Receiving  permission  from  their  leaders
to  plunder  the  hospital,  they  spread  them-
selves in  all  directions  ;  rushing  into  the
great  hall,  into  the  church,  the  chapel,  the
Prior's  apartments,  the  refectories,  the  dor-
mitories, everywhere ;  seizing  everything
they  could  lay  hands  upon  with  an  assiduity
perfectly  surprising.
THE    S.WOY.  109


They  seized  all  the  pUite,  jewels,  and  or-
naments that  they  could  find  in  the  church
and  the  chapel ;  the  great  gilt  candlesticks,

the  gilt  crosses,  the  gilt  pix,  the  chalices,
censers,  cruets,  and  crysmatories.
Entering  the  vestry,  they  purloined  all
the  vestments  they  could  discover  in  the
ambreys  and  chests  ;  copes  of  red  silk,  full
of  imagery ;  suits  of  white  damask  and
baudkin  ;  copes  Avith  birds  of  gold ;  copes
with  fjold  lions  and  silver  unicorns  :  chasu-
bles  of  blue ;  red  palls  for  sepulture ;  albs
with  apparel ;  vestments  of  white  damask
with  crosses  ;  altar  fronts  of  blue  velvet,
embroidered  with  archangels;  great  silver
candlesticks,  and  silver  lamps.
Such  was  some  of  the  treasure  ajDpro-
priated  by  the  rebels.
How  much  else  the  sacrilegious  villains
carried  off  before  the  magnificent  pile  was
set  on  fire  cannot  be  stated.     It  is  sad  to


J  10  MEERY    ENGLAND.
reflect  upon  the  destruction  they  •  accom-
plished.
While  this  work  of  plunder  was  going  on,
such  of  the  household  as  were  able  to  escape
took  refuge  in  the  Nunnery,  where  shelter
was  given  them  by  the  abbess.
When  every  article  of  value  had  been
carried  off,  the  Hospital  was  fired  in  several
places ;  but  at  first  the  flames  made  slow
progress,  as  if  unwilling  to  destroy  so  fair
an  edifice.
At  night,  the  burning  pile  formed  a  grand
and  mournful  spectacle.
