The history of the Church of Peterburgh wherein the most remarkable things concerning that place, from the first foundation thereof, with other passages of history not unworthy publick view, are represented / by Symon Gunton ... ; illustrated with sculptures ; and set forth by Symon Patrick ...

A Short and True NARRATIVE of the Rifling and Defacing the Cathedral Church of PETERBURGH in the Year 1643.

THE Cathedral Church of Peterburgh was very famous formerly for three remarkable things; a stately Front, a curious Altar-Piece, and a beautiful Cloister. The first of the three doth still remain, a very goodly Structure, supported with three such tall Arches, as England can scarce show the like. The two last are since destroy'd by Sacrilegious hands, and have no∣thing now remaining, but only the bare memory of them. In this place, I think I may say, began that strange kind of de∣formed Reformation, which afterward passed over most places of the Land, by robbing, rifling and defacing Churches. This being one of the first which suffered in that kind. Of which you may take this following account, from an eye witness, and which, I suppose, is still fresh in the memory of many surviving Persons.

In the year 1643, about the midst of April, there came several Forces to Peterburgh, raised by the Parliament in the Associated Counties, in order to besiege Croyland, a small Town some seven miles distant, which had a little before declared for the King, and then was held a Garrison for Him.

The first that came was a Foot-Regiment under one Colonel Hubbart's command: upon whose arrival, some persons of the Town, fearing what happen'd afterward, desire the Chief Commander to take care the Soul∣diers did no injury to the Church: This he promises to do, and gave or∣der to have the Church doors all lockt up. Some two days after comes a Regiment of Horse under Colonel Cromwel, a name as fatal to Ministers, as it had been to Monasteries before. The next day after their arrival, early in the morning, these break open the Church doors, pull down the Organs, of which there were two Pair. The greater Pair that stood up∣on a high loft, over the entrance into the Quire, was thence thrown down upon the ground, and there stamped and trampled on, and broke in pieces, with such a strange furious and frantick zeal, as can't be well con∣ceived, but by those that saw it.

Then the Souldiers enter the Quire, and there their first business was, to tear in pieces all the Common-Prayer Books that could be found. The great Bible indeed, that lay upon a Brass Eagle for reading the

Lessons, had the good hap to escape with the loss only of the Apo∣crypha.

Next they break down all the Seats, Stalls and Wainscot that was be∣hind them, being adorn'd with several Historical passages out of the Old and New Testament, a Latin Distich being in each Seat to declare the Story. Whilst they are thus employed, they chance to find a Great Parch∣ment Book behind the Cieling with some 20 pieces of Gold, laid there by a person a little before, as in a place of safety, in those unsafe and dangerous times. This encourages the Souldiers in their work, and makes them the more eager in breaking down all the rest of the Wainscot, in hopes of finding such another prize.

The Book that was deposited there, was called Swapham, the Lieger Book of the Church, and was redeemed afterward of a Souldier that got it, by a person belonging to the Minster, for ten Shillings, under the notion of an old Latin Bible.

There was also a great Brass Candlestick hanging in the middle of the Quire, containing about a Dozen and half of Lights, with another Bow Candlestick about the Brass Eagle: These both were broke in pieces, and most of the Brass carried away and sold.

A well disposed person standing by, and seeing the Souldiers make such spoil and havock, speaks to one that appeared like an Officer, desiring him to restrain the Souldiers from such enormities. But all the answer he obtained, was only a scoffing reply, to this purpose, See how these poor People are concern'd to see their Idols pulled down.

So the Inhabitants of Peterburgh at that time, were accounted by these Reformers, both a malignant and superstitious kind of People.

When they had thus defaced and spoiled the Quire, They march up next to the East end of the Church, and there break and cut in pieces, and after∣ward burn the Rails that were about the Communion Table. The Ta∣ble it self was thrown down, the Table-Cloth taken away with two fair Books in Velvet Covers, the one a Bible, the other a Common-Prayer Book, with a Silver Bason gilt, and a Pair of Silver Candlesticks beside. 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 Cap∣tain Hope two Martial Ministers of Nottingham or Darbyshire, coming to Peterburgh, break open the Vestery and take away a Fair Crimson Satten Table Cloth and several other things, that had escaped the former Soul∣diers 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 les∣ser Spires, growing out of each of them, as it is represented in the annex∣ed draught. 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, 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 erected, and holding a Globe in the other: attended with the four Evangelists and Saints on each side, with Crowns in their hands; intended, I sup∣pose, for a Representation of our Saviours 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 charge their Muskets, (amongst whom one Daniel Wood of Captain Ropers Company was the chief) and discharge them at it: and by the many shots they made, at length do quite deface and spoil 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 seised on some of the principal Actors, That one was struck blind upon the place by a Re-bound 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.

And now I am engaged in telling the story of their impiety and profane∣ness at Peterburgh, 'twill be no great excursion to step out to Yaxley a neigh∣bouring Town, and mention one thing done there. Which was This: on the 10th of June 1643. some of Captain Beaumont's Souldiers coming thither, They break open the Church doors, piss in the Font, and then baptize a Horse and a Mare, using the solemn words of Baptism, and signing them with the sign of the Cross.

But to return to our reforming Rabble at Peterburgh, when there was no more painted or carved work to demolish, 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, the other on the South side of the Church, both near unto the Altar. First, then they demolish Queen Katherin's Tomb, Hen. the Eighth his repudiated Wife: They break down the Rails that enclosed the place, and take away the black Velvet Pall which covered the Herse: overthrow the Herse it self, displace the Gravestone that lay over her Body, and have left nothing now remaining of that Tomb, but only a Monument of their own shame and villany. The like they had certainly done to the Queen of Scots, but that her Herse and Pall were removed with her Body to Westminster by King James the first, when He came to the Crown. But what did remain, they served in like manner, that is, her Royal Arms and Escutcheons which hung upon a Pil∣lar near the place where she had been interr'd, were most rudely pulled down, defaced and torn.

In the North Isle of the Church, there was a stately Tomb in memory of Bishop Dove, who had been 30 years Bishop of the place. He lay there in Portraicture in his Episcopal Robes, on a large Bed under a fair Table of black Marble, with a Library of Books about him. These men that were such Enemies to the name and Office of a Bishop, and much more to his Person, hack and hew the poor Innocent Statue in pieces, and soon destroy'd all the Tomb. So that in a short space, all that fair and curious Monument was buried in its own rubbish and Ruines.

The like they do to two other Monuments standing in that Isle; the one the Tomb of Mr. Worm, the other of Dr. Angier, who had been Preben∣dary of that Church.

In a Place then called the new Building, and since converted to a Library, there was a fair Monument, which Sir Humphrey Orm (to save his Heir that charge and trouble) thought fit to erect in his own life time, where he and his Lady, his Son and Wife and all their children were lively re∣presented in Statues, under which were certain English verses written, mention'd before in this Book.

Mistake not Reader I thee crave, This is an Altar not a Grave, Where fire raked up in Ashes lyes, And hearts are made the Sacrifice, &c.

Which two words Altar and Sacrifice, 'tis said, did so provoke and kindle the Zealots indignation, that they resolve to make the Tomb it self a Sacrifice: and with Axes, Poleaxes and Hammers destroy and break down all that curious Monument, save only two Pilasters still remaining, which shew and testifie the elegancy of the rest of the Work. Thus it hapned, that the good old Knight who was a constant frequenter of Gods publick Service, three times a day, outlived his own Monument, and lived to see himself carried in Effigie on a Souldiers back, to the publick Mar∣ket-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.

When they had thus demolished the chief Monuments, at length the very Gravestones and Marbles on the Floor did not escape their Sacrile∣gious hands. For where there was any thing on them of Sculptures or Inscriptions in Brass, These they force and tear off. So that whereas there were many fair pieces of this kind before, as that of Abbot William of Ramsey, whose large Marble Gravestone was plated over with Brass, and several others the like, there is not any such now, in all the Church, to be seen; though most of the Inscriptions that were upon them, are preser∣ved in this Book.

One thing indeed I must needs clear the Souldiers of, which Mercurius Rusticus upon misinformation charges them with, viz. That they took away the Bell-Clappers and sold them, with the Brass they plucked off from the Tombs. The mistake was this: The neighbourhood being con∣tinually disturbed with the Souldiers jangling and ringing the Bells au∣ker, as though there had been a scare-fire, (though there was no other, but what they themselves had made) some of the Inhabitants by night took away the Clappers, and hid them in the Roof of the Church, on purpose only to free their ears from that confused noise; which gave occasion to such as did not know it, to think the Souldiers had stolen them away.

Having thus done their work on the Floor below, they are now at leisure to look up to the Windows above, which would have entertained any persons else, with great delight and satisfaction, but only such Zea∣lots as these, whose eyes were so dazled, that they thought they saw Popery in every Picture and piece of painted Glass.

Now the Windows of this Church were very fair, and had much cu∣riosity of workmanship in them, being adorned and beautified with seve∣ral Historical passages out of Scripture and Ecclesiastical story; such were those in the Body of the Church in the Isles, in the new Building and elsewhere.

But the Cloister Windows were most famed of all, for their great Art and pleasing variety. One side of the Quadrangle containing the History of the Old Testament; another, that of the New; a Third the Founding and Founders of the Church; a Fourth, all the Kings of England down∣ward from the first Saxon King. All which notwithstanding were most shamefully broken and destroyed.

And amongst other things thus demolisht in the Windows, there was one thing Fame had made very remarkable, and that was the story of the Paschal Pickeril. The thing was this; Our Saviour was represented in two places, in the Cloyster and in the great Western Window, sitting at his last Supper with his twelve Apostles; In one place there was a single Fish, in the other three Fishes in a Dish, set before him. This occasion'd that discourse and common Talk, I remember, I have often heard, of the Paschal Pickeril at Peterburgh.

Now what should be the meaning of this conceit, is left to every one to conjecture. The Account that I have had from some was this, That it was the device of some devout and ignorant Artist, from a Notion he had of the time this last Supper must needs be in, that is of Lent, and that our Saviour himself was a strict observer of Lent, and eat no Flesh all that season: and therefore He took liberty, to substitute a Fish instead of the Paschal Lamb.

Whatever it was, the matter of Fact was certain: and that particular piece of Glass wherein the Three Fishes are portray'd happend to be pre∣served in the great Devastation, and was committed to my trust by the Author of the foregoing History, from whom I had this Relation, and is yet to be seen.

But to proceed; notwithstanding all the Art and curiosity of workman∣ship these Windows did afford, yet nothing of all this could oblige the Reforming Rabble, but they deface and break them all in pieces, in the Church and in the Cloyster, and left nothing undemolisht, where either any Picture or Painted Glass did appear; excepting only part of the great West window in the Body of the Church, which still remains entire, being too high for them, and out of their reach. Yea to encourage them the more in this Trade of breaking and battering Windows down, Crom∣well himself (as 'twas reported) espying a little Crucifix in a Window aloft, which none perhaps before had scarce observed, gets a Ladder, and breaks it down zealously with his own hand.

But before I conclude the Narrative, I must not forget to tell, how they likewise broke open the Chapterhouse, ransack'd the Records, broke the Seals, tore the Writings in pieces, specially such as had great Seals annexed unto them, which they took or mistook rather for the Popes Bulls. So that a grave and sober Person coming into the Room at that time, finds the Floor all strewed and covered over, with torn Papers, Parchments and broken Seals; and being astonisht at this sight, does thus expostulate with them; Gentlemen (says He) what are ye doing? They answer, We are pulling and tearing the Popes Bulls in pieces. He replies, ye are much mistaken: for these Writings are neither the Popes Bulls, nor any thing relating to him. But they are the Evidences of several mens Estates, and in destroying these, you will destroy and undo many▪ with this they were something perswaded, and prevailed upon by the same person, to permit him to carry away all that were left undefaced, by which means, the writings the Church hath now, came to be preserved.

Such was the Souldiers carriage and behaviour all the time during their stay at Peterburgh, which was about a Fortnights space: They went to Church duly, but it was only to do mischief, To break and batter the Windows and any Carved work that was yet remaining, or to pull down Crosses wheresoever they could find them: which the first Founders did not set up with so much zeal, as these last Confounders pulled them down.

Thus in a short time, a fair and goodly Structure was quite stript of all its ornamental Beauty and made a ruthful Spectacle, a very Chaos of

Desolation and Confusion, nothing scarce remaining but only bare walls, broken Seats, and shatter'd Windows on every side.

And in the time of this publick Confusion, two other things hapned not unworthy of relating. The one for the strangeness, the other for the sadness of the Accident.

The first was this; when now the Church doors lay open to all comers, without locks and bars, and none to look after them, those specially that lead up to the Leads above.

Two young Children not above five years old, had got up the Steeple by themselves, and having lost their way down, come to the place where the great Bells hang. Here there was a large round space left purpose∣ly in the Arch, when first built, for the drawing up Bells or any other things, as there should be occasion. This place used to be safely closed before, but now it lay wide open, and was between thirty and forty yards off from the ground. The two children coming hither and find∣ing this passage, One, out of his childish simplicity was for jumping down: No, (saies the other) let us rather swarm down, there being a Bell rope then hanging down through that place to the Clockhouse below. Now this last they did; And a Gentlemen walking there beneath at that time, sees two children come with that swiftness down the Rope, like Arrows from a Bow, who were both taken up for dead, on the place. This hapned on a Sunday ith' afternoon, in Sermon time. The news com∣ing into the Parish-Church, that two children falling off from the Minster were slain, The Congregration was exceedingly disorder'd, so that the Preacher could not go on for a time, every Parent fearing it might be their own childrens case; till at length they understood the truth and cer∣tainty of all. For it pleased God by a strange and wonderful providence to preserve both these children, having no hurt but only their Hands galled by the Rope, and their Feet a little stunted by the fall from the Clock-house, where they were thrown off, the Rope being fastned there, and this some four or five yards high. The Persons, I suppose, are both living still; and one of them, (whose Father was then one of the chief Tradesmen of the Town) since a grave Minister, and Rector of a Parish in Northamptonshire.

The other thing that hapned of more fatal consequence was this. It being that time of the year, when young Lads are busie in rifling Jack-Daws Nests to get their young, a Scholar of the Free-School, son to a Par∣liament Officer, was got upon the Top of the Minster about this employ∣ment; who going along the Cieling in the Body of the Church, and treading unwarily on some rotten Boards, fell down from thence, up∣on the Loft where the Organ now stands, having his Pockets filled with those inauspicious Birds, and with the Fall from so great a height, was slain outright and never stirred more.

These two things hapened much about the same time, & in the time of that publick Confusion and Disorder. But to proceed in our intended Narrative.

These things I have related before, were indeed the Acts of pri∣vate persons only, men of wild intemperate zeal, and who had no Com∣mission for what they did, but what was owing to the Swords by their sides. Yet notwithstanding all these things seemed afterward to be own'd and approved by the Powers then in being, when they sold all the Churches Lands, and many fair Buildings adjoyning to the Minster, were likewise pulled down and sold by publick Order and Authority, such were the Cloysters, the old Chapterhouse, the Library, the Bishops Hall and Chapel at the end of it: The Hall was as fair a Room as most in England,

and another call'd the Green-Chamber, not much inferior to it. These all were then pull'd down and destroyed; and the materials, Lead, Timber and Stone exposed to Sale, for any that would buy them. But some of the Bargains proved not very prosperous; The Lead especially that came off the Palace was as fatal as the Gold of Tholouse: for to my knowledge, The Merchant that bought it, lost it all, and the Ship which carried it, in her Voyage to Holland.

And thus the Church continued ruined and desolate and without all divine Offices for a time: till at length by the favour of a great Person in the Neighbourhood, it was repaired and restored to some degrees of decency again; and out of the ashes of a late Cathedral, grew up into a new Parochial Church, in which way it was employ'd and used ever after, untill the Kings happy Restauration.

For Mr. Oliver St. John Chief Justice then of the Common Pleas, being sent on an Embassy into Holland by the Powers that govern'd then, re∣quested this Boon of them at his Return, that they would give him the ruin'd Church or Minster at Peterburgh; this they did accordingly, and he gave it to the Town of Peterburgh for their use, to be employ'd as a Parochial Church, their own Parish-Church being then very ruinous and gone to decay.

Now the the Town considering the largeness of the Building, and the greatness to the charge to repair it, which of themselves they were not able to defray, they all agree, to pull down the Ladies Chapel, as it was then called, an additional Building to the North side of the Minster, (be∣ing then ruinous and ready to fall) and to expose the materials thereof, Lead, Timber and Stone to Sale, and to convert the mony that was made of them, towards the Repairs of the great Fabrick.

All this they did, and appointed certain persons to oversee the Work, and expended several summs thus in Repairs, mending the Leads, secu∣ring the Roof, Glazing several Windows, and then fitting up the Quire, and making it pretty decent, for the Congregation to meet in. And this they did, by taking the Painted Boards that came off from the Roof of the Ladies Chapel, and placing them all along at the back of the Quire in such manner, as they continue to this day.

When the Place was thus fitted up, and the Devastations which the Souldiers had made, in some measure repaired, one Mr. Samuel Wilson School Master of the Charter-house in London, was sent down by the Committee of Plundred Ministers, as they were then called, to be Preacher, with a Sallary of 160 l. per an. in which employment he continued untill the Kings Return.

Then Dr. Cosin the antient Dean of the Church, after almost 20 years Exile in France, return'd and re-assumed his Right again, in the year 1660 about the end of July. He then after so long an Interval renew'd the antient usage, and read divine Service first himself, and caused it to be read every day afterward, according to the old Laudable use and Custome, and setled the Church and Quire in that order wherein it now continues.

But though the Church was thus delivered from publick Robbers and Spoilers, yet it was not safe from the injuries of private hands. For some ten or twelve years after, certain Thieves in the dead of the Night, broke into the Church and stole away all the Plate they could find, viz. a fair Silver Bason gilt, and the Virgers two Silver Rods, and a Linnen Table-Cloth to wrap them in, which were never heard of to this day.

This was the same Bason that had been plunder'd by the Souldiers, and recovered again, but irrecoverably lost now. Yet both these losses were soon repaired, one by Dr. Henshaw Bishop then of the Place, who gave a fair new Silver Bason gilt: the other made up by Dr. Duport then Dean; who furnisht the Virgers again with the Ensigns of their Office, by buying two new Silver Maces, for the Churches use.

And thus is this History brought down at length within our own knowledge and remembrance; where we have seen what various fortunes this Antient Church has had, which now reckons at least 1000 years from its first Foundation. It has been often ruinated and as often re∣edified. Once it was destroyed by Danes, twice consumed by Fire; It escaped the general downfal of Abbies in Hen. the Eighth's time, though not without the loss of some of her fairest Mannors; And yet what that King took away in revenues, he added to it in Dignity, by converting it, from an Abbey into a Cathedral Church. But the worst mischief that ever befel it, was that in the late Rebellious times, when the Church it self was miserably defaced and spoiled, and all the Lands for the maintenance thereof quite alienated and sold. And yet through Gods especial goodness and favour we have lived to see, the one repaired, the others restored, and the Church it self recovering her ancient beauty and lustre again.

And that it may long thus continue, flourish and prosper, and be a Nursery for vertue, a Seminary for true Religion and Piety, a constant Preserver of Gods publick worship and service, and free from all Sacri∣legious hands, is the earnest and hearty Prayer, wherewith I shall con∣clude this Discourse.