"Father, I have proved my loyalty with my children and my blood; but among my own people and at my own hearth, I may say that I would I had better reason for my loyalty. I am true to my king, but above all else, I love my country. I love her beyond all words, though I am grateful to one great Englishman for finding me words that I have dipped in my heart’s blood; words that I uttered on the battle-field joyfully, when I thought they were my last words— "’——this blessed spot, this earth, this realm, this England, This land of such dear souls, this dear, dear land!’" "If to this degree you love England, father, how would you like to see this beggarly Cromwell upon her throne? How would you teach your head to bow to this upstart majesty?" "Matilda, to the devil we may give his due, and there is naught of ’beggary’ in Cromwell or in his family. They have entertained kings, and sat with nobles as equals, and as for the man himself, he is a gentleman by birth and breeding. I say it, for I have known him his life long, and if you add every crime to his name, I will still maintain that he has sinned with a clear conscience. He stood by Charles Stuart, and strove to save him until he found that Charles Stuart stood by no man, and could be trusted by no man." "My lord, you are very just to the man Cromwell. Some would not thank you for it." "If we cannot be just, father, we may doubt the fairness of our cause, perhaps also of our motives. ’Tis impossible to consider this man’s life since he walked to the front of the Parliamentary army and not wonder at it." "He is but the man of the hour, events have made him." "Not so! His success is in him, ’tis the breed of his own heart and brain. Well, then, this Scotch campaign is the now or never of our effort. If it fail, we may have a Cromwell dynasty." "’Tis an impossible event. The man has slain the king of England and throttled the Church of Christ. Even this holy Book in my hand has his condemnation—these gracious prayers and collects, whose music is ready made for every joy and sorrow—this noble Creed which we ought to sing upon our knees, for nothing made of English words was ever put together like it—yet you know how Cromwell’s Root and Branch men have slandered it." "Alas, father! one kind of Christian generally slanders all other kinds. The worshipers of the heathen gods were at least tolerant. A pagan gentleman who had faith in his own image of Bona Dea could still be friendly to an acquaintance who believed in Jupiter. But we are not even civil to our neighbours unless they think about our God just as we do."