_Ireton:_ It means so much, you see, sir. Intrigues with Scotland--there are none, we are assured, but if there were it would almost inevitably bring civil war again. The mere shadow of that in men's minds is enough, indeed, to overthrow them. No man can consider the possibility of that without desolation. _Charles:_ No. That is unquestionable. _Cromwell:_ And so I was minded to come, and be sure by word of mouth, so to speak. Your Majesty knows how suspicions creep in absence, even of those whom we trust. And I have shown, sir, that I trust you. _Charles:_ We are not insensitive. _Ireton:_ It is of that trust, truly worn, sir, that we may all yet look for a happy settlement. _Charles:_ It is my hope, devoutly. _Cromwell:_ Parliament bends a little to my persuasion. If I could but induce Your Majesty to treat no longer directly with them, but to leave all to me. _Charles:_ It is our Parliament still. We cannot slight them. _Cromwell:_ But, sir, you confuse things daily. If the army were no longer intact, it would be another matter. But now it is the army that must be satisfied--in the end there is the real authority. Remember, sir, that these men are not merely soldiers. They are the heart and the conscience of the nation in arms. By their arms thay have prevailed, how bloodily Your Majesty knows. They stand now to see that the settlement is not against that conscience that armed them. _Charles:_ But we must consider ourselves. It would be folly to anger the House. _Cromwell:_ The House can do nothing without us. And I have considered you, sir. I have persuaded the army that the monarchy is the aptest form of government for this country. It was difficult, but my belief has prevailed. I have even won respect for Your Majesty's person. Do but give us our guarantees, and you will mount a securer throne, I think, than any king has yet held in England. _Charles:_ But Parliament-- _Ireton:_ No, sir. Parliament's demands are not our demands. To give them what they ask will be to lose all opinion in the army. That would be fatal. _Cromwell:_ Parliament and the army are at one in asking for constitutional safeguards. All are agreed on that. But after that we are in dispute, irreconcileably. They want a Presbyterian despotism. This land, sir, has had enough of despotism, and we will not exchange one despotism for another. We, the army, demand liberty of opinion. We respect law, we stand, above all, for order and right behaviour, for an observance of the rights of others. But we demand that a man's thought shall be his own, that his faith shall be directed by none. We stand for Bible freedom. And we, sir, are strong enough to make Parliament accept that, but Parliament can never make us accept the tyranny of the Presbyters. We are the new Independents, sir, the Independents of the spirit. We are determined that henceforth in England no man shall suffer for his faith. _Charles:_ I respect these ambitions.