Just before Christmas in 1642, early in the English Civil War, parliamentarian soldiers stormed the city of Winchester. They took prisoners and sacked houses. Then, banging drums and blowing trumpets, they broke into the cathedral.
This was bad news. Winchester Cathedral was filled with fine ornaments, sculptures and ancient tombs. The parliamentarians were puritanical zealots who loathed all symbols of popery and royalty. They were already notorious for desecrating cathedrals: drinking, smoking and urinating in them, and mock-baptising cows and horses. At Winchester they did their worst. Soldiers wrecked the pipe organ, capered about in stolen clerical dress, looted, burnt books and shot at statues. They broke open ten beautiful wooden mortuary chests, said to contain the remains of long-dead English kings, queens and bishops.
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