in divers Pofitions, of fome of its finely ftained Windows, and of feveral of its most curious Monuments.

At the Conclufion of this Chapter, he modeftly ftiles the Contents of it, a low Account of this magnificent Fabrick, which indeed, he fays, no Words can represent as it ought to be: He adds, it is a Building of that Magnitude and Extent, that, even in those Ages which affected the erecting of religious Structures, it took near two Centuries to compleat, Since which it has ftood above three more, and hitherto escaped the Teeth of corroding Time by Wind and Weather; or, which is much more deftructive than either of them, Party Zeal. Seeing our Author has fo abhorrent an Idea of this truly abominable. Thing, it might be expected he fhould himself be entirely exempt from it: but it is too plain from many Paffages in the Work before us, that he is not without fome little Tincture of that Spirit which appears fo justly odious to him in others; and I know not whether the following Lines, which enfue immediately after his mention of the hateful Quality, may not be regarded as a Symptom of it in himself: "Let it be "then the Prayers of all good Men, that this glori"ous Building, the great Monument of our Fore"fathers Piety, may never want a Governor, lefs de"voted to its Prefervation, than the two laft actual"ly were, or the prefent feems to be. That this "Fabrick may ftand firm, and tranfmit to late Po❝fterity the Virtues of its Founders; and continue, "what it has long been, not only a fingular Orna❝ment to the City and thefe Northern Parts, but to

the whole Kingdom." This Chapter clofes with an Estimate of the Rents affigned for the Support of this most illuftrious Building, (much, by very much. indeed too small for fo noble a Purpose) and a Memorial of some Attempts of the Sectaries, in the Time of their Sway, 1649, to have facrilegiously alienated them; in which if they had fucceeded, it must long e'er this have been a Heap of Ruins.

In the third Chapter we have a very curious and elaborate Account of the Archiepifcopal See of YORK, its Antiquity, Jurifdiction, &c. as alfo of the Dean and Chapter, their Charters and Liberties, Privileges and Immunities granted to them by divers Kings. The principal Dignitaries of the Cathedral. The Clofe of York, and the Bederne. In treating upon thefe Heads, Mr. Drake confines himself to a Method chalk'd out for him by Mr. Torr, whofe MSS. have been of great Use to him; and confiders, 1. The Archiepifcopal See with respect to its Antiquity, Dignity, Jurifdiction, Revenues, and Primates. 2. The Dean and Chapter. 3. The Dean fole. 4. The Dignitaries. 5. The Canons or Prebends. 6. The Vicars choral. 7. The Parfons or Chantry Priefts. 8. Other inferior Officers. The Antiquity and Primates of the See of York have been already largely infifted on; and therefore what is here faid of the firft, is only a brief Recapitulation of fome Particulars concerning it, for Method's fake; and of the latter, nothing is mentioned but what relates to their Precedency, Jurif diction, Revenues, and fuch like.

Befides the Archbishop, the Ecclefiaftical Eftate of this Church confifted, our Author fays, of a certain Number of Canons fecular, over whom he prefided. These were a Body politick by Prescription, had a common Refectory and Dormitory, and lived upon the Revenues of the Church, enjoyed by them in common. They were first but seven in Number, and ferved at the Altar, for which they had peculiar Rights and Revenues conferred upon them. In the Time of the Danish Wars, and at the Norman Conqueft, they were most of them difperfed into foreign Parts. Infomuch that there were but three of them left when Thomas the firft was preferred to this See. This Prelate recalled those that were fled, rebuilt their ruined Habitations, and appointed one of them a Provoft to govern the reft. In this State they continued, till the faid Thomas made an Alteration in their Conftitution; for he divided the Lands belonging to the Cathedral

347 Cathedral into Prebends, and allotted unto each Canon a particular Portion. From whence they ceafed to live as before, or to eat at one Table. At the fame time, for the better governing of the Church, he inftituted a Dean, Treasurer and Chanter to prefide over

it.

Great Immunities and Privileges were granted to this Temple and its Minifters, by the Charters of Hen. I. and his Succeffors. Our Author has favoured us with a very particular Detail of them. We have afterwards the following Catalogues, I. Of the Towns, Prebendal and others, over which the Dean and Chapter of York have Jurifdiction in some respect. II. Ot the Parishes and Towns wherein they have all manner of fpiritual Jurifdiction. III. Of Churches in the City of York, which are, or were, in the Gift, and of the Jurifdiction of the Dean and Chapter. IV. Of Houses in the faid City and its Suburbs under their Jurifdiction. To thefe is fubjoined an Estimate of their Rents and Incomes, wherein is included their Eftate in Fleetftreet, London; which is that lately ftiled Serjeant's-Inn, juft now converted into a moft beautiful Court of private Buildings. We have then a Valuation of the firft Fruits of the Chapter in the King's Books, viz. 4391. 2s. 6d. The Arms of the Dean and Chapter, which are Gules, two Keys in Saltire Or; and a large Abftract from Sir T. Widdrington's Manufcript, relating to fome Differences arifing betwixt the Dean and Chapter, and the City. These are fucceeded by an Account of the Dean of York, his Dignity, Function, Obligations, and Revenues; together with a Lift of all that have been preferr'd to that Office from the firft Creation of it to the Year 1728. As many of these have been Men of great Rank in their Time, and have rose from this Station to fome of the firft Places in Church and State, our Author has undertaken to furnish us with fome brief Memorials of them. He next acquaints us with the Office, Oath, and Revenues of the Precentor, the

Chancellor and Treasurer of this Church; with Lifts of all those who have held thefe Employments.

And now, after what he has faid of the four principal Dignitaries of this Cathedral, Mr. Drake fhould proceed to the rest of its Ecclefiaftical Officers, as Sub-deans, Sub-chantors, Arch-deacons, Canons or Prebends, Vicars choral, Parfons or Chantry Priefts; but as this would require a large Volume of itself, and the Arch-deacons and Prebendaries have been lately published by Mr. Willis, he declines taking notice of them here. However, he gives an Account of the Refidentiaries, at prefent and formerly belonging to it, and fpecifies their ancient Rules, Cuftoms and Ordinances. The Refidue of the Chapter is taken up with a Defcription of the Church-Clofe, commonly called the Minster-yard; and fome Memorials relating to the Churches, Free-fchool, Treafurer's Houle, St. William's College, Archiepifcopal Palace, Deanry, Register-Office, and other Houfes of Note therein contained; and of the Bedern, or College of Vicars-choral: Under this laft Head he fettles the Etymology of the word Bedern, informs us concerning the Office and Duty of the Vicars-choral, as likewife when and by whom this College of them was founded, what are the Rules of their Inftitution, what their Revenues are, and what their State has been, both in later and elder Times.

The fourth Chapter of this Part, which is the laft of the whole Work, contains a very ample and particular Hiftory of St. MARY'S ABBEY, from its Foundation to its Diffolution; as likewife, the prefent State of the King's Manor, as it is now called, at YORK. This noble and magnificent Monaftry, anciently, as Mr. Drake fays, one of the Glories of York, was deliciously fituated under the Walls without, and on the North Side of the Town. Leland tells us, that the Place whereon it was built, was, before the Conqueror's Time, a Receptacle of the Filth of the Streets and Houfes which the Citizens were ufed to lay there, and that Malefactors were there executed. How

349 ever that be, our Author fays it is a fpacious Spot of Ground, almoft fquare, and is inclosed, on the North and Eaft Sides, with a fair and ftately Wall; on the Weft with the River Oufe, and on the South with the Rampire and Walls of the City. The whole Circumference, by an exact Menfuration, is one thousand two hundred and eighty Yards, or about three quarters of a Mile. In the Abbey Wall were only two principal Gates; the one on the East Side, opening into Bootham, near the Gate of the City; the other on the North Side, which feems to have been the main Entrance into the Abbey. At the Diffolution of Monaftries, this rich and ftately Stru&ture, with all its Endowments, fell to the Crown. And here it was that Henry VIII. ordered a Palace to be built out of its Ruins, which was to be the Refidence of the Lord Prefidents of the North for the Time being, and called the King's Manor: that the very Name and Memory of the Abbey might be loft for ever. It remained in that State, Mr. Drake tells us, till the Reign of James I. who, at his firft coming to York, gave Orders to have it repaired and con-verted into a Regal Palace; intending to make use of it as fuch, whenever he fhould pass or repafs that Way. However, it continued to be the Seat of the Lord Prefident's to, the laft. After the Abolition of that Office it belonged ftill to the Crown; and when Charles II. took fome Difpleafure at the City, and ap pointed a Governor over it, this Houfe was the Refidence of that Officer. In the Reign of his Suce ceffor, a large Room of it was fitted up, and made ufe of as a Popish Chapel. But it was not long before the enraged Populace pulled it to pieces; ar id this confecrated Apartment has fince had the Fate, in our Days, to be converted into an Affembly-Room for the meeting of the Nobility and Gentry at the Rac es, as alfo for the entertaining of the Judges at the A1 zes. After the Revolution, Robert Waller, Eq; fome time Lord-Mayor, and Reprefentive in Parl iament for the City, found means to procure a Le afe

of