year 1710, it had like to have fallen, and become as a chaos of confusion, especially the north-east part of the great cross, with others adjoining, that depended upon one another, which, had such a deplorable accident happened, might have very much endamaged the choir.

"But, through the happy interposition of John Moyser, Esq. who procured a successful brief, assisted by the advice of Nicholas Hawksmore, Esq. famous for his knowledge in architecture; encouraged by King George the First, who granted towards its repair some of the stones of St. Mary's Abbey, York; and Sir Michael Warton, who not only gave in his life-time 500l. but bequeathed 4000l. more, which happily increased by the

rise

rise of the South-Sea Stock, and escaped that dreadful storm that afterwards happened on that unfathomable ocean:

"All these powerful assistances enabled the Gentlemen entrusted to restore, as it were, this famous church to its ancient splendor,-the admiration of all that behold it at this day.

"When the present beautiful pavement of the church was beginning to be laid, the aforesaid relics were again taken up, till an arched repository of bricks was made, in which they were replaced, with this new addition to the ancient inscription.

"To describe all its present beauties; the aforesaid pavement, in the body

body of the church, margined with black marble; that, in the choir, still more exquisitely fine, in form of a hexagon or cube; the altar, built after the Corinthian order, (up to which is an ascent of five or six steps, and curiously arched above, with the emblem of St. John behind,) the table being of fine white marble, presented to the church by John Moyser, Esq.; the lesser cross on each side; that part on the South, now a place to transact parish-affairs, and some of the North, made the vestry; the place, called sanctum sanctorum, handsomely paved with stones of two colours; the beautiful marble monument under the great east window, in honour of Sir Michael Warton, erected at the expence of his grateful executor, Sir Michael Newton, Knt.; the screen at

the

the back of (and ancient decayed spirework, like canopies) over the stalls, artfully mended and, supplied; the carved screen of fine white Rocheabbey stone, dividing the choir from the western part of the church, done after the old Gothic order; the new pulpit, desk, and cover of the font, of agate-stone, which was removed from the west end to the south wall; the nicely-contrived seats, with neat galleries for the parishioners in the side-aisles, of the Doric order, resembling those of St. Alban's at Rome, supported by pillars of wood, without any damage to those of stone, which uphold the church; the large effigies of the four Evangelists, St. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, with their emblems beneath, which adorn the inner side of the great west door;

up

up to which, on the outer, are new and handsome round steps of fair and white stone; to tell how wonderfully the late ingenious Mr. Thornton, of York, contrived an engine to screw up, perpendicular, the wall aforesaid, that before hung over three feet and a half; how a great part of the large cross, from whence the painted window of St. Martin had been taken, was nobly rebuilt, and the outside and towers, especially from the west end of the south side to the door, repaired; truly to give all these their just encomiums would swell my volume to a greater degree than designed.”

Mr. Ward has forgot to mention the great endowments bestowed upon this minster by the Pennyman's family, or to describe the beautiful chapel