Fairfax: Between Mill Hill, and Sulby Hall, there.  Broad Moor—­yes.  You measure their numbers at ten thousand, Staines?

Staines: Not more than ten, nor less than eight.

Fairfax: Four thousand or so of them horse?

Staines: It is thought so.

Fairfax: Yes, yes.  We are eleven thousand, eh, Pemberton?

Pemberton: Eleven thousand and perhaps three hundred.

Fairfax: Naseby will be three quarters—­no, half a mile behind us.

Ireton: The right of the field is boggy, and pitted by rabbits.  The action is like to move to the left.

Fairfax: Yes.  There’s a high hedge above there below Sulby.  It would be useful to us then.

Staines: It has been marked, and dug almost to the waterside.

Fairfax: Good.  Skippon and myself with the infantry there and there.  Then the cavalry—­you have one wing, Ireton, or you must command all, since General Cromwell is not come.

Pemberton: Is there any word of him?

Fairfax: None.

Staines: They do not consider us at Westminster.

Ireton: It is disastrous of them to hesitate so.  They do not understand.

Fairfax: No.  I have told them that to-day is to be made the fiercest trial of all, but they do not listen.

Pemberton: Where is General Cromwell?

Fairfax: None knows.  These months he has been up and down the land, exhorting, stirring up opinion, watching the discipline of our new armies, lending his personal authority in bringing men’s minds to the cause.  But to-day we need him here.  He should have been sent.  We need him.

Ireton: Urgently.  Charles and Rupert are staking all on this.

Staines: They were never in better tune.  It is as though every man were picked.

Fairfax: I said this to Westminster.

Ireton: We carry too many callow soldiers against them.  Example will be everything.  General Cromwell and his chosen troops have that, and experience; none like them.

Pemberton: Does the General himself know of our necessity, do you think, sir?

Fairfax: There is no tracing him.  He almost certainly does not know, or he would have insisted.  There are rumours of him from the eastern counties, of some activities with his men, but no more.

Ireton: And the hope of England here in grave peril.  Westminster is disgraceful.

Staines: Your appeal was plain, sir—­weighty enough?

Fairfax (taking a paper from the table):  You may hear for yourself.  (Reading the end of a letter copy.) “The general esteem and affection which he hath with the officers and soldiers of this whole army, his own personal worth and ability for employment, his great care, diligence, courage, and faithfulness in the services you have already employed him in, with the constant presence and blessing of God that have accompanied him, make us look upon it as the duty we owe to you and the public, to make it our suit.”