Ancient_and_modern_York_a_guide

54 ANCIENT AND
" What may be justly called the wonder of the world,"
says Drake, " both for masonry and glazing, is the noble
east window. It is very near the breadth and height of
the middle choir. The upper part is a piece of admirable
tracery ; below which, are one hundred and seventeen
partitions, representing so much of holy writ, that it
almost takes in the whole history of the Bible. This
window was begun to be glazed, at the charge of the dean
and chapter, anno 1405 ; who then contracted with John
Thornton, of Coventry, glazier, to execute it. He was to
receive for his own work four shillings a-week, and to
finish the whole in less than three years. We may sup
pose this man to have been the best artist in his time for
this kind of work, by their sending so far for him. And,
indeed, the window shews it."
The window is 75 feet in height, and 32 in breadth ;
and on the painted glass are displayed representations of
the following subjects :
FIRST PARTITION 1. God represented creating the World, Gen.
chap. i. ver. 1. The Fallen Angels beneath. 2. God's Spirit dividing the
Waters, &c., ver. 2. 3. The Herbs of the Field, ver. 11. 4. Light and Dark
ness, ver. 4 and 5. (This and the precedent pave seem to have been transposed. J
5. Birds and Fishes, ver. 20, 21. 6, Beasts and creeping Things, ver. 24. Adam
made, ver. 26. 7. God with his Face like the Sun in Glory, sitting in the Middle
of his Creation, seeing every Thing was good, ver. 31. 8. Adam and Eve eating
the forbidden Fruit in Faradise ; the Serpent represented with its Head like a
beautiful Woman, chap, iii, ver. 6. 9. An Angel driving them out, ver. 24.
SECOND PARTITION,—1. Cain and Abel in the Field, and the latter slain
by his brother, chap. iv. 8. 2. Noah in his Ark, chap. vii. 7, 3. Noah drunk,
and his three sons, chap. ix. 23. 4. Building of Babel, chap. xi. 5. Melchizedek
blessing Abram, chap. xiv. ver. 19, &c. 6. Isaac blessing Jacob, chap, xxvii.
ver, 28, 29. 7. Meeting of Jacob and Esau, chap, xxviii. ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, &c.
8. Moses and Aaron joining Hand in Hand. 9. Jacob's Sons shewing him
Joseph's bloody coat, Gen. xxxviii, ver. 32.
THIRD PARTITION —1. Moses found by Pharaoh's Daughter, Exodus
chap. ii. ver. 6. 2. God out of the Bush, calling Moses, Moses, Exod. chap, iii,
ver. 4. 3. Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh; the Rod turned into a Serpent,
chap. vii. ver. 10. 4. Pharaoh drowned in the Red Sea, chap, xiv, ver. 28.
5. Moses receiving the Law on Mount Sinai, chap, xx, from ver. 1 to the end of
the 17th. 6. Moses rearing up the Brazen Serpent in the Wilderness, Numbers
xxi, ver 9. 7. Sampson throwing down the House of Dagon on himself and the
Philistines, Judges chap. 16. ver. 29. 8. David killing Goliah with a Sling.
1. Sam. chap, xvii, ver, 49. 9. Joab killing Absalom hanging on the Tree,
2. Sam. chap, xviii. ver. 14.
Under the Gallery is the Mevelation of St. John.