Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-06-01
looRREsroNnE>CR or INF FREE rREs"
Letters from England.
no. NXXI.
The RIA If J-Orl

YonK, May II, 1855.
When a New York firm publish Classic,
why do they latinize New York into Noyum
Eboracum What has Eboracum to do with
York Thereby hangs a tale. Ages and
ages ago, while David was rcigning and
Nathan rrorhcsying in Israel. thousand
years before the christian era. Ehraucus.
grand son OF pious Hneas, was king over
tribe Of Britons. Here he founded a city and
called it by his name. Ten centuries later
the Romans fortified the place and called it
Eboracum This same Ebraucus had twenty
wives and fifty children. and performed divers
other exploits, all Of which you will find in
Godfrey Of Monmouth.
Think Of popping your head out Of the
carriage window just after the breaks have
been put on, and seeing the train approach
walled city, Ramparts, and towers and bar
bcans in these days and in England, one
would think, should be in ruins and set of
with moss and IVY, but those unbroken walls
with every battlement perfect still keep up
look of defiance. York and Chester, be
lieve, the only cities in England enclosed
by IA wall. The walls of York were built
long ago as Edward l. and though they
have been several times repaired of late
years, some parts bear evidence of great
antiquity. The circuit Of the walls is not
far from three miles and save in one or two
places where madern convenience has made
encroachments, there If promenade com
pletely about the city on the paved top.
The four ancient bars are still remaining.
hut Of the four postcrn gates described by
early chroniclers only one is left When in
1896 a very old barbican was about to be re-
moved from one Of the gates, Walter Scott
was so anxious to preserve it. that he said he
would walk from Edinburgh to York, if by
so doing lie could persuade the Corporation
to let il remain,
The glory of York, at everybody knows, is
the Minister Though it has not the historic
renown of Westminster Abbey, nor tho mo-
dern splendor of st Paul's. las an ecclesa stlcal
edfcc, it is incomparably finer than either.
You must not ask me its age, for like many
Of the English Cathedrals, its history is only
traditional, and it's variety Of STYLES shows it
to have been the growth of several ages. II
is built in the form OF "A cross. with two
towers at the west front and. very large
and high lantern tower over the centre. As
You approach the city, these grand towers
are seen rising far above all other structures.
Happily, York is not, like London,
wreathed in smoke, and the Minister stands
out in its own venerable grey. have no
heart To go through statistical account of
its part, and dimensions. for / an satisfied
that no description can convey any adequate
impression OF a gothic edfice to a person who
has not himself wondered and worshipped
under pointed arches To glance at few of
the roses and garlands and images carved on
the rich ornaments of the exterior to admire
the light pinnGcles springing up star
ypointiu!s' from the heavy huttresses, To
walk tho nave and aisles 50 solemn and cold
and still, that you feel a kind of awe stealing
over you, and you instinctiyely muille your
tread on the payement-to read the lives of
prophets and apostles and saints in the great
stained wiudows-to
" hear the swelling organ blow,
To the full-yoced guire below
all thes" things you must see and hear and
feel bcl"r" you can he said to understand the
meaning of Gothic Architecture
still you will hardly let mo III 81 " Tell
Ms what YOU know of interest about the
Minister, il you can't let us into the secret OF
Gothic Architecture. Well will try. The
Minister was built in the good old Catholic
way-by the sale olindul Gcuccs. | mean Il at
tie funds for building it were 81 obtained.
f'r It is the greatest wonder Of all to me,
hpJr such structure o., 10 moderns can equal
like lur, WI >t,uIci, and the Muster
could have hp,u huit in age which We call
dart, The extreme length of the Minister is
"a feet, lougr 10y p feet than St Paul's
hut shorter than Winchester Cathedral by
30 feet The trapsept measures iro@ uarth