indefinite number of persons, with an alderman or steward for the regulation of the brotherhood, and superintendence of the property that might accrue to them. In 1513, during the performance of divine service in this church, the upper part of the tower gave way, and fell through the roof of the building with a tremendous crash, and several individuals lost their lives on the occasion. An inscription relating to this event was placed on one of the pews. The structure did not long remain in ruins, for Sir Richard Rokeby and others entered into a private subscription, and before the year 1530 it was completely restored. The names of some of those who rebuilt or repaired some of the pillars, are recorded upon them, and the above-mentioned inscription, though much defaced, still remains.

As shown above, the parish of St. Nicholas was united to this church in 1667, and both parishes are now in the patronage of the Crown. St. Mary's is valued in the King's Book's at £14. 2s. 8td., and St. Nicholas's at £5. Os. 10d. The present incumbent is the Rev. William Travis Sandys, and the returned value of the living is now £289. per annum.

This splendid church is cruciform in shape, and consists chiefly of a nave with aisles, a transept, and a choir or chancel with aisles, with a massy tower in the centre of the building. Its dimensions are, length of the nave 100 feet, breadth of the nave and aisles 614 feet, length of the chancel from the gates to the altar 76 feet, breadth of the centre aisle of the chancel 25 feet, breadth of the south aisle of the chancel 14 feet 10 inches, and of the north aisle 17 feet 10 inches, height of the nave from the pavement to the under side of the roof 48 feet, height of the tower 99 feet, square of the tower 32 ft.

The various parts of the church contain traces of the Norman, and of all the different styles of Gothic architecture, which renders it evident that it has been rebuilt on nearly the ancient foundations. The west front, which is very beautiful, is entirely of Early Perpendicular composition. It is made into three divisions by two large octangular buttresses, surmounted by lofty turrets of the same shape, exquisitely pierced and richly embattled. A singular feature in these turrets is, that though similar in form they differ in size, the one northernmost being considerably larger than the other. The west entrance consists of a doorway, which, as well as the turrets just mentioned, are but slightly removed from the character of the Decorated style. The mouldings of this doorway are extremely delicate, and have on the outer members a rich line of hanging tracery. Above it is the great west window, which has a transom, and is divided into seven lights by elegant mullions. The sweep of the arch contains a rich profusion of Perpendicular tracery. The remainder of the elevation of this end of the nave is panelled, and the

finish is a pierced battlement, in the centre of which is a crocketed pinnacle, containing a niche, in which is a statuette of the Blessed Virgin holding in her arms the Infant Saviour.

The west window and the upper part of this end of the church were faithfully restored about five years ago. This window, and those of the west end of the side aisles, with the buttresses and battlements of the nave, are of a character somewhat later than that of the west door. At the angles of this front are double buttresses of very rich workmanship, terminating in crocketed pinnacles, with subordinate ones at the sides, and the parapet of the west end of the aisles is pierced. The stone porch on the south side of the nave is very beautiful, and was restored about twenty-five years ago. Each side of it is made into two divisions by buttresses terminating in pinnacles, and in each division are two pointed windows of two lights. The entrance is in the Perpendicular style, and very rich, the spandril of the ogee arch being filled with bosses of masks, foliage, &c.; and on each side is a niche with a canopy. This elegant porch has a groined ceiling of stone; the inner doorway is Early English, with the toothed ornament, and is built against the remains of a high and ancient arch, containing some good Norman chevron work at the top. This side of the nave is in six divisions, the westernmost of which is occupied by the porch just noticed. The next three divisions contain windows with Decorated tracery, though nearly all the other windows, on this side of the church, are of Perpendicular character. The clerestory, which is very high, contains six fine windows, and the remains of six pinnacles placed alternately, which, when perfect, would add much to the general appearance of the church. Mr. Allen thinks that the buttresses of the aisle were formerly attached to the clerestory by flying buttresses. The whole of the church is finished with an open or embattled parapet, except the north side of the nave, which has a plain battlement. The transept ranges in height with the clerestory of the nave, and is similarly adorned, having two series of windows, divided by buttresses ending in pinnacles. In the lower part are two windows, and in the upper three. The doorways to the transept are similar to that of the porch already noticed. Two elegant flying buttresses were erected against the south front of the transept, about two years ago. These buttresses, which were built for the purpose of supporting this part of the fabric, are surmounted by very large and elegant crocketed pinnacles. The windows over the entrances to the transept are each of four lights, with good tracery in their arches. The south side of the chancel exhibits four windows, which, like nearly all the windows in the church, are of three lights. The buttresses are finished with plain caps.

The east end has two octagonal buttresses at the angles, with pyramidal caps crocketed. The east window is of five lights. The north side of the chancel exhibits the projections of chantry chapels, &c. The tower has double buttresses at the angles, a circular window in each face of its first story, and windows of four lights, with a transom, in the upper story. The upper parts of two of these latter windows are disfigured by large clock dials. The tower finishes with a richly embattled parapet, which formerly had crocketed pinnacles at the angles, and three smaller ones in each face, now completely gone. As the pinnacle at the south west corner of the tower has been restored, we presume it is intended to renew them all. This tower contains six bells, with a clock, and chimes that play three tunes. The hours which the chimes announce are eight, twelve, and four. The north door of the nave is very plain. The interior of the church, notwithstanding the elegance of its architecture, has a neglected cheerless appearance, owing in some measure to the three arches between the nave and transept being built up of wood work, the absence of everything in the shape of decoration at the altar, and the old fashioned pews in the nave where divine service is performed. The nave, which is in two stories, is separated from each aisle by an arcade of six arches resting on columns formed by a union of four cylinders with octagonal capitals. Above the point of the arch is a string course, and the spandrils thus formed enclose quatrefoils, with a shield in the centre of each. The windows of the upper or clerestory are half filled with blank panels. The corbels on the pillars which support the north side of the nave, are angels with scrolls in their hands, charged with inscriptions in Old English characters, which are repeated at the back of the columns, some which are much defaced. On the first pillar from the west, facing the nave, is inscribed XLAY; and behind the same, fronting the north aisle, Et Johanne uxoris ejus; on the second, in front, And hys wyfe made thes; and behind, Johis Croslay Mercatoris; on the front of the third, to pyllors and Ahalffe; behind, Orate pro animabus. This is the complete inscription and will read thus when properly connected. In front-Xlay and hys wyfe made thes to

* The celebrated ecclesiastical architect, the late A. W. Pugin, Esq., was the architect for the restorations of St. Mary's Church for several years before his death; and the elegant vane which now surmounts the pinnacle at the south west corner of the tower of the church, was his last drawing. It is well known that Mr. Pugin's reason was dethroned for a brief period before his death, and whilst in a very excited state, on the very night that he was taken to a private asylum at Kensington, Mr. Myers, the builder, in order to retain his attention, reproached him for keeping the scaffolding up at Bever. ley, as they were waiting for drawings. "Give me a pencil," said Pugin, and on the back of a large envelope he designed that vane with great clearness and precision,

pyllors and Ahalffe. Behind-Johis Croslay Mercatoris et Johanne uxor eius orate pro animabus. The fourth pillar in front bears this inscription, Thes to pyllors made gud; on the back, Histarum pro arum * * *m* * the front of the fifth, Wyffys God reward thaym; behind, * * * ite p * * myale **** The inscription on the front of these two pillars is complete, and runs thus:-Thes to Pyllors made Gud Wyffys, God reward thaym-from which it appears that the fourth and fifth pillars were built by the pious ladies of Beverley. The sixth or the easternmost pillar is inscribed :-Thys pyllor made the meynstyrls; and behind, Orate pro animabus pro Hysteriorum; and the upper front or capital is ornamented with the sculptured effigies of five minstrels, dressed in the fashion of the times with short blue coats, red stockings, and yellow girdles and socks. They formerly held musical instruments in their hands, nearly all of which are gone.* The corbels on the pillars on the south side are busts of Bishops, Kings, &c.

The bounding cornice of the clerestory windows rest on corbels, composed chiefly of angels of large size, holding shields, &c. The most perfect of these figures exhibit some beautiful carving. Some of those on the south side appear to have in their hands the various instruments used in the Passion

* A fraternity of Minstrels or gleemen had been established in Beverley during the reign of King Athelstan, and were well supported by their profession for many ages after the Norman Conquest. The minstrels seem to be the descendents of the ancient bards, for they exhibited in one person the musician and the poet, It is stated that the courts of Princes swarmed with poets and minstrels. The King and most of the nobility retained their own minstrels, who wore their respective liveries. The minstrels of Beverley were governed by stated rules, and played at weddings, feasts, fairs, cross days, &c., under the direction of their leader, who was of necessity an Alderman of the borough, They waited for no invitation, but considering admission into the halls of the nobility as an undeniable privilege due to their talents, they entered without ceremony, and seldom departed without a liberal reward. The excessive privileges which the minstrels enjoyed in all parts of the kingdom, and the long continuance of public favour, with the gratuities collected by them, induced great numbers of loose and dissolute persons to join the fraternity, and its reputation became much diminished in the public estimation. These evils became at last so notorious, that in the reign of Edward II., it was found necessary to restrain them by a public edict. In little more than a century afterwards these grievances again became the subject of complaint to the King. In the reign of Elizabeth, the professors of minstrelsy were ranked amongst rogues, vagabonds, and sturdy beggars. The society or guild of minstrels which existed in Beverley, endeavoured, in the reign of Philip and Mary, to restore the credit and respectability of the profession, by a formal establishment of a series of regulations for their future government. In the order for the re-establishment of the fraternity the minstrels are identified with waites, and in the town's records of the period they are styled histriones. This body has left a lasting memorial of their existence in Beverley in the abovementioned pillar, which was undoubtedly erected by them, when the church of St. Mary underwent a thorough repair, after the falling in of the roof in 1513.

of Our Lord. The first perfect figure from the east end has a ladder; the second the crown of thorns; the third holds the spear and reed, with the sponge; the fifth figure has the chalice; the next, the cross; the seventh, the pincers, &c.; the next, the seamless garment; and the ninth represents St. Veronica holding the napkin, upon which is imprinted the features of Our Redeemer. The south pillar of the arch, between the south aisle of the nave and the transept, is very Early English in style, and there is not another pillar or capital in the church of the same pattern. The ceiling of the nave is panelled, and painted of an oak colour, but before the year 1829 it represented a serene sky, with stars of gold. The fine west window of the nave and the west window of the north aisle are filled with elegantly stained glass, executed by Hardman and Co., of Birmingham, from designs by Pugin. The centre figure in the lower tier of the large window represents the Blessed Virgin, with St. James (minor), St. Thomas, and St. Matthias, on her right hand; and St. John, St. Matthew, and St. Simon, on her left. The centre figure in the second tier represents Our Saviour, having St. Peter, St. James (the great), and St. Bartholemew, on his right; and St. Paul, St. Andrew, and St. Philip, on his left hand. The two rows of figures above the bend of the arch represent the Prophets of the Old Law; and those in the top of the window are the Blessed Virgin and the Angel Gabriel (the centre figures), and angels playing upon musical instruments.

Over the west door, and at the sill of this window, is an elegant parapet of open quatrefoils; and on either side of the door is a niche, the pedestal of which exhibits some excellent carving. The subjects of the small window are St. John preaching in the wilderness, St. John baptising Our Saviour, and the beheading of the same Saint. In the tracery at the top are angels holding scrolls, bearing scriptural passages. The niches, &c., of these windows are extremely rich. The costly glazing of both was defrayed by subscription, that of the smaller one being entirely at the expense of the ladies of the town and neighbourhood, and hence is called the Ladies' Window. Both were glazed within the last five years. Beneath the Ladies' Window is the font, a very large octagonal basin, on a similar stand, and a very fine specimen of work in marble. On each face is cinquefoil and quatrefoil tracery, very much defaced by the puritanical rage of the 17th century. Round the ledge is the following inscription, in old English letters:- Pray for the soules of Wyllm Feryffaxe, draper, & his Wyvis whiche made this font of his pper costes, the day of March V., yere of Our Lord MDXXX.

The pulpit, which is octagonal, is fixed against a pillar at the west end of It stands on a base, enriched with some good carving, but which,