning. And thank God for that. But his medicaments cannot stanch the spread of the Lutheran plague. It oozes and festers all around us. As God is my witness, it has reached epidemic proportions!
GIESE. You talk like a soldier, Johann.
BISHOP. And you, Tiedemann! You sit idly by, and watch. You do nothing to stem the tide.
GIESE. What would you have me do? Lay siege to Wittenberg?
BISHOP. You have still not adopted my edict in your diocese. Have you?
GIESE. Now, Johann.
BISHOP. You won’t do even that much.
GIESE. You know how I feel about …
BISHOP. We’re the only ones left, Tiedemann. You and I. We’re the last holdouts in the whole region. Every other bishop, to a man, has bowed to that dev il Luther. God help us, even the duke has converted. We are surrounded. We must crush the menace.
GIESE. We are men of God, Johann.
BISHOP. The Church calls us to her defense. I need your support. As long as you allow Lutherans to live and work in Kulm …
GIESE. Our Lutherans in Kulm don’t cause any trouble. They just …
BISHOP. Listen to me, Tiedemann. If we have trouble here in Varmia, you have trouble in Kulm. We have the same troubles, you and I. How do you know my assassin wasn’t one of your Lutherans?
GIESE. These are peasant farmers. Merchants. Tradesmen. The same people who have lived among us for generations, since long before …
BISHOP. They have betrayed us, by betraying the Church. You cannot let them go about with impunity.
GIESE. In your heart, you know there’s a better path to reconciliation with our Protestant brethren.
BISHOP. Oh, please, Tiedemann! When will you face the facts?!
GIESE. We’re all Christians in the eyes of God.
BISHOP. Haven’t the past twenty years taught you anything? That sniveling little monk! He has whined and complained and … and gained himself a huge following! How did it happen? Hm? Who ever thought anyone would listen to him? Now look at him. He sings a few hymns, and half the continent thinks he’s the Second Coming.
The BISHOP finishes his grooming, throws down his towel like a gauntlet.
BISHOP. It’s an abomination.
GIESE. The Church has weathered worse storms before this. If we are steadfast in our faith, and treat our fellow citizens with compassion …
BISHOP. You mean you refuse to back me?
GIESE. I’m saying that the changing times challenge us to summon new reserves of patience, so we can negotiate peaceably with …
BISHOP. You have more tolerance for Lutherans than you have for me.
GIESE. Let us pray together, for guidance. “Our Father, Who art in Heaven …”
BISHOP. I bet you’d just love for one of them to do away with me. So you could take my place, and be bishop here yourself.
GIESE. Don’t give in to such dark thoughts, Johann. Pray with me now. “Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name …”
GIESE keeps praying, whispering under the BISHOP’s lines, speaking louder between them.
BISHOP. That’s why you keep your canonry here, isn’t it? You want to have your foot in the door, so when I die …
GIESE. “Give us this day our daily bread. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
FRANZ enters with a pitcher and basin, sets them on a washstand, exits.
BISHOP. Nicholas was here all night. An awful night I had. Some cursed Lutheran tried to poison me.
GIESE. Poison?!
BISHOP. Tried to kill me. And very nearly succeeded.
GIESE. Heaven forbid.
BISHOP. Agh! I ask you, Tiedemann: If I’m not safe in my own dining room, where am I safe? Lutherans everywhere. In the kitchen. In the soup.
GIESE. Have you apprehended a suspect?
BISHOP. I can’t tell who is trustworthy anymore. I may have to torture someone to get at the truth.
The BISHOP rises, goes to the washstand, and, through the following dialogue, removes his nightshirt, grooms himself.
GIESE. Are you sure it was poison? What did Nicholas say?
BISHOP. Nicholas! His skills may combat a single instance of poisoning. And thank God for that. But his medicaments cannot stanch the spread of the Lutheran plague. It oozes and festers all around us. As God is my witness, it has reached epidemic proportions!
GIESE. You talk like a soldier, Johann.
BISHOP. And you, Tiedemann! You sit idly by, and watch. You do nothing to stem the tide.
GIESE. What would you have me do? Lay siege to Wittenberg?
BISHOP. You have still not adopted my edict in your diocese. Have you?
GIESE. Now, Johann.
BISHOP. You won’t do even that much.
GIESE. You know how I feel about …
BISHOP. We’re the only ones left, Tiedemann. You and I. We’re the last holdouts in the whole region. Every other bishop, to a man, has bowed to that dev il Luther. God help us, even the duke has converted. We are surrounded. We must crush the menace.
GIESE. We are men of God, Johann.
BISHOP. The Church calls us to her defense. I need your support. As long as you allow Lutherans to live and work in Kulm …
GIESE. Our Lutherans in Kulm don’t cause any trouble. They just …
BISHOP. Listen to me, Tiedemann. If we have trouble here in Varmia, you have trouble in Kulm. We have the same troubles, you and I. How do you know my assassin wasn’t one of your Lutherans?
GIESE. These are peasant farmers. Merchants. Tradesmen. The same people who have lived among us for generations, since long before …
BISHOP. They have betrayed us, by betraying the Church. You cannot let them go about with impunity.
GIESE. In your heart, you know there’s a better path to reconciliation with our Protestant brethren.
BISHOP. Oh, please, Tiedemann! When will you face the facts?!
GIESE. We’re all Christians in the eyes of God.
BISHOP. Haven’t the past twenty years taught you anything? That sniveling little monk! He has whined and complained and … and gained himself a huge following! How did it happen? Hm? Who ever thought anyone would listen to him? Now look at him. He sings a few hymns, and half the continent thinks he’s the Second Coming.
The BISHOP finishes his grooming, throws down his towel like a gauntlet.
BISHOP. It’s an abomination.
GIESE. The Church has weathered worse storms before this. If we are steadfast in our faith, and treat our fellow citizens with compassion …
BISHOP. You mean you refuse to back me?
GIESE. I’m saying that the changing times challenge us to summon new reserves of patience, so we can negotiate peaceably with …
BISHOP. You have more tolerance for Lutherans than you have for me.
GIESE. Let us pray together, for guidance. “Our Father, Who art in Heaven …”
BISHOP. I bet you’d just love for one of them to do away with me. So you could take my place, and be bishop here yourself.
GIESE. Don’t give in to such dark thoughts, Johann. Pray with me now. “Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name …”
GIESE keeps praying, whispering under the BISHOP’s lines, speaking louder between them.
BISHOP. That’s why you keep your canonry here, isn’t it? You want to have your foot in the door, so when I die …
GIESE. “Give us this day our daily bread. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
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