Page:Works of Thomas Carlyle - Volume 06.djvu/269

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1645]
LETTER XXXIII. BASING HOUSE
235

‘A bed in one room, furnished, which cost 1,300l. Popish books many, with copes, and such utensils. In truth, the House stood in its full pride; and the Enemy was persuaded that it would be the last piece of ground that would be taken by the Parliament, because they had so often foiled our forces which had formerly appeared before it. In the several rooms and about the House, there were slain seventy-four, and only one woman, the daughter of Dr. Griffith, who by her railing,’ poor lady, ‘provoked our soldiers (then in heat) into a farther passion. There lay dead upon the ground Major Cuffle;—a man of great account amongst them, and a notorious Papist: slain by the hands of Major Harrison, that godly and gallant gentleman,’—all men know him; ‘and Robinson the Player, who, a little before the storm, was known to be mocking and scorning the Parliament and our Army. Eight or nine gentlewomen of rank, running forth together, were entertained by the common soldiers somewhat coarsely;—yet not uncivilly, considering the action in hand.

‘The plunder of the soldiers continued till Tuesday night one soldier had a Hundred-and-Twenty Pieces in Gold for his share; others plate, others jewels;—among the rest, one got three bags of silver, which (he being not able to keep his own counsel) grew to be common pillage amongst the rest, and the fellow had but one half-crown left for himself at last.—The soldiers sold the wheat to country-people; which they held up at good rates a while; but afterwards the market fell, and there were some abatements for haste. After that, they sold the household stuff; whereof there was good store, and the country loaded away many carts; and they continued a great while, fetching out all manner of household stuff, till they had fetched out all the stools, chairs, and other lumber, all which they sold to the country-people by piecemeal.

‘In all these great buildings, there was not one iron bar left in all the windows (save only what were on fire), before night. And the last work of all was the lead; and by Thursday morning, they had hardly left one gutter about the