REMARKS ON BEVERLEY MINSTER.

IN Poulson's history of Beverley, called from its publisher, "Scaum's Beverlac," is contained a full account of the most important particulars connected with the monastery and church dedicated to St. John the Baptist, founded by the archbishop of York, who was afterwards called St. John de Beverley. As my design is rather to dwell upon the architectural features of the present building than upon its past history, I shall content myself with making a few extracts from the work I have mentioned, in order to shew the nature and dignity of the establishment with which it was connected.

The collegiate society appears, as instituted (I should perhaps say confirmed) by King Athelstan, (A.D. 938,) to have consisted of seven presbyters, to be canons secular; seven clerks called berefellarii. By Alfric, archbishop of York, (A.D. 1037,) were added, a precentor, chancellor, and sacrist; one canon called the eighth canon, with his one vicar. By Thomas, archbishop of York, in the fifth year of William the Conqueror, (A.D. 1070,) a provost. By Thurstan, archbishop of York, a ninth canon, of which the archbishop pro tempore received the profits, and was called the archbishop's prebend; one vicar. The society therefore in the reign of Stephen would consist of a provost, nine canons, of which the archbishop was one, nine canons' vicars, seven clerks called berefellarii, one precentor, one chancellor, one sacrist.

In the statutes made by Archbishop Arundel (A.D. 1320) for the government of the collegiate church of Beverley, we find besides the above, some inferior officers mentioned. The following is the list given: nine canons and prebendaries, the lord archbishop of York, who is a proper canon and prebendary, to be distinguished as president of them all when he shall be present; including also the canon and prebendary which is called the eighth; also three officers, viz., precentor, chancellor, and sacrist, and seven parsons who were formerly called berefellarii; nine vicars, seven chantry chaplains, nine

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canons' clerks, one precentor's clerk; also seven clerks of the before-named seven parsons, two thuribulars, eight chorister boys, also two sacrist's clerks, and two vergers or bellringers.

Mr. Poulson (from whose work I have taken the above account) gives a document describing the situation of the provostry at the commencement of the fifteenth century, with the rights and privileges attached to it, and concludes, "It is not surprising that this dignity should be sought after by the aspirants to places of trust and honour. The persons who executed the duties of this important situation were vested with the powers of spiritual and temporal lords. In the former character they held their regular visitations by themselves or their officials; they instituted, presented, and deprived, the various clergy of their provostry, and demanded of them spiritual obedience. obedience. In the latter they were to all intents and purposes feudal lords, throughout the whole of their fee. They exercised the right of raising tolls, levying fines for breaches of the peace, and having a court of record, of deciding both civil and criminal causes. This description of the provostry in the fifteenth century may be considered a representation of it in its complete state, and at the height of its glory; and in this condition it continued till the dissolution." In the list of provosts we notice the names of many persons who afterwards became eminent as bishops and archbishops, among their number is Thomas à Becket.

Considerable importance must also have been attached to the church of St. John by the privilege of sanctuary connected with it. Poulson gives a very curious document, viz., the original registry of persons who sought sanctuary at Beverley, specifying the nature of the crimes they had committed, with the oath taken by those who sought "its peace within its mile." A stone chair, supposed to have been the fridstool, or seat by the occupation of which a person claimed sanctuary, still remains in the north aisle of the choir. Any inscription it may have borne is obliterated.

I shall now extract two passages which bear upon the architectural history of the building.

"In the last year of King Henry II. a calamity of a most serious and terrific nature befel the collegiate society of St. John. The conflagration of the church on the night following the feast of St. Matthew the Apostle, (Sept. 21,)

A.D. 1188. No records are left from which the cause of this melancholy event can be ascertained, or the proceedings of the clergy upon the occasion."

My next extract also refers to a period of some importance in the progress of ecclesiastical architecture.

"A.D. 1311. Rymer has published, in the Fœdera, a writ issued to sheriffs, bailiffs, &c., in the fourth year of Edward II., for the purpose of arresting those who feigned themselves procurators, or messengers of the chapter of Beverley. It sets forth, that serious complaint had been made by the chapter of Beverley, that persons were traversing certain parts of England, Wales, and Ireland, falsely representing themselves messengers and procurators of the same chapter; that they had begged and received from divers persons, money, cattle, legacies, and other goods, for the use of the fabric and chest of blessed John of Beverley, and that these things were not appropriated to the uses intended, but illicitly and fraudulently applied to their own purposes, to the manifest detriment of the said chest, and delay of completion of the said fabric." This passage should be borne in mind, as it may perhaps help us to account for some of the peculiarities which will be noticed in the structure.

The plan of the church comprehends a nave with north and south aisle and a north porch; north and south transepts at the principal intersection, each having an eastern and a western aisle; a choir with an intersection eastward of the principal one, both the north and south transept of which has an eastern aisle. The choir, between the two intersections, has a north and south aisle, but eastward of the smaller transept it has no south aisle, and a small sepulchral chapel or chantry occupies the place of a north aisle.

The dimensions of the church are as follows: