 Vicks sent the matinee theater starring Victor Jory. The makers of Vicks' papal rub, Vicks' patronol, Vicks' cough drops, and Vicks' inhaler brings you the matinee theater production of Elizabeth the Queen, starring Victor Jory as Lord Essex and featuring Judith Evelyn as Queen Elizabeth. Miss Evelyn is the winner of the award for the finest performance of the year as the star of Angel Street. You know, more and more millions of people are using Vicks' patronol nose drops to relieve distress of head calls, benefit by their experience. Today from the stage of the matinee theater, Vicks presents the dramatic romance of Elizabeth the Queen based on the play by Maxwell Anderson. Lord Essex has just returned from a war mission. As he strides down the corridor of the royal palace towards the throne room, he meets an old rival and enemy, Sir Walter Raleigh, splendidly attired in a suit of silver armor. Well, well, Sir Walter Raleigh, I've had news of your latest fashion and dress, but you're even more splendid than I had imagined. Be careful, Essex. I don't take kindly to insults. Sir Walter's in silver. The world's outdone. The moon's outmooned. He gleams down every passageway and every head's turned after him. I've borne much from you in the past out of respect to the Queen, my Lord of Essex, but I warn you, I'll not bear much more. Well, if you wish to go about dressed as a dandy for a Queen while other men are out fighting for her, then you must expect a few insults. You call that child's play you've been indulging in, fighting? Perhaps you'd like a taste of my sword yourself, Sir Walter. I'll gladly give you a taste of mine any hour that you get a name, my Lord of Essex. Odd's blood, but you're an impudent puppy. Your Majesty is asking for you, Sir Walter. Ah, thank you, Mr. Bacon. We'll continue this discussion later, Essex. You've only to name the time and place, Raleigh. Raleigh, Essex. It's good to see you back at the palace. It's good to be back. Is Her Majesty busy at the moment? I don't know how busy. She asked me to send Raleigh to her. Essex, you have enough on your hands without quarrelling with Raleigh. You quarrelled with the Queen against my judgment, and that's done you no good here at court. You're going to have to make a decision pretty fast, my friend. What's your decision? Either to retain the favor of the Queen or the favor of the people. Your war records will be splendid, and then you've caught the public's heart. That is your danger. The Queen cannot let you eclipse her, even if she loves you. I hope she loves me. Oh, Bacon, if she were my mother's kitchen-hagged toothless and wooden-legged, she'd still make all the other women colorless. I love her. I fear her. I hate her. I adore her. I wish... Indeed. Of whom are you speaking, Lord Essex? Why, of you, my Queen? Step into the throne room, Lord Essex. I should like to speak to you alone. Yes, Your Majesty. Well, you are a long time returning from this last mission. Did you miss me, my Queen? Why, no. We've been very busy here at court. I missed you. Every night there was a moon. I'd look at it and say, I wonder if somewhere half the world away Elizabeth is looking at that moon and thinking of me. Why should I be thinking of you? You left me without one word, farewell. You left in anger. I've not forgotten that quarrel the night you left. No. What was it about? I don't remember. You did miss me. Oh, my dear. My beloved. It's been so long since I've held you in my arms. So long since I've kissed you. Oh, Essex, you are so young. And you are strangely winning and strangely sweet. Yes. I missed you. Yes, I looked at the moon and said blast him, curse him for leaving me alone like this, for counting wars more important than love. And then finally all I said night after night was, God, bring him back to me. We quarrel too much, Essex. Yes, I know. This same thing that draws us together sometimes hurts and blinds us until we strike each at the other. It has gone on a long time. I'm afraid it will end badly. Oh, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, I love you. I will love you until I die and beyond that. I love you beyond all measure, beyond all sense, beyond all reason. My dear. My dear. We must go to the council meeting. They will want to hear your report. I wish the clock had not struck just now. I wish this moment might have gone on a little longer. Before the meeting, let me ask you, has there been any talk of the Irish problem of Tyrone's rebellion? Yes. They must make a decision today. It's deadly serious, Elizabeth. This uprising is spreading north and south. We must get our armies in there and crush it or we'll lose all hold. You will not volunteer to go, will you, my darling? You will stay at my side for a time now, will you? I will. I will. I will. I will. I will. I will. I will. I will. My darling, you will stay at my side for a time now, won't you? I... Yes, I'll stay. But someone must go. We shall send someone else. You and I are growing older. We have only a little time left for life and for love. Yes. We shall send someone else to Ireland. If we have the report from Lord Essex, has the council any further business? Yes, Your Majesty, there is the map by Ireland. What do you recommend, Lord Burley? We must move at once. They've helped now from Spain and this rebellion endangers all England. We must stamp it out and that needs a leader. What leader have you in mind? The best we have. Your Majesty. Yes, Lord Cecil. So Walter Raleigh and I were speaking of the council and he said that he would go to Ireland if you requested it. What have you to say? Yes, Your Majesty. Yes, Your Majesty. But I think there's one hand in you. I think if I... Lord... Lord Essex. In your capacity do you suggest I accompany you so? You, Lord Essex, and Sir Walter, could you command, landing north and south and leading the trash-patter of Goss. Sir Walter should be Lord Protector of Ireland. That trussle is a deliberate insult, isn't it? I speak for the good of the state. Raleigh has more experience. The good of the state? Your Majesty, am I expected to follow this from a clock? A ten-pointer? Now, Lord Essex, whoever makes you angry has already won. Then I will go to Ireland alone since you will not go as you said I would not go. And if I did go, I would go alone as Lord Protector. That you shall not. I have come to Ireland. Your Majesty. Sir and Raleigh are my enemies because I cannot spare anyone to have any power but themselves. And I take it hard to kill in the Queen's Council. I have no trust or friendship. It's hard that you should coerce me before me. Lord Essex. Will you join me in the fight in Ireland? Or will you stay so you stay safest? I will join you in Ireland. Essex. Since they've challenged me, I go to Ireland. I go. Give me what men and horse I need and put me in absolute charge. And if I fail to put down this rebellion then... Then take my sword and break it. I'll never use it. Listen to me. Listen to me. They challenged me, Your Majesty. If you volunteer to go to Ireland, no one can stop you. But since the besiegers have left all the besiegers... My Queen Raleigh and Cecil think that once I'm gone they can ruin me here at home. And I say to them, try it. I'll go to Ireland. And I'll return a greater problem to Cecil's and the Raleigh's than when I win. I am ready to leave for Ireland. My men are waiting at the gates. I wish you were not gone. There is a great weight upon my heart about this trip. I feel as though I were bidding you goodbye last time. No, no, no. You'll see me again. I'll come back with victory. My banner's flying. I'm afraid. Oh, I am afraid. Do not, do not be afraid. Let not your forebodings trouble you. They mean nothing. I remind you of that when I'm back and all is well. I've had my fill of meddling in wars and foreign affairs. Never yet as a warlike expedition brought me back what it cost. I have no faith in wars or what wars win. Ah, you're talking like a woman now, not a ruler. You think you would rule better, don't you, Essex? Yes. And that does not mean that I do not love you. Remember that. But I think you fail at times, Zerula, because you cannot think and act like a man. Why should I act and think like a man? A woman's thinking is wiser, cooler and kinder, Lord Essex. If you want my kingdom, it will be necessary to depose me to take it. Ah, you're a touchy queen, my beloved. Do not be angry if I like you better as a woman than a ruler. Let us not quarrel this time. Essex, hold me closer, Lord. Hold me closer. My heart keeps saying if he wins, that will divide us. And if he loses, that too will divide us. I will win and it will not divide us. Is it so difficult to believe in me? I shall believe in you. I shall even forgive you if you need it. Here. My father gave me this ring and told me if ever he lost his temper with me to bring it to him and he would forgive me. Here. Take it. Oh, beloved. If ever you are angry, rings will not help you. Oh, this one will. I shall think of you as you are now. And if you would take it. I want no pledge from you, but I will take it and wear it so, so that you will be with me all the time that I'm away from you. Take it for a better reason. Take it lest you and I should wake some morning strangers and enemies in an alien world. Take my ring, my beloved. You are afraid you will not love me always? No. I am afraid that you will not love me and will not let me love you. Godspeed, my darling. Come safely home. Write to me. And miss me in Ireland. I will write to you. And I will miss you. Goodbye, my queen. In just a moment, act two of Elizabeth the Queen from the stage of Vicks' Madonnais Theatre. The more mothers you talk with nowadays about children's coals, the more this one significant fact stands out. The modern way most mothers use to relieve distress of children's coals is to rub Vicks' vapor rub on throat, chest and back. Now, let me tell you the reasons for this outstanding choice. The moment you rub it on, vapor rub's relief giving action starts right into work to help relieve congestion and irritation in the upper breathing passages, the coughing spasms, sore throat, and that muscular soreness or tightness. And results are so fine because vapor rub penetrates, penetrates into the cold congested upper bronchial tubes with its special soothing medicinal vapors, and at the same time it stimulates, stimulates chest and back surfaces like a comforting warming portus. And this penetrating, stimulating action of vapor rub keeps on working for hours to bring such welcome relief. So, mother, take the advice of millions of other modern mothers, try vapor rub, and bear in mind that only vapor rub gives you this special penetrating, stimulating action. Yes, it's the best-known home remedy for relieving miseries of children's calls. Vicks, vapor rub. Now, the second act of Elizabeth the Queen, starring Victor Jory as Lord Essex with Judith Evelyn as Queen Elizabeth. Lord Essex left for Ireland. In the days went by, the weeks and finally the months. Elizabeth wrote letter after letter, but Cecil and Raleigh sought to it that the letters never reached Essex, and they also saw that none of his letters reached the Queen. And so an estrangement grew between Essex and Elizabeth. Deep, bitter, dangerous. Bacon. Your Majesty. See that this communication reaches Lord Essex as soon as possible. You may read it. My Lord Essex is hereby ordered to disperse his men, return to England straight away, and immediately give himself up. Your Majesty, isn't that a bit harsh? When I have been informed that Lord Essex has joined with Tyrone against me and that he will come here with his armies to capture London? Did this information come from Cecil and Raleigh? It is immaterial where I learned it. If things were not wrong between us, an answer to my letters would have been forthcoming. Send the dispatch, Mr Bacon. Yes, Your Majesty. Listen to this marvel. My Lord Essex is required to disperse his men and return to London straight away, and immediately give himself up. Oh, no, Essex. I cannot believe her majesty would send such an order. I can. In all these months I've had no word from her, and then this. Well, if she thinks that I will take this kind of treatment, she's insane. By the people's own choice, I'm more the ruler of England than she is. I will not disperse the men. Half the news at once. We'll break camp and start for London immediately. I've come with my army, Elizabeth. Yes, Lord Essex. What news do you bring me from Ireland? I am told you have joined the rebels. That's a lie. You held parlies with Tyrone? Of course I held parlies with Tyrone. They were part of my plans. Your plans? Why did you not write me off your plans? Am I supposed to know what happens on the other side of the Irish sea without being told? I wrote you. I wrote you fully, but you never answered. You wrote me. Yes, over and over and over. And you had no letters from me? Not one. Then your letters were kept from me. Before heaven there shall be some neck stretched around here. I wrote you many times. Oh, Essex, you should never have gone away. My dear, my dear, I've missed you. I've missed you so desperately. That's funny. How one person's arms can bring a woman peace and happiness. When your arms are about me, I feel safe and happy and content. And when you're gone, I feel lost, homeless and friendless. Oh, Essex, it's a tragic thing to love so terribly. I thought, because I was older, that you'd met someone young in Ireland, someone young and lovely. Elizabeth, listen to me. No young girl could please me after you. You've spoiled me for you. No young girl could have your warmth and your tenderness, your wit and grace. You are the woman that every man seeks and hopes to find, and you are mine. You shall stand behind my chair, and together we shall build an England to make the old world wonder, and the new world... What is it? What's wrong? Why do you look like that? Elizabeth, I have brought my army. Yes. You have brought your army. If you were only angry, it would be easier to say this. Elizabeth, the throne is yours by right of dissent and possession, but if there were a people's choice, I should carry the country for me. And since this is true and since we are equal in love, should we not be equal in power as well? We are equal. I have made you equal. Yes, but it's still all yours to grant or take away. What other way could it be? I think I'm as worthy to be king as you are to queen. Oh, Essex, that takes your so young in policy. If I were to grant you anything like that now, everyone would say that you had forced an army by your revolution. No one in the kingdom would have any confidence in the power. Then now, when the country is mine, the court in my hands, and you are my prisoner, what will you have me do, disband my army and give back your kingdom? Give it back to you? Did you say I am your prisoner? The palace and city are in my hands. England is mine now for the taking. Oh, Essex, you are a child in war as you are in council. No army opposed you. No guard was set to stop your entrance with your men. Well, at least I know now what it was you wanted. My kingdom. Not entirely. I work with power and I think I'm fit to have power. But I want you to. Oh, Elizabeth, give me the word I ask. Let me sit beside you on the throne. And my soldiers shall leave and you shall be free. That I shall believe when it is done. And I will believe you when you promise. All right. You have my promise. You shall share the realm with me. My beloved. My beloved. Marble! Marble! Yes, well, I'll carry out the orders of release. I'll dismiss my guard and return the palace into the queen's hands. Release all prisoners and let the queen's guard resume their stations. Yes, well, Elizabeth. The palace will be returned as quickly as it was taken. This is our last quarrel. Yes, our last. Tell me if I clapped my hands now, would my guard come or yours? Yours. You won't mind if I call them? Why, no. Well, I do have a guard once more. Is the palace in our hands again, Captain? Yes, your Majesty, your Lord Essex men are marching from the palace. I have ruled England a long time, Lord Essex, and I have found that he who would rule must be quite friendless without mercy and without love. Captain, arrest Lord Essex. Take him to the tar and keep him safe. Is this a jest? I never jest when I play for Kingen's, Lord Essex. I trusted you. I trusted you and I learned from you that no one can be trusted. Arrest Lord Essex! Arrest him! In England, Lord, we execute traitors! Another half hour gone. He dives within the hour, your Majesty. The priest is with him. I know, I know. I thought surely he would send me word by now. Go, Mr Bacon. Take Lord Essex from his cell and bring him here. I dare not wait longer. You sent for me? Yes. It would have been kinder to leave me with my thoughts until the axe came down and ended them. You must have known I never meant that you should die. Why not? I am guilty of treason and treason is punishable by death. God knows I am proud and bitter too with much cause. But I have sent for you. I have taken the first step. Do not make me take the next. The next is to the scaffold. Will you make me tell you first how much I've longed for you? It's hard for me. My dear, you can tell me with much more grace. For you have nothing to gain or lose, but I have a life to gain and it doesn't seem quite fitting to speak to you as a lover. You might think I was doing it to save my head. This is an hour for truth. It's true that you never loved me, isn't it? You were ambitious and I loved you. And it was the nearest way to power and you took the nearest way. That's true, is it not? If you want me to tell you what you well know, how much I have loved you and longed for you. Very well, I will say it. That is a small victory to win over me now, but take it with the rest. You did love me. Oh, yes. And love me still. I think you know that. To kept my ring. You never sent my ring. I've been waiting for it. You may have it back if you have used for it. I had thought to wear it to the grave, but take it. I would have forgiven all that had passed at any hour, day or night. I would now. You would pardon me, set me free, give back my estates, love me as before. Yes. And what would happen to your throne? My throne? No, yes, for I would take it from you. A game? You could play that game again. The games one plays are not always the games one chooses. I'm still popular and there are mutterings over my imprisonment as it is. And if you set me free and confess your weakness by overlooking the treason, the storm that broke last time would be nothing to the storm that would break over you then. As for myself, I played for power and lost. But if I had another chance, I think I would play and win. Why do you say this? I say it because it's true. I have loved you, love you now, but I know myself. I have a weakness for being first wherever I am. I refuse to take pardon from you without warning you of this. And knowing that, pardon becomes impossible. You are doing this for me? Well, yes, but not altogether. Partly for England too. I have lost conceit of myself a little. Life in prison is very quiet and it leads to thinking. You govern England better than I should. I would lead her into wars, make a great name, but leave a legacy of debts and bloodshed after me. You will leave peace and happiness. Perhaps a woman governs better than a man. And now, if you'll pardon me, I have an appointment with the headsman. I must not keep him waiting. The time cannot go this way. No, but it has. There's no way out. Oh, my dear. My dear, if we had met some other time, we might have been happy, but there's been a time between us. I am to die. Let us begin with that for them. Then I can tell you, if there had been no empire, we could have been great lovers. If even now, you were not queen and I were not pretender, that God who searches heaven and earth and hell for two who are perfect lovers could end his search with you and me. Remember, I'm to die, and so I can tell you truly. I can tell you that out of all the earth that I am to leave, there's nothing I am very low to leave. Save you. Give me the ring. Give me the ring. I'd rather you killed me than I killed you. It is better for me as it is. I've thought of it all. And it's better to die young than to live long and rule and not rule well. I should know that. Goodbye then. Oh, no. No. I know now how it will be without you. The sun will be cold and circle around an empty earth and I shall be queen of emptiness and death. Why couldn't you have loved me enough to give me your love and let me keep as I was? I know not. I only know I could not. The time has come, my queen. I must go. Take my kingdom. Take it. It is yours. Goodbye, my dear, my sweet, my love, and God be with you until... Important message from Victor Jory. You know, my friends, there are millions upon millions of mothers who have learned by experience to put their faith and confidence in Vic's vapor rub. Their trust is our most precious possession and we would never violate it. We would never violate it by using any substitute for any one of the seven active ingredients that make vapor rub so effective. But to keep the faith and confidence of these millions of mothers has been no easy task. We have had to scour the world for the essential aromatics and medications that go into the making of vapor rub and we are happy to tell you that there are no wartime substitutes in the vapor rub you buy. It is exactly the same vapor rub that has become the best known home remedy for relieving miseries of children's polls. And it doesn't cost you a penny more than it did before the war. It is the same time-tested, home-proved Vic's vapor rub. This is Victor Jory. Next week our offering will be an original play entitled A Stable in Bethlehem, USA. I consider it a privilege to appear in this most unusual Christmas play and speaking of Christmas, please imagine for a moment that you are a man or a woman in uniform. In your pocket is a furlough pass to spend Christmas at home. You have to train a bus. You have waited for all those months and you can't get on. Because there isn't room. You can't get home for Christmas. Well, that's what's going to happen to many service men and service women unless the rest of us stay off the trains and buses, folks. Folks, don't travel. Don't travel these days unless your trip will help win the war. Today's story was adapted by Gene Holloway and directed by Richard Sandville. Music for this series is under the direction of Mark Warner. Be sure to be with us again next week when Vic's vapor rub, Vic's patronol, Vic's cough drops and Vic's inhaler bring you the matinee theatre production of A Stable in Bethlehem, USA. Starring Victor Jory. This is CBS. The Columbia Broadcasting System.