New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-09
hurcb Edward w. was crowned and Richard

,ho o,o, snace called the Pavement, connecting
with Psriament-st., and the red pricK churcn OK
G. Crrx In the Pavement the Earl of
Northumberland was beheaded for his treason
AGAINST Queen Elizabeth, in 1872. ana IN 81
Crux lone of Wrcn's churches MS mortar rema'hs
lie buried. beneath dark blue sap SUN SHOWN
to visitors. A few miles away, but easIiy "'hn
reach of your vision, is the heh OF 'iars.on
Moor, where the impetuous Prince hupcr' i,"-
pcrilled and well nigh lost the cause Oh Nhares
the First in 1b44-and as you look toward that fatal
spot you can almost hear. in the chani"cr VI
YOUR fancy, the paeans Of thanksgiving ior ,no
victorv that were uttered in the church beneath
Cromwell, then a subordinate officer III 'n'
Parliamentary army was one Of the worshlppers
on that occasion Charles also has knet al this
altar Indeed Of all the fifteen kings from
William of Normandy to Henry of WINDSOR whoso
queer sculptured efligies appear upon the cf@ncei
screen in York Minister there Is scarcely o"'
who has not worshippcd in this cathedral
York Minister has often been described, but no
description can convey 10 the reader an aoequ"o'
impression of its grandeur In my Judgineno
Canterbury is the lovcler cathedral Of the two
and Canterbury possesses the inestimablc advan1
age of a spacious close II must be said, also,
for the city of Canterbury, that the presence ana
influence of great church are more distinctly ana
delightfully."- felt in that place than they arc III
York There is a more spiritual tone nv 'fhter-
bury, tone of superior delicacy and rehnemen@
a certain aristocratc coldness and repose In
York you speedily perceive the coarser spirit OF
democratic era. There is much vulgarty in York
The walls which ought to be cherished Win
scrupulous care. are found in many places TO bs
defled and filthy-a fact equally disgraccfni
70 the inhabitants and the police. AT inter-
walls all along the lovely walks upon the banks
Of the Ouse you behold placards requesting the
cooperation of the public in protecting from hafm
the swans that navigate the river Even IN tna
sacred Cathedral itself there is displayed printed
notice that the Dean and Chapter are amazed ar
the disturbances which occur IN the nave whiiso
divine service is proceeding in the choir. lhese
things imply a rough element in the population'
and in such Mace as York such element IL
exceptionally offensive and exceedingly deDlor-
able.
IT, was said by the late Lord Beacons6eld that
progress the nineteenth century is found TO con-
sst chiefly in return to ancient ideas Ihere
NAV be places to which tie essential CHARACTERISTIC
spirit Of the present day contributes the elemenu
of beauty; but, if so, have not seen them. Wher-
ever there is beauty there is the living force OF
tradition to account for it. The most however,
that conservative force in society can accom-
whatever is beautiful and impressive, is to pro-
tect what remains to us from the past. Modern
Edinburgh for example has contributed no build
ing that is, for an instant, comparable with It's
glorious old CASTLE or with Roslyn, or with what we
know to have been Mcrose and Dryburgh; but It's
castle and its chapels are protected and preserved
York in the present day erects commodious rail-
way-station and sumptuous hotel. and spans ~
am pie river with a couple of splendid bridges;
but its modern architecture is puerile beside than
of its ancient Minister; and so its best work, after
all is the preservation of its Cathedral ono
finds it difficult to understand how anybody,
however lowly born or poorly endowed or meanly
nurtured, can live within the presence of this
heavenly building, and not be purified and dignI-
fed and exalted by the contemplation of so much
majesty and by its constantly rradiative force
of religious sentiment and power. But the spirit
which in the past created objects of beauty and
adorned common life with visible manifestations
of the celestial attribute in human nature had
constantly to struggle against insensibiiy or VIC,
lence; and just SO the few who have inherited
that spirit in the present day are compelled stead-
" to combat the hard materlalism and gross
animal procliyiteS of the new age.
On ed hai o. Yor, Minister, What solace and
what an nsprationl There 1t stands, dark and
lonely tonight, but symboizing as no other OBJ
iect upon earth can ever do except one of its own
great kindred, Gods promise of immortal life TO
man. and mans unquenchable faith in the prom
Use of God. Dark and lonely now. but during
many hours of its daily and nightly life sentlent,
eloquent, vital, participating IN all the though9
and conduct and experience of those who dwell
around it. The beautiful peal of its bells that
| heard last night was for Canon Balllle one or
the Oldest and most beloved and venerated OF its
clergy, who died only few days ago. This morn
ing sitting IN It's choir, heard the tender l
by the aged Dean, and again learned tho
essential lesson that an old age of grace and pa
thence and benignity means pure heart, an un-
selfish spirit, and good life passed in the SER
vice Of others. This afternoon l had a place
among the worshippers that thronged the nave.
to hear the special anthem chanted for the de-
cease Canon: and, the organ pealed forth it's
mellow thunder and the rich tones of the chorls-
ters swelled and rose and broke in golden waves
roof, my soul seemed borne away to a peace and
rest that not of this world. Tonight the
rising MOON she CLEANS through drifting clouds,
will pour her silver rays upon that great east
window,-at once the largest and the most hcautl-
full in cXistence,-and all the Bible stories told
there in such exquisite hues and forms will glow
with heavenly lustrc the dark vista OF chancel
and nave. And when the morning comes the first
beams of the rising sun viii stream through the
great window and illumine the figures of saints
and archbshops, and gid the old tattered battle-
flags in the chancc aisle, and touch with blessing
the marble efigics of the dead and we who walk
there, refreshed and cOmforted shall feel that tho
great Cathedral Is indeed the gateway TO Heaven.
York Minister Is the loftleSt of all the English
cathe1ralS, and the second in length-Winches-
ter being thirty feet longer The present struct-
ure is 900 years old, and 200 years were occupied
in the building of it. They show you, IN tho
crypt some fine remains of the Norman church
that preceded it upon the site, together with
traces of the still older Saxon church that pre-
coded the Norman The first one was of wood
and was totally destroyed. The Saxon remains
are fragment of stone staircase and a piece OF
wall built in the ancient herring bone" fashion.
The Norman rema ms are four clustered columns,
embellished with dog teeth There is not much,
comparatively speaking, of commemorative stat
uary at York Minister, and what there is of 10
was placed chiefly in the chancel Archbishop
Scrope who figures among the traitors in Shake
speare's historical play Of Henry w." Was
buried in the Lady Chapel Laurence Stcrnes
grandfather who cha plain 10 Laud, is rep
resented here, in his Archbishop's dress, rcclin-
inn nrdst