Ancient_and_modern_York_a_guide
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MODERN YORK. 99<br />
called the King's manor. James I. on his first coming<br />
to <strong>York</strong>, gave orders for it to be repaired <strong>and</strong> converted<br />
into a royal palace, intending to use it as such on going to<br />
<strong>and</strong> from Scotl<strong>and</strong>; <strong>and</strong> it continued to be the seats of the<br />
Lord Presidents till the suppression of the Northern<br />
council. The remains of the abbey suffered much in the<br />
siege of <strong>York</strong> 1644, <strong>and</strong> in 1701 the magistrates of the<br />
county obtained permission from the crown to employ part<br />
of the materials in building the county gaol! In 1705,<br />
another portion was granted to the parish of St. Olave for<br />
the repairs of that church; <strong>and</strong> in 1717, the corporation<br />
of Beverley got permission, for the space of three years,<br />
to take away as much of the stone of the fabric as they<br />
required to repair Beverley Minster. So little care was<br />
taken to preserve the remains of the abbey in later times,<br />
that a person was suffered by enlightened utilitarians to<br />
erect a lime kiln near the venerable pile, <strong>and</strong> burn<br />
its stones into lime ! Indeed it is probable that in a few<br />
years the ruins would altogether have disappeared but for<br />
the exertions of the <strong>York</strong>shire Philosophical Society, which<br />
in the year 1826 obtained a grant from the crown of three<br />
acres of l<strong>and</strong> on the manor shore including the remains of<br />
the abbey ; Lord Grantham (Earl de Grey) whose family<br />
held the whole of the ancient close of the abbey, having,<br />
in the h<strong>and</strong>somest manner relinquished the portion which<br />
the Philosophical Society wished to possess. The mem<br />
bers have taken every step possible, to preserve the ruins,<br />
<strong>and</strong> arrest the progress of decay; <strong>and</strong> have had the found<br />
ation accurately measured <strong>and</strong> the grounds carefully exca<br />
vated, for the purpose of obtaining remains of the abbey<br />
<strong>and</strong> of ascertaining its precise position. The north wall of<br />
the nave of the conventual church still st<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> exhibits<br />
eight windows, the lights <strong>and</strong> tracery of which, varied<br />
alternately, are remarkably beautiful. Beneath each of<br />
the windows were three canopied niches of bold tracery.<br />
Portion of the western front yet remains <strong>and</strong> is universally<br />
admired. When in a perfect state it must have been
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