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HISTORICAL NOTICES OF YORK AND ITS CATHEDRAL, WITH AUTHENTIC PARTICULARS RESPECTING THE LATE CON

FLAGRATION.

(With an Engraving.)

THE Cathedral Church of York, around which the hoar of antiquity has been gathering for ages, and that was regarded with high veneration by the scholar and architect, has lately, by the wild enthusiasm of a disordered intellect, been reduced to a deplorable ruin.

The city of YORK owes its origin to the Romans, by whom it was named Eboracum; for before the time of the invasion by Julius Cæsar, this, and almost every other town in the island, consisted of miserable huts, in the midst of thick woods or morasses. The central position of this place occasioned it to be very early erected into a Roman station of considerable importance; and it was afterwards made the principal residence of the emperors and commanders during their protracted contest with the natives. The Romans adorned this city with temples, palaces, theatres, and other public buildings; but all traces of these works of antiquity have long since disappeared. The emperor Severus, whilst he was constructing the famous wall between the Tyne and the Eden, resided at Eboracum; and before the completion of the work, he died there. Excepting Verulamium, (St. Alban's) there was no Roman settlement in the kingdom, which possessed privileges at all similar to those of Ebora

cum.

It was invested with the power of self-government, under magistrates of its own choosing. York, the modern name of the city, is a corruption of Yevor-wyc, an idiomatic alteration by the Saxons from Cair-Effroc, the British appellation.

The earliest notice respecting the recognized establishment of Christianity in York, bears date A. D. 314. About A. D. 628, Edwin, king of Northumberland, having married Ethelburga, sister of Ebald, the converted king of Kent, was, by her persuasion, aided by Paulinus, who attended her to York, induced to embrace the Christian religion. A few years after this,

123.-VOL. XI.

[1829.

he founded the cathedral, over which, Paulinus was appointed archbishop, being formally invested with the ensigns of his office by the pope Honorius. Such was the state of York in the first part of the ninth century, that it might very well be styled the Athens of that dark age. The library of the cathedral was exceedingly rich in valuable books, and scholars were sent from France for the purpose of transcribing some of the writings to be found only in "that noblest repository and cabinet of arts and sciences in the whole world."

York was captured in 867 by the Danes, the town laid in ruins, and most of the inhabitants put to the sword; though it does not appear that the cathedral and famous library suffered on this occasion. But the ravages of the Danes were mild in their effects, when compared with the barbarities and enormities of William the Conquoror. York, it seems, appeared to him to be the focus of rebellion, and he vented his anger against it by razing the city to the ground, and putting to death, not only the inhabitants of the town, but those also of the surrounding country. A Norman garrison, stationed in York, set fire to the suburbs, to prevent the houses being used for filling up the ditches by the Danes, who were besieging them. But the fire spreading, burnt a great part of the city, and the cathedral, with its library, perished in the conflagration. "It was shocking," says Simeon of Durham, "to see in the houses, the streets, and highways, human carcases swarming with worms, dissolving in putridity, and yielding a horrible stench; nor were any left alive to cover them with earth, all having perished by sword or by famine, or, stimulated by hunger, had abandoned their native land. During the space of nine years, the country lay totally uncultivated, presenting to the view a vast and dreary solitude: between York and Durham not a house was inhabited, all was a lonely wilderness, the retreat of wild beasts and robbers, and the terror of travellers."

This celebrated city lay a long time buried in its ruins, and for half a century its name is not mentioned in history. But

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Historical Account of York and its Cathedral.

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196

in the reign of king Stephen it began to below. In a few hours this venerable and assume something of its former importance, elegant pile, which had been the pride and till, by an accidental fire, the town and boast of the north of England, was become cathedral were again involved in one com- a mass of smoking ruins. And the evil is mon destruction. This calamitous event aggravated by the reflection that it was not happened on the 4th of June, 1137. Yet produced by accident, but done delibe only forty-nine years after this terrible catas-rately, and with premeditation. That the trophe, the cathedral rose again from its unhappy man who has caused this lamentruins, and the city was considered as bear- able mischief is insane, we readily believe, ing a half-proportion to London. for surely none but a maniac could have committed such an act. Yet, how well soever the fact of his insanity be established, it can take nothing from the regret which must be felt for the loss that has been sustained.

In 1251, the marriage of Henry the | Third's daughter, with Alexander king of Scotland, was celebrated in this edifice, and scarcely ever had been seen a spectacle so extensive and splendid. In the reign of Edward the Second, the suburbs of the city were burnt by the Scots, under earl Murray. In 1328, the marriage ceremony of Edward the Third with Philippa of Hainault, was performed in the cathedral of York. In the year 1509, a printing press was established within the precincts of York cathedral, near the place where the royal presses were erected in 1642, while Charles resided in the city.

On the Sunday evening divine service was performed as usual, and the building left apparently safe. About four o'clock on Monday morning, a man passing through the minster yard, observed a light in the cathedral; but supposing that it might proceed from workmen preparing a vault, or otherwise engaged, he made no inquiry. Between six and seven the discovery was made in a singular manner. A boy, named Swinbank, one of the choristers, walking through the precincts, accidentally stepped on a piece of ice, and was thrown on his back. Before he recovered himself sufficiently to rise, he noticed a quantity of smoke issuing from several parts of the roof. Alarmed at the sight, he went to the man who keeps the keys, and they returned together. On entering the build

Of the building, as it existed previous to the late lamentable occurrence, it is to be noticed, that the oldest part is the south transept, which was built by archbishop Grey, in the reign of Henry the Third, A. D. 1228. The north transept was added in A. D. 1260, by John le Romain, who also raised a handsome steeple in the place which the lantern now occupies. In 1291, this same prelate laid the first stone of the nave, and ultimately finished the west ending, the scene was beyond description. The with the steeples as it remains to this day. The choir not corresponding with the elegance of the nave, was taken down, and the sum of £1810 expended in the erection

of a new one.

As the cathedral of York is one of the largest structures of the kind in England, so it was also one of the most magnificent. In no edifice of the same nature was there to be found such a splendour of detail as in this. Its superb windows, delicate tracery, and rich tabernacle-work, made it a perfect study for the architectural student, and gave it a venerable interest in the estimation of every person of correct taste.

We have now to enter on the ungrateful task of narrating the circumstances connected with the late destructive fire.

On Monday, the 2d of February, 1829, at an early hour in the morning, it was discovered that the choir of this splendid cathedral was in flames, which, before they were subdued, destroyed all that part of the building. The roof from the tower to the great east window fell in, burying at once all those relics of piety, and beautiful specimens of art, which filled the space

beautiful wood work of the south side of the choir was extensively on fire, and columns of dense smoke were wreathing their dark colossal folds up to the roof of the building. The alarm was given, and the whole city quickly made acquainted with the distressing circumstance. Engines were procured, and workmen arrived about seven, when they found the interior of the vestry entirely consumed, and could easily trace the communication of the fire with the rest of the building.

“About eight o'clock the aspect was dreadful in the extreme. The whole of the west nave was filled with one suffocating mass of smoke, whilst the choir glared with flame. From the minster-yard the smoke was seen issuing from the base of the lantern tower, from the pinnacles to the south front, all along the roof of the nave to the western tower. The flames had made frightful progress at nine o'clock in the morning, and the minster bells were rung, to spread the alarm still farther, and shortly afterwards the roof of the choir began to fall in with crashes; at every fall, sending up showers of sparks and lighter pieces of

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Historical Account of York and its Cathedral.

ignited wood, some of which were borne in the air, to a considerable distance. The flames now played uncontrolled on the exterior of the choir and chancel, rising several feet above the battlements, while the water from the engines mingled with the stream of melted lead from the roof.

"At this moment it was impossible to view the interior without emotions of the most painful kind. Every vestige of the exquisite tabernacle-work around the choir, and forming the prebends' stalls, &c. was consumed; the pews, the cathedral, the pulpit, the beautiful altar screen, so justly admired for its elegant architecture, had all become one commingled mass of smouldering and blazing ruin, which strewed the pavement to the depth of three feet. The pillars, that once served to assist in dividing the choir from the two side aisles, now stood alone, the whole being one open space, with the roof burning on the ground, and nothing above but the light of heaven. The roofs of the side aisles were smoking. The organ had early fallen a sacrifice, and now, at intervals, were seen portions of the valuable music, falling from the relics of the loft, into the burning mass below."

The fire was so far got under by noon, that all apprehensions of its spreading to the nave were removed. The stone fabric itself has sustained considerable injury; the pillars being of limestone, burnt with great violence to the height of the conflagration. The sight of the ruins is most melancholy. Scarcely any vestige whatever of the choir remains.

The fire engines in the city being found insufficient, expresses were sent to the barracks, and to Leeds and Tadcaster, for others. The 7th Dragoon Guards sent their engine, with two troops to guard the workmen and building from idle intruders. The Tadcaster engine arrived presently after this. About two o'clock two engines arrived from Leeds, and at four o'clock two others. The total number of engines employed was ten, and they continued playing all night.

The annexed ground-plan of the choir, and other parts of the cathedral, that have sustained the greatest injury, will enable the reader to form a more correct idea than mere description could give of the extent of the calamity.

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GROUND PLAN.

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REFERENCES.

A.

B.

The Lady's Chapel filled with monuments.
The Ornamental Screen dividing the Chan-
cel.

C.

The Communion Table.

D. The Great East Window.

E.

The Choir.

F.

The Organ and Entrance to the Choir.

G. The North side Aisle.

H. The South side Aisle.

I.

K.

The Vestries, &c.

The Transepts, north and south.

That portion of the roof which has fallen in, extended from the screen F, where the organ stood, to the large stained window at the eastern extremity D. So that the space choir used for divine service, and the channow exposed embraces that part of the cel, and the interval behind the altar usually called the Lady's Chapel, A. Of the organ only a few worthless fragments remain.

The communion table was removed before

the fire had reached that portion of the building; but the plate was unfortunately exposed to the flames, which reduced it to a shapeless mass. Of the pews no traces whatever are left. Yet it is some consolation to learn, that the beautiful Gothic screen F, so much admired for its delicate tracery work, has sustained no material Feet 524 damage. The effigies of the monarchs of England, in the front of this screen, on the right and left of the choir door, remain perfect.

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