de. But upon request made to Colonel Hubbert, the books, bason, and
all else, save the candlesticks, were restored again.

"Not long after, on the 13th day of July, 1643, Captain Barton and
Captain Hope, two martial ministers of Nottingham or Darbyshire, coming
to Peterburgh, break open the vestry, and take away a fair crimson
satten table cloth, and several other things, that had escaped the
former souldiers hands.

"Now behind the communion table there stood a curious piece of
stone-work, admired much by strangers and travellers: a stately skreen
it was, well wrought, 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. This now had no imagery work
upon it, or any thing else that might justly give offence, and yet
because it bore the name of the high altar,[20] was pulled all down with
ropes, lay'd low and level with the ground.

"Over this place, in the roof of the church, in a large oval yet to be
seen, was the picture of Our Saviour seated on a throne; one hand
erect, and holding a globe in the other, attended with the four
evangelists, and saints on each side, with crowns in their hands,
intended, I suppose, for a representation of Our Saviour's coming to
judgment. Some of the company espying this, cry out and say, 'Lo, this
is the God these people bow and cringe unto; this is the idol they
worship and adore.' Hereupon several souldiers charged their muskets,
(amongst whom one Daniel Wood, of Captain Roper's company was the
chief) and discharge them at it: and by the many shots they made, at
length do quite deface and spoil [the] picture.

"The odiousness of this act gave occasion (I suppose) to a common fame,
very rife at that time, and whence _Mercurius Rusticus_ might have his
relation, viz.:--that divine vengeance had signally seized on some of
the principal actors; that one was struck blind upon the place; by a
rebound of his bullet; that another dyed mad a little after, neither of
which I can certainly attest. For, though I have made it my business to
enquire of this, I could never find any other judgment befal them then,
but that of a mad blind zeal, wherewith these persons were certainly
possest.

"Then they rob and rifle the tombs, and violate the monuments of the
dead. And where should they first begin, but with those of the two
queens, who had been there interr'd: the one on the north side, th