ii6 ^ THE EXETER ROAD 



Little over a fortnight later Cromwell wrote that 

 ' Thank God he was able to give a good account of 

 Basing.' The house was taken by storm on the 14th 

 October, ' while the garrison was card-playing,' as the 

 persistent Hampshire legend would have us believe. 

 ' Clubs are trumps, as when Basing House was taken,' 

 is still an expression often heard at Hampshire card- 

 parties, and some colour is lent to this story by the 

 poor defence with which the furious onrush of Crom- 

 well's troops was met. The attacking force lost few 

 men, but a hundred of the defenders were killed, and 

 three hundred more taken prisoners. Then the place 

 caught fire and was utterly burnt, many perishing 

 miserably in the great brick vaults of the house, 

 where they were when the fire reached them. 

 Fuller, that quaint seventeenth - century historian, 

 who had been staying here, had, fortunately, left 

 before the arrival of Cromwell's expedition. The 

 continual fighting and the booming of the guns had 

 distracted his attention from his work ! There were 

 others not so fortunate. Thomas Johnson, a peaceful 

 botanist, was killed, and one Robinson, an actor and 

 unarmed, was slaughtered by Harrison, the fanatic. 

 'Cursed is he that doeth the Lord's work negligently,' 

 exclaimed the Puritan, as he cut him down. Other 

 soldiers slew the daughter of Dr. Griffith wlio was 

 charo-ina: them with beino^ violent to her father. 



Fanaticism and cupidity were fully satisfied on 

 this occasion, save that there were those who grumbled 

 because the lives of the Marquis of AVinchester and 

 his lieutenant were spared. The sack of Basing 

 House yielded £200,000 worth of plunder, in objects 



