Ancient_and_modern_York_a_guide

46 ANCIENT AND
foundations of this building, or as it has been conjectured,
of the church, erected by King Edwin, were discovered ;
and plans of the Saxon choir were during the necessary
excavations made. " After this deplorable conflagration,"
remarks Mr. Browne, " and while workmen were employed
in removing the remnants of the sleeping timbers, and the
walls that had supported the prebendal stalls, the atten
tion of the author, who was in examining those walls, in
search of ancient moulded or carved stones, was arrested
by a stone at the east end of the wall on the south side of
the choir. The stone showed part of an abacus ; and a
little of the surrounding rubbish being removed, a perfect
capital became visible. This was immediately pointed out
to the master mason, who ordered some of the workmen
to raise it ; but, on attempting this, they found it to be
firmly fixed in a wall of good ashlar. The circumstance
being reported to the reverend canon then in residence, the
workmen were desired to ascertain fully the extent of what
had been thus accidentally discovered ; and it was found
to be a portion of a cluster of three capitals, with cylinders
and bases, fixed into a good ashlar wall. A further search
was ordered to be made, and this led ultimately to an
excavation of nearly the whole of the choir, and to the
exposure of valuable and interesting remains of former
edifices. As the excavation was confined to the choirportion
of the present church, and extended not to the
large transepts and the nave, it is evident that plans of
the entire forms of structures that may have been erected
previous to the present building could not be obtained,
and although a greater extent of the present choir-portion
was exposed than is now to be seen, yet limits to the
investigation were necessarily placed, by the fear of vio
lating the sacred chambers of the dead."
After the fire in the reign of Stephen, to which we have
adverted, some vigorous efforts were made to further the
restoration of the ruined Cathedral. Joceline, bishop of
Sarum, granted an indulgence to penitents, who contri