There is a little village in Berkshire called Boxford, quite a small place.  Here is the list of church goods which the commissioners found there, and which had escaped previous ravages:—­

“One challice, a cross of copper & gilt, another cross of timber covered with brass, one cope of blue velvet embroidered with images of angles, one vestment of the same suit with an albe of Lockeram,[22] two vestments of Dornexe,[23] and three other very old, two old & coarse albes of Lockeram, two old copes of Dornexe, iiij altar cloths of linen cloth, two corporals with two cases whereof one is embroidered, two surplices, & one rochet, one bible & the paraphrases of Erasmus in English, seven banners of lockeram & one streamer all painted, three front cloths for altars whereof one of them is with panes of white damask & black satin, & the other two of old vestments, two towels of linen, iiij candlesticks of latten[24] & two standertes[25] before the high altar of latten, a lent vail[26] before the high altar with panes blue and white, two candlesticks of latten and five branches, a peace,[27] three great bells with one saunce bell xx, one canopy of cloth, a covering of Dornixe for the Sepulchre, two cruets of pewter, a holy-water pot of latten, a linen cloth to draw before the rood.  And all the said parcels safely to be kept & preserved, & all the same & every parcel thereof to be forthcoming at all times when it shall be of them [the churchwardens] required.”

  [22] A fine linen cloth made in Brittany (cf. Coriolanus, Act
  ii. sc. 1).

  [23] A rich sort of stuff interwoven with gold and silver, made at
  Tournay, which was formerly called Dorneck, in Flanders.

  [24] An alloy of copper and zinc.

  [25] Large standard candlesticks.

  [26] The Lent cloth, hung before the altar during Lent.

  [27] A Pax.

This inventory of the goods of one small church enables us to judge of the wealth of our country churches before they were despoiled.  Of private spoliators their name was legion.  The arch-spoliator was Protector Somerset, the King’s uncle, Edward Seymour, formerly Earl of Hertford and then created Duke of Somerset.  He ruled England for three years after King Henry’s death.  He was a glaring and unblushing church-robber, setting an example which others were only too ready to follow.  Canon Overton[28] tells how Somerset House remains as a standing memorial of his rapacity.  In order to provide materials for building it he pulled down the church of St. Mary-le-Strand and three bishops’ houses, and was proceeding also to pull down the historical church of St. Margaret, Westminster; but public opinion was too strong against him, the parishioners rose and beat off his workmen, and he was forced to desist, and content himself with violating and plundering the precincts of St. Paul’s.  Moreover, the steeple and most of the church of St. John of Jerusalem,