er, through the blessing of Providence, in such a manner that a
quagmire intervened between his right wing and the rest of his army, on
which Cromwell fell upon that wing in the early dawn, and dashed it
to pieces, with such effect that the whole army fled, and we had the
execution of them to the very gates of Leith. Seven thousand Scots lost
their lives, but not more than a hundred or so of the honest folk.
Now, your Majesty will see through your glass that a mile of bogland
intervenes between these villages, and that the nearest one, Chedzoy, as
I think they call it, might be approached without ourselves entering the
morass. Very sure I am that were the Lord-General with us now he would
counsel us to venture some such attack.'

'It is a bold thing with raw peasants to attack old soldiers,' quoth Sir
Stephen Timewell. 'Yet if it is to be done, I know well that there is
not a man born within sound of the bells of St. Mary Magdalene who will
flinch from it.'

'You say well, Sir Stephen,' said Monmouth. 'At Dunbar Cromwell had
veterans at his back, and was opposed to troops who had small experience
of war.'

'Yet there is much good sense in what Major Hollis has said,' remarked
Lord Grey. 'We must either fall on, or be gradually girt round and
starved out. That being so, why not take advantage at once of the chance
which Feversham's ignorance or carelessness hath given us? To-morrow, if
Churchill can prevail over his chief, I have little doubt that we
shall find their camp rearranged, and so have cause to regret our lost
opportunity.'

'Their horse lie at Westonzoyland,' said Wade. 'The sun is so fierce now
that we can scarce see for its glare and the haze which rises up from
the marshes. Yet a little while ago I could make out through my glasses
the long lines of horses picketed on the moor beyond the village.
Behind, in Middlezoy, are two thousand militia, while in Chedzoy, where
our attack would fall, there are five regiments of regular foot.'

'If we could break those all would be well,' cried Monmouth. 'What is
your advice, Colonel Buyse?'

'My advice is ever the same,' the German answered. 'We are here to
fight, and the sooner we get to work at it the better.'

'And yours, Colonel Saxon? Do you agree with the opinion of your
friend?'

'I think with Major Hollis, your Majesty, that Feversham by his
dispositions hath laid himself open to attack, and that we should take
advantage of it forthwith. Yet, conside