222. JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
Northumberland, following the steps of his father, who filled the 
treasury of Henry VII., and brought his own head to the block, 
set himself to the work with heart and good-will. No less than 
nine commissions were appointed with this one object, four of 
which were to go over the often trodden ground and glean the last 
spoils which could be gathered from the churches.* Hear what 
even such a writer as Mr. Froude says with reference to these 
commissions: “For the business of plunder the rapacity of the 
Crown officials had been distanced hitherto by private speculation. 
The halls of country houses were hung with altar cloths, tables 
and beds were quilted with copes, the knights and squires drank 
their claret out of chalices, and watered their horses in marble 
coffins. Pious clergy, gentlemen, or churchwardens had in many 
places secreted plate, images, or candlesticks, which force might 
bring to light. Bells, rich in silver, still hung silent in remote 
church towers, or were buried in the vaults. Organs still pealed 
through the aisles in notes unsuited to a regenerate worship, and 
damask napkins, rich robes, consecrated banners, pious offerings of 
men of another faith, remained in the chests in the vestries. All 
these were valuable, and might be secured, and the Protestants 
could be persuaded into applause at the spoiling of the house of 
Baal. Ridley in London lent his hand. On the 4th of September 
the organ at St. Paul’s was silenced preparatory to removal. On 
the 25th October was the plucking down of all the altars and 
chapels in Paul’s Church, with all the tombs, at the commandment 
of the bishop, and all the goodly stone-work that stood behind the 
high altar. The monument of John of Gaunt himself would have 
gone down had not the council stepped in to save it. Vestments, 
copes, plate, even coin in the poor-boxes, were taken from the 
churches in the city. Some few peals of bells were spared for a 
time, but only under conditions of silence. A sweep as complete 
cleared the parish churches throughout the country. There was 
one special commission for bells, vestments, and ornaments ; two 
for plate and jewels; a fourth to search private houses for church 
property, and, should any such be found, to make a further profit 
by fine of the offenders.” t+ These commissions were represented to 
the king “‘as an inoffensive expedient, and only calling for the super- 
fluous plate and other goods that lay in churches, more for pomp 
than use.” Nothing was to be left but one chalice ; everything else 
* Froude. + Froude, “‘ History of England,” vol. v. 
