practicalguideto00unse_0

15
completed till 1400. The present main or central lantern-tower
was commenced about 1405, by recasing and enlarging the
height of the bell-tower of John le Romayne. The bells were
taken down, and lay idle thirty years. Being necessary to find
another place for them, it was decided to build two towers at the
west end. The south-west tower in which are the bells was
commenced about 1432, by John de Bermyngham, treasurer.
The north-west tower, in which the great bell "Peter" is
hung, was completed about 1470. In 1472, the edifice as it
now stands being finished was duly reconsecrated on the 8rd
February, by Archbishop Neville. This day was afterwards
observed as the feast of the dedication. The whole time
occupied in the erection of the present building being about
two hundred and forty-four years. From this period to the
Eeformation there does not seem to have been much alteration
;
but, at the change in the form of worship in Henry
VIII.'s time, most of the chantries (forty in number) and
altars, with the shrine of St. William, were removed. Some
of these were again restored in Queen Mary's time. During
the Commonwealth it suffered comparatively little, though it
is said that Cromwell quartered his cavalry in the Minster,
the nave being turned into stables for the horses, at which
time a great deal of the ancient glass was ruthlessly destroyed.
In 1736, the present pavement was laid down under the
direction of the Earl of Burlington.
On September 23rd, 1828, a musical festival was held in
the nave, for the benefit of the Hospital at York and the
Infirmaries at Leeds, Sheffield, and Hull, when ^7200 was
realised. There were two hundred and eighty-five vocal and
one hundred and eighty instrumental performers. In September
of 1825, a second festival was held ; and again, in the
corresponding month of 1828, a third festival, at which two
hundred instrumental and three hundred and sixty-three vocal
performers discoursed sacred music from the oratorios.
On February 2nd, 1829, the choir was set on fire by
Jonathan Martin, who had concealed himself after evening
service on the previous day (Sunday) behind Archbishop
Grenefield's tomb, in the eastern aisle of the north transept.
The choir was completely gutted ; the beautiful carved woodwork,
stalls, pulpit, organ, archbishop's throne, roof, and a
^reat quantity of the stonework being destroyed. The east