Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
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16<br />
ST. JOHN OF BEVERLEY.<br />
beneath the fifth diamond-shaped slab of black marble<br />
westward from the central tower, and exactly below the<br />
second boss or keystone in the groining of the roof.<br />
AboutJuly, 1868, the workmen occupied in cleansingand<br />
scraping the ceiling immediately over the repository of<br />
the saintly relics, brought to view the followinginscription,<br />
which was previouslyknown to be there under the<br />
limewash: — " Beverlacen sis beati Johann, is subtus in<br />
theca ponuntur ossa." (Beneath, in a vault, are contained<br />
the bones of Blessed John of Beverley.) This<br />
inscription has been restored,and is always an object of<br />
inquiry by visitors.<br />
In Alban Butler's " Lives of the Saints " we are told<br />
that the mortal remains of Saint John of Beverley, which,<br />
before the Reformation, wereplaced under a costly shrine,<br />
were hid in the nave of thechurch in the beginningof the<br />
reign ofEdward VI. This must be incorrect, unless the<br />
relics were taken up between1197 and 1644.<br />
Numerous lives of Saint John of Beverley have been<br />
written. The first was by Bede in his Ecclesiastical<br />
History. Next was that of Folcard, a Benedictine monk,<br />
written in Latin about 1066. Afterwards came those of<br />
Alured of Beverley,1120 (the manuscript of whichhistory<br />
is in the Cotton collection);Asketal of Beverley,1320;<br />
an anonymous author, 1373 ; Fuller, 1660; Thomas<br />
Gent, 1732 ; andDrake, 1736.