The pay of his soldiers was greatly in arrears, and he was glad to have this pillage to give them.
"It will be," he remarked, "a good encouragement—for the labourer is worthy of his hire, and who goeth to warfare at his own cost?"
He and his officers, together with the Marquess and several other prisoners, now came (in the course of their leaving of the House) on the bedchamber of my lord, which caused the Puritans to gape with amaze, so rich beyond imaginings was this room, especially the bed, with great coverings of embroidered silk and velvet and a mighty canopy bearing my lord's arms, all sparkling with bullion as was the tapestry on the walls.
Some soldiers were busy here, plundering my lord's clothes, and others were fighting over bags of silver, and the crown-pieces were scattered all over the silk rugs.
Then Mr. Peters, who had been arguing with my lord on his sinful idolatrous ways, pressed home his advantage and pointed to the disaster about him and asked the Marquess if he did not plainly see the hand of God was against him?
Lord Winchester, who had hitherto been silent, now broke out.
"If the King had had no more ground in England than Basing House, I would have adventured as I did and maintained it to the uttermost!"
"Art so stubborn," cried Mr. Peters, "when all is taken from thee?"
"Ay," said the Marquess, "Loyalty House this was called, and in that I take comfort, hoping His Majesty may have his day again. As for me, I have done what I could; and though this hour be as death, yet I would sooner be as I am than as thou art!"
And he said this with such sharp scorn and with an air so princely (as became his noble breeding) that Hugh Peters was for awhile silenced.