During the Commonwealth period the interior of the cathedral suffered much injury, and several of the ancient munuments were demolished or mutilated. There are however still many ancient monu ments of great beauty and interest. The most important is that of Archbishop Walter Grey, who built the south transept, in which it is placed. This splendid relic of the 13th century consists of two tiers of trefoil arches, supported by eight slender columns, with capitals of luxuriant foliage, sustaining a canopy divided into eight niches, with angular pedimeuts and elaborate finials. On a flat tomb under this canopy is a recumbent effigy of the archbishop in his pontificals.
The earlier cathedrals were successively destroyed by fire: the pre sent Minster has twice within the last thirty years narrowly escaped a similar fate. The first time was on February 2nd, 1829. It was the work of a maniac, Jonathan Martin, who had concealed himself in the Minster the preceediug day, Sunday, after prayers. He was soon appreheuded and tried, but acquitted on the ground of insanity. He was of course sent to a lunatic asylum, where he died in October, 1838. By this fire the whole of the roof of the choir, 222 feet long, was destroyed, with the woodwork on each side ; and the walls above the arches of the choir were so much damaged that it was found necessary to rebuild them ; the organ was burnt, end the altar-screen so much injured as to render a new one necessary ; the communion plate too was melted. No time was loot in repairing the parts injured; but the restorations were scarcely completed, when another fire occurred, hardly less destructive in its results. A workman who had been employed to repair the clock, with most culpable negligeuce left his candle burning when he quitted his work. This was on the evening of May 20th, 1810, and by nine o'clock the south-western tower, in which be had been employed, was discovered to be in flames. By twelve o'clock the south-western tower, with its flue peal of belle, was destroyed, and the whole of the roof of the nave had fallen in. The progress of the flames was on both occasions checked by the great central tower. The parts destroyed wire reconstucted under the direc tion of Sir Robert Smirke, at a cost of above 100,0001., and tho oppor tunity was taken to remove msoy irregularities and incongruities which In the coarse of time had to a certain extent been allowed to deface the noble edifice. The whole is now undoubtedly in a far more perfect state than it has been for centuries.
In replacing the various fittiugs of the Minster a new peal of 12 bells of large raze and flue tone, presented to the Minster by the late Dr. Beckwith, was substituted fur the old peal of 10 bells. A new great bell wars also cast for the cathedral by Mr. Mears, of London, at
whose foundry the peal was cast, and paid for by subscription. This la the largest bell in the kingdom, weighing 114 tons, and exceeding by four tons Great Tom of Oxford, previously the largest.
The palace of the archbishop was anciently on the north side of the cathedral. Archbishop Roger is said to have rebuilt it towards the end of the 12th century, and • small portion of his work is still remaining, as is the chapel of the palace, of a later date. This elegant building, having been long an unsightly ruin, was repaired in the time of Dean Markham, and is now used as the library of the dean and chapter. Near it is the new deanery.
No establishment of regular monks is known to have existed at York prior to the Norman conquest. Shortly before that event Siward, the Danish earl of Northumberland, laid the foundation of a monastery nearahe walls of York; but the building did net advance beyond the erection of Che church ; and the foundation was laid anew, and a great part of the monastery completed, by William Rufus. It was dedicated to ' The Blessed Virgin Mary.' About the cod of the 13th century the church and a great part of the monastery were rebuilt; but several portions of the original structure still remain. During the government of the third abbot, Gaufridus, in 1131, thirteen of the monk" desirous of adopting the Clatercien rule, seceded, and founded the abbey of Fountains near Ripon. William Thornton, the last abbot, surrendered to the king, November 29th, 1540, when there were in the monastery fifty mocks, including the abbot, prior, and sub-prior, and one novice. The clear annual value was reckoned to be 16501. Os. 74d. The abbot enjoyed the dignity of the mitre, and was summoned to parliament. In the year 1827 the site of the greater part of the monastic, buildings was granted by the crown to the York shire Philosophical Society, then recently established, on which to erect a museum and form a botanical garden. On that occasion the whole of the ground was carefully excavated, the foundations of the monastery traced, and plans and drawings exhibiting the interesting results were published by the Society of Antiquaries in London. The monks of the abbey were of the order of St. Benedict. To the same order belonged the priory of the Holy Trinity in Micklegate, a cell to St. Martha's in Tours, founded hi the time of the Conqueror. The gateway and a part of the church, both of later date, nre remaining. There was also a Benedictine nunnery at Clementthorp, just without the wails. The Dominican Friars, the Franciscans, the Ausustiniana, and the Cartnelitea, Lad each a monastery in York; and the Gilbertines had a priory. There were 16 hospitals in the city and the immediate neighbourhood.