October 14. On the 14th of October, 1645, during the civil wars, Basing-house was taken by storm for the Parliament by Cromwell. The preceding view of it at that period is upon the authority of an ancient drawing. Basing-house was so called from Basing, or Old Basing, a considerable village in Hampshire, about two miles north-east of Basingstoke. The name is Saxon, and signifies a coat of mail, to which the place is said to have borne some resemblance. That Basing, previous to the conquest, was of more importance than Basingstoke, there is no reason to doubt, from the Saxon addition to the latter of "stoke," signifying a hamlet. In 871, a bloody battle was fought at Basing between the Danes and Saxons commanded by King Ethelred and his brother Alfred, in which the latter were defeated. It attained to more recent fame From an engraving in "The History of Basing-house," an octavo pamphlet, published by S. Chandler, Basingstoke, 1827,whence are derived the subsequent particulars. for its defence against the parliamen: forces, by John Pawlet, Marquis of Winchester, a lineal descendant from Hugh de Port, who, at the period of the Domesday survey, held fifty-five lordships in this county. Basing was the chief of these large possessions, and appears to have been very early the site of a castle, as mention of the land of the old castle of Basing occurs in a grant made by John de Port, to the neighbouring priory of Monk's Sherborne, in the reign of Henry II. William, his grandson, as sumed the name of St. John; and Robert, lord St. John, in the forty-third of Henry II., obtained a license to fix a pole upon the bann of his moat at Basing, with permission to continue it so fortified during the king's pleasure. In the time of Richard II., Basing, with other estates of the family, was transferred, by marriage, to the Poynings; and again in the time of Henry VI. to the Pawlets, by the marriage of Constance, heiress of the former, with Sir John Pawlet, of Nunny Castle in Somersetshire. Sir William Pawlet, Knt., third in descent from them, was created Baron St. John, of Basing, by Henry VIII., and earl of Wiltshire, and Marquis of Winchester, by Edward VI. He enjoyed court favor through most of the successive changes in the reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, and held the office of lord treasurer nearly thirty years. Being asked how he contrived to maintain his station during those perilous times, in which so many great changes had taken place in church and state, he answered, "by being a willow and not an oak." He rebuilt the castle at Basing in a magnificent style. Camden, in allusion to the vast expense of living entailed on the family by its splendor, observes, that "it was so overpowered by its own weight that his posterity have been obliged to pull down a part of it." King Edward VI. with his retinue, was entertained for four days at Basing, by the Marquis of Winchester; and king Philip and queen Mary, whom the Marquis had accompanied to Winchester, after their marriage, were also entertained at Basing for five days. Here also, in 1560, he entertained Queen Elizabeth, so much to her satisfaction, that she playfully lamented his great age: "For, by my troth," said the queen, "if my lord Marquis were but a young man, I could find in my heart to have him for a husband, before any man in England." The marquis lived to see 103 of his own immediate descendants; he died in 1572, at the age of ninetyseven, and was buried in Basing church. In 1601, William, his great grandson, and fourth Marquis of Winchester, had likewise queen Elizabeth for a guest, during a period of "thirteen days, to the greate charge of the sayde lorde marquesse." Her majesty was accompanied in this visit by the duke of Biron, with about twenty of the French nobility; and a retinue of nearly 400 persons were lodged at the Vine, the seat of lord Sandys, which house had been purposely furnished with hangings and plate from the Tower, and Hampton Court," and with seven score beds and furniture, which the willing and obedient people of the countrie of Southampton, upon two dayes warning, had brought in thither to lend the Queene." When Elizabeth departed from Basing she affirmed, that "she had done that in Hampshire that none of her ancestors ever did, neither that any prince in Christendome could doe; that was, she had in her progresses at her subjects' houses entertained a royal ambassador, and had royally entertained him." This marquis died in 1628, at Hawkwood, now Hackwood, the present seat of his descendants. It was John, fifth Marquis of Winchester, who rendered his name famous by bravely defending Basing-house for upwards of two years, while it was beleagured by the parliament forces. This noble mansion was built upon a rising ground, and surrounded with a brick rampart lined with earth, and all was encompassed with a dry ditch. Basinghouse is not to be confounded with the castle, to the east of which it was situated at a small distance. The marquis's garrison much distressed the parliamentarians by the command the house had of the western road, and it was several times besieged by their forces, who greatly distressed, but could not take it. The marquis declared, that "if the king had no more ground in England than Basinghouse he would hold it out to the last extremity." At first ne had with him only his own family, and a hundred musqueteers, but afterwards the king supplied him as occasion required. It was at this time that, to inspire the garrison with courage and perseverance, he wrote with a diamond in the window the words "Love Loyalty;" for which reason the house was called "Loyalty House," and the words in French, "Aimez Loyaulte," afterwards became the motto of the family arms, as they are to this day. Basing-house was first invested in August, 1643; the first material assaults were made by Sir William Waller, called from his former successes Willlam the Conqueror, who thrice within nine days attempted to take it by storm, with seven thousand men, but was repulsed, and obliged to retreat with great loss to Farnham. The secretary of the king's council of war, Sir Edward Walker, knt., garter principal king of arms, has left a minute journal of interesting transactions relating to the lengthened siege. Basing-house was thoroughly provisioned, and reso lutely defended. At length, after the battle of Alresford, Sir William Waller conceived the design of mastering the place by means of a private correspondence with lord Edward Pawlet bro ther to the marquis of Winchester, and then living with him in Basing-house, unsuspected of treachery. Sir Richard Grenvil engaged to leave the metropolis with a body of horse to join Waller Grenvil appointed a rendezvous for his cavalry at Bagshot, and the same day left London with his equipage only, consisting of a coach and six horses, and many led horses and servants; but when he arrived at Staines he suddenly left the Bagshot road for Reading, where the king's garrison then was, and thence without delay proceeded to Oxford, where he was very graciously received by the king, who had not expected him. He immediately acquainted the king with the whole design for the surprise of Basing; upon which the king sent the information by an express to the marquis, who instantly seized his brother and his confederates, and extorted from them a full confession of their plans. He then turned his brother out of the garrison, and executed his accomplices. By this discovery Basing house was for that time preserved, while the parliament denounced Sir Richard Grenvil with judginents of attainder, confiscation, and incapacity of pardon. At this period the king's cause was declining every where, and Cromwell came with his victorious troops out of the west. He closely invested Basing-house, threw up works and attacked it so vigorously that the royalists desired a parley. Oliver would hearken to no proposals, out began the assault at six in the morning; and Sir Hardress Waller's and Colonel Montague's regiments having forced the strongest works they suddenly scaled the walls and entered the house before the besieged perceived their danger. There is a traditionary report that the garrison was surprised, while many of them were engaged at cards, and hence card players of the neighbourhood have still a common saying, of, " Clubs trump, as when Basing-house was taken." This edifice which had held out so long, and had been thought almost impregnable, was carried by storm in three-quarters of an hour. Besides ten pieces of ordnance, with 2000 stand of arms and ammunition, which fell to the assailants, the store of victuals in the place was enormous. There were 400 quarters of wheat, 200 barrels of beef, 300 flitches of bacon, -40,000 pounds of cheese, and numerous cellars filled with beer. The plunder of treasure and furniture amounted in value to £200,000. There was in one room a bed which had cost £1300, with many catholic books, copes, and rich utensils of worship. The silver plate was valued at above £5000, and there were several -cabinets of jewels and other valuables. One soldier had six score pieces of gold, amounting to £360, for his share. A, other seized three bags of silver, but, not being able to keep his own counsel, it fell to common pillage amongst his companions, so that at last he had but one half crown for himself. The wheat, household goods, and lumber, with a great part of the other plunder, was sold to the country people, who loaded it away in carts; and the house was burnt to the ground and demolished. About 200 prisoners were taken, including the marquis himself, and several other persons of distinction. They were sent up to the parliament by Cromwell, who received the thanks of the house for these services. During the siege, Dr. Thomas Johnson, the celebrated botanist, was with the royal army, and received a wound of which he died. Six catholic priests were found among the slain. Robinson, a stage player, was killed by major-general Harrison, who is said to have refused him quarter, and shot him in the head when he had laid down his arms, with this quotation from scripture: "Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently." Dr. Thomas Fuller, author of the "Church History of Britain," then chaplain to the royal army under Lord Hopton, had been for some time shut up in Basing-house, while it was besieged by Sir William Waller; and there amid the den of war, as if sitting in the study of a quiet parsonage, he prosecuted his favorite work, entitled "The Worthies of England," discovering no sign of fear, but only complaining that the noise of the cannon, which was continually thundering from the lines of the besiegers, interrupted him in digesting his notes; an indifference, during so great a danger, similar to that of the water carrier, who, at the siege of another place, was going about, crying "Water, threepence a bucket-" a bomb-shell took away one of his buckets-he then cried "sixpence a bucket," and walked on. Fuller's coolness and facetiousness, however, animated the garrison to so vigorous a defence, that Waller was obliged to raise the siege for that time with considerable loss. The number of soldiers slain before Basing-house, from the first commencement of the siege, is recorded to have been upwards of 2000. Hugh Peters was with Cromwell's forces at the taking of the place, and being sent by Oliver to London to make a report to the Parlia ment, he said, Basing-house was fit for an emperor to dwell in, it was so spacious and beautiful. It is recorded that the marquis's garrison had picked up incredible Dooty. Lying, as they did, just on the great western road, they intercepted carriages, plundered waggons, and suffered nothing to pass, to the great interruption of the trade of the city of London. The gaining of Basing-house was esteemed a national service; for it opened the intercourse which had been long obstructed between the metropolis and the west of England. It was probably on this occasion that the sign of "Basing-House" became exhibited as the attractive sign of an inn, which still exists, near Shoreditch in London The Holy Ghost chapel, at Basingstoke, is said to have been stripped of its covering of lead to make balls for the use of the besiegers of Basing-house. In the same neighbourhood, Farleigh-hous? was made a garrison for the parliament, when the inscriptions and all the brass plates in the church were taken away. A field situated on the right of the road leading from Basing to Basingstoke, near the bridge, over the canal, is still called Slaughter Close. This is traditionally reported to have been the scene of a sanguinary contest, at a time when the garrison made a sally to obstruct or destroy the offensive works of the besiegers. The slain on both sides were buried in that field, which to this day produces most abundant crops of every thing sown in it. Where is the dust that has not been alive? The spade, the plough, disturb our ancestors; From human mould we reap our daily bread. As nature wide, our ruins spread; man's house stood, and the cellars, on the east of the gateway; two arches of brickwork crossing directly over each other; and several pieces of wood, cinder, and burnt tile, which seem to show that the build ings were set on fire, after the house was taken. The oblong flat in front of the keep was a bowling-green, and kept in order since his recollection. There were several large fir trees on it which were cut down by Charles, duke of Bolton.Round the top of the keep was a parapet wall, full four feet high above the gravel walk; part of the gravel now remains. "After the original house was destroyed a mansion was built on the north side of the road, opposite the ruins. The piers of fine jointed brickwork were the entrance to the mansion, which was pulled down fifty or sixty years ago, by the then duke, and the materials carried to Cannons near Kingsclere.* "In a field near the brick bridge, called Slaughter Close, an old oak Pollard, containing at least seven or eight cord of wood, was cut down about twenty years ago, and given away for firewɔod. Exall saw it split up, and a great number of musket balls taken out of it." Pitch Croft, a piece of ground, the more proper name of which is Priest Croft, appears to have been a fort. There was a house &c., there formerly, said to have been the residence of a priest, who officiated at Basing-house. Most of the foregoing particulars were obtained by Mr. Legg from one Moss, a man of ninety years old or upwards, who died above thirty years ago. Mr. Legg writes, "1800, March 1st, Went to look at the ruins, and met Lord Bolton, when i had a long conversation with his lordship. He pointed out the alterations he intended to make, as he took great delight in the place. On my expressing my regret that there was no drawing of the original house, &c. extant, at least that I could hear of, he told me that he had one; pointed out the spot where the original house stood, which was just the same as Exall told me the 29th of August last; also that the one which stood on the north side, was a subsequent erection; for after the original mansion was taken by Oliver's forces, it was set fire to, and destroyed, with most Part of the materials is said to have been used in building the old George Inn, at Basingstoke. of the valuable paintings, papers, &c." In digging the canal at Basing, several human skeletons, cannon balls, coins, and other ancient articles were found. An mmense old chalk pit, a little to the north of Basing, is still known by the name of "Oliver Cromwell's Dell." It appears, from a survey made in 1798, that the area of the works, including the garden and the entrenchment, occupied about fourteen acres and a half. The form was irregular, the ditches deep, and the ramparts high and strong; some of the remains are yet very bold and and striking. The citadel was circular, having an oblong square platform at the north, defended by a rampart and covered way. The north gateway is yet standing: which, surmounted with venerable ivy, concealing the ancient arms of the Pawlets, constitutes a fine relic of former grandeur. Part of the outward walls, constructed with brick, still remain. The site of the ruins is particularly commanding the canal from Basingstoke has been cut through part of the works; and the outward inrenchments have been rendered very obscure and imperfect, from some late improvements in the ground. The medium depth of the fosse, which surrounded the citadel, is about thirty-six feet perpendicular. The marquis of Winchester, whose property was thus reduced to ruin in the cause of Charles I., was a catholic. He lived till the restoration, but received no recompence from an ungrateful court, for his immense losses. During the latter part of his life, he resided at Englefield, in Berkshire, where he greatly enlarged the manor-house, the front of which bore a beautiful resemblance to a church-organ, and was a singularly pleasing object to all that passed the road between Reading and Newbury; this fine front is now no more. The marquis translated from the French the "Gallery of Heroic Women," 1652; and Talon's Holy History,' 1653. He died in 1674, and was buried in the parish church of Englefield, where there is a monument to him with an epitaph in English by Dryden. There is a portrait of him among the ovals of Hollar, who likewise engraved a very small view of Basing-house, which is extremely rare: a print of this view at Dr Combes' sale produced £30. Hollar was with the marquis in Basing-house at 66 15 October, 1724, died in confinement, at the age of seventy-four, Paul Atkinson, a Franciscan friar. He was a native of Yorkshire, and had been infamously betrayed by his female servant, for a reward of 100., under the penal statue of William III. against Romish priests. He was condemned to perpetual imprisonment, in Hurst Castle, in the Isle of Wight; and lived there with cheerful composure, beloved and respected by the governor, and the whole neighbourhood, as an unfortunate, amiable man. He had been allowed the liberty of occasionally walking abroad, till some wretched bigots complained of the humane indulgence, and then he voluntarily retired to his poor lodging, that he might give no offence, nor occasion blame to his kind keeper; he never again left the castle, nor would he permit any application to be made for a mitigation of his doom. Upon his death, in prison, his remains were removed to Winchester, and interred in the cemetery of St. James's, the burialplace of many Romar catholics. Friar Atkinson is still remembered, and tears have flowed from protestant eyes, for his sad fate. It has been presumed that had George I. and queen Caroline been fully acquainted with his situation, and his meek demeanour, his prison doors would have been set open. Their majesties were both friends to toleration; and the queen in particular frequently entrusted the duchess of Norfolk with sums of money, for distribution among sufferers of the Roman catholic com munion.* VERSES By an Anonymous hand, 1587. The sturdy rock, for all his strength, By raging seas, is rent in twaine; The marble stone is pearst at length With littel drops of drizzling raine : The ox doth yield unto the yoke, The steele obeyeth the hammer-stroke. • Noble |