figures chiefly in red robes, with blue backgrounds, and having borders of yellow castles with three turrets (the castle triple-towered or, the arms of Queen Eleanor of Castile), alternating with white cups having covers and handles (referring to the province of Galicia, added to Castile A.D. 1217), all on red grounds.

It will be seen from the diagram, and the photograph of the window, that the central five lights are occupied by the branches of the tree which envelope kings, prophets, New Testament saints, and Fathers of the Church. This tree symbolises the Church, the dwelling-place of the saints, taken no doubt from Ecclus. xxiv, 16, 17: “As the turpentine tree I stretched out my branches, and my branches are the branches of honour and grace. As the vine, brought I forth pleasant savour, and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches."

The late Mr. James Fowler suggests that Pope may have had such a tree in his mind when he penned the opening of his Messiah:

"From Jesse's root behold a braneh arise,

Whose sacred flower with fragrance fills the skies
Th' ethereal spirit o'er its leaves shall move,
And on its top descends the mystic Dove."

;

It will be seen that the central three lights represent the descent of our Lord through the Kings of Judah, from Jesse who occupies the width of the three rights in the lowest part. Samuel, who recognised David as King of Judah, on the 2 r. light, being balanced by Sarasam (one of the Magi), who recognised the Infant Christ as the King of the World, in light 2 1.; whilst Abraham, the founder of the Jewish race, in a 3 r. is balanced by St. Benedict, the founder of the Order to which Selby Abbey belonged, and who was therefore, in the eyes of the monkish artists, quite as important a person, no doubt, as Abraham. The next four spaces in light 2 r., B, C, D, and E, are occupied by the four Major Prophets, who foretold Christ's coming, balanced in 2 1. by four of the principal Latin Fathers, who wrote about Christ after He had come. The next four, F, G, H, and I, in 2 r., and eight in 3 r., contain the twelve Minor Prophets, balanced in the corresponding spaces in 2 1. and 3 1. by eleven of the Apostles and St. Luke the Evangelist.

On the top spaces the Virgin Mary and Infant Christ, in the centre, are supported by Jacob and Joseph on each side, and in 2 r. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, is balanced in 2 1. by St. Peter, who (according to the monkish idea of the time) was the successor of Christ on earth, transmitting his authority to his successors, the Popes. The top space, K, in outer light 3 r., represents St. Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, 418, patron-saint of the Abbey, having been sent by Pope Celestinus in 429 and 447 to Britain to controvert its Pelagian heresy; he is balanced in light 3 1. by St. Paul, the great doctrinal writer of the New Testament.

I think this brief description will show that, making due allowance for the fancies of the period, there is a beautiful harmony of idea running through the composi

tion.

The upper part, or tracery head, of the window is occupied by the subject commonly called a "Doom". In seven of the lower small compartments on each side are kings and other ranks of people rising from beautifully sculptured tombs. In the central large compartment is St. Michael weighing souls, suggested, it is supposed, by the passages, "Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting" (Dan. v, 27); and the following, "At that time shall Michael stand up and they that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake" (Dan. xii, 1 and 2).

On the right is an angel carrying good souls to Heaven, represented by a Church, where another angel stands at the open door to receive them; and on the left is a demon carrying lost souls to Hell, which is represented by red flames. Above all is Christ, seated on a throne as judge, with His right hand raised, and holding the world in His left hand. Below and around are six angels, two of them with six wings ("with twain he covered his face, with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly"), two blowing trumpets, and two flying with the crown of thorns and the nails; whilst in two of the outer panels are representations of the sun, moon, and stars, darkened. Between the "Doom" and the tree there is a shield on each side, that on the right representing the arms of the archbishopric of York, but changed in carrying out the work to those of the Abbey; and on the left the arms of

England used up to the victory of Crecy, 1346, "gules, three lions passant guardant."

The whole window is magnificent in conception, most sumptuous in colour and execution, and the restoration of the lost parts is so perfectly in harmony with the ancient glass as to reflect the highest credit on Messrs. Ward and Hughes, who executed it, on the Rev. A. G. Tweedie, who suggested it and had general charge of the works, and to Mr. Liversidge, who so nobly defrayed the heavy cost. It now only remains to say that the best authorities put the date of the glass at about 1340, which cannot be much later than the stone mullions and tracery; in fact, the glass would no doubt be several years in hand whilst the Church was getting ready for it.

In restoring the window, the artist, Mr. Curtis, of the firm of Ward and Hughes, was guided (1) by the twentyfour ancient figures (marked o in the diagram), which fortunately had the labels attached, and as it could be seen that there was old glass belonging to each light, the colour of background and treatment of the borders was decided; and (2) by the analogy of other windows, especially St. Mary's, Shrewsbury, from which the principal figure, Jesse, was copied line for line.

We now come to the oak bosses of the choir groining, twenty-two of which were photographed, when the scaffolding was up, by the Vicar, from whose negatives they are reproduced in the accompanying Plate.

The twenty-two may be classed thus: A. Four of foliage, viz., (1) ivy; (2) rose; (3) vine; (4) convolvulus. B. Men engaged in agricultural occupations, viz., two digging (5 and 6); one pruning (7); three gathering fruit and flowers (8, 9, and 10); one emptying fruit from a basket (11); and two holding implements of husbandry like flails (12 and 13). c. Fanciful. Girl riding a horse (14); and a man kneeling holding two cups or vases (15), ? offerings to the Abbey; man holding cup or chalice and cover, with grapes and vine leaves round (16); kings kneeling and holding boxes (17 and 18),? Kings of the East offering gifts to the Infant Christ. D. Ecclesiastical. Mitred abbot giving the benediction (19). E. Scriptural. Woman and serpent or dragon (20), ? the dragon waiting to devour the man child when born; Virgin and Child (21).