ht, painted and gilt, which rose up as high almost as
the roof of the church in a row of three lofty spires, with other lesser
spires, growing out of each of them, as it is represented in the annexed
draught.[15] This had now no Imagery-work upon it, or anything else that
might justly give offence, and yet because it bore the name of the High
Altar, was pulled all down with ropes, lay'd low and level with the
ground." All the tombs were mutilated or hacked down. The hearse over
the tomb of Queen Katherine was demolished, as well as the arms and
escutcheons which still remained above the spot where Mary Queen of
Scots had been buried. All the other chief monuments were defaced in
like manner. One in particular is worth mentioning. It was a monument in
the new building erected to himself by Sir Humfrey Orme in his lifetime.
Two words on the inscription, "Altar" and "Sacrifice," are said to have
excited the fury of the rabble, and it was broken down with axes,
pole-axes, and hammers. So this good old knight "outlived his own
monument, and lived to see himself carried in effigie on a Souldiers
back, to the publick market-place, there to be sported withall, a Crew
of Souldiers going before in procession, some with surplices, some with
organ pipes, to make up the solemnity." This monument, as it was left
after this profanity, is still to be seen exactly as it remained when
the soldiers had done their work. The brasses in the floor, the bells in
the steeple, were regarded as lawful plunder. The same would not be said
of the stained glass, of which there was a great quantity. This was
especially the case with the windows in the cloisters, which were "most
famed of all, for their great art and pleasing variety." All the glass
was broken to pieces. Much that escaped the violence of these
irresponsible zealots fell before the more regular proceedings of
commissioners. By their orders many of the buildings belonging to the
cathedral were pulled down and the materials sold. This was the case
with the cloisters, the chapter-house, the Bishop's hall and chapel. The
merchant that bought the lead from the palace roofs did not make a very
prosperous bargain, for he lost it all (as Dean Patrick says, within his
own knowledge) and the ship which carried it, on the voyage to Holland.

[Illustration: Iron Railings, 1721.]

For some time nothing was done to repair the damage. At length the Chief
Justice of the Common Pleas, Oliver St. John, o