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towns of Grantham, Stamford, Peterborough, Huntingdon, 
Royston, Melbourn, and in a manner all the towns by the 
way unto St. Albans, sparing neither abbeys, priories, or 
parish churches, but bore away crosses, chalices, books, orna- 
ments, and other things whatsoever was worth the carrying, 
as though they had been Saracens and no Christians." 
"Henry VIII" — A very different view is now revealed. 
Tis something like a bridal party, rather than a funeral, 
that now appears on an early August day when the 
short scanty herbage of the Heath is brown from the 
heat, and its distant undulations are apparently quivering 
beneath the rays of the sun, the very rabbits with 
which it abounds so plentifully declining to appear upon 
its surface until the shadows of its scattered Jbushes and 
numerous ant-hills begin to lengthen as the day draws on. 
And now a blaze of scarlet flashes forth to add to the heat of 
the scene, for 50 men in short coats of that brilliant hue, 
trimmed with black and gold, advance on horseback with 
grand halberts in their hands, rich like themselves with 
scarlet and gold. Then follow other personages glittering 
with jewels, and then come a most remarkable pair — the 
one upwards of six feet in height and bulky beyond pro- 
portion, mounted on a steed of commensurate size : his 
features were probably once good, but now his vast expanse 
of face is scarcely relieved by his short light- red hair, and 
although his complexion is naturally exceedingly fair, his 
face at present is of one uniform deep rosy hue, for he is 
exceedingly hot, and his steed fully sympathises with him 
in that respect. His vest is of white satin slashed and 
puffed, and rich with embroidery of gold and small pearls : 
his short coat is of murrey- coloured velvet, edged with 
m inever : round his neck is a wide jewelled collar of im- 
mense value, and on his head is a flat black velvet cap, 
ornamented with a curling white feather and a cluster of 
diamonds. His expression indicates a strong will and an 
