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of cianopied work—that of Archbishop Walter de Grey, the
founder of this portion of the Cathedral. A model of this
beautiful work was made a few years ago, and placed in the
South Kensington Museum. It consists of two tiers of trefoil
arches, supported by nine slender columns of black marble,
eight feet high, with moulded bases and capitals covered with
foliage, a similar ornament being on the spandrils ; these
sustain a canopy of eight arches, with crocketed pediments,
capped with most elaborate finials, each having representations
of thrushes in full song, resting upon packs of wool.
Perpetually lying in state, under this enriched canopy, rests
the archbishop, dressed in the full canonicals of cope, tunic,
dalmatic, and alb ;
the middle fingers of the right-hand are
raised as in the act of benediction, the left holds the pastoral
staff, whilst the feet are trampHng on a dragon. The whole
is enclosed in iron railing of similarly rich and elaborate workmanship.
Beyond this, on the north, is a coffin-shaped
tomb, under a canopy of trefoil arches, said to have been
erected to the memory of Archbishop Godfrey de Ludham,
who died in 1265. At the south corner of the western aisle,
is the door-way through which the ascent to the top of the great
central-tower is made. At the other end of this aisle is placed
the font, of dark shell marble, under a heavy suspended cover
of modern woodwork.
The great Central Tower from floor to ceiling, which
is covered with beautiful tracery, is 180 feet high. The
four huge pillars, with their capitals adorned with sculptured
foliage, together with the loftiness (109 feet) of
the gigantic arches, form a very striking effect. In the
spandrils of the arches are coats-of-arms : on the south, those
of the Chapter of York and Walter Skirlaw, Bishop of Durham
;
on the west, of France, with England and Edward the
Confessor ; on the north, of the Saxon kings Edwin and Edward,
the martyr ; on the east, of the See of York and St. Wilfrid.
Over the apex of the arches (inside) runs a projecting string
course, with angle brackets, supporting a rich arcade with
parapet, having a stone gallery, all of which go round the
tower. The tower is lighted on each side with two lofty
perpendicular windows, filled with plain cathedral glass.
North Transept.—This is similar in design to the south
transept, being Early English, but more advanced in style,