are recorded amongst them until 1688. Then they became deeply implicated with several of the proceedings which led to the approaching revolution. James had sought to introduce the Roman Catholic religion into their city; and with this view he had converted one of the large rooms in the Manor Palace into a chapel, in which the service could be-and, in fact, was-performed according to his faith. This gave great offence to the citizens; and in a general meeting appointed to vote a loyal address to the king on the rumoured landing of the Prince of Orange, they added to their address a petition for a free parliament and for a redress of grievances. On the 19th November the Lord Lieutenant, the Duke of Newcastle, arrived with the intention of presiding at a county opposition meeting; but, finding that several of the deputy-lieutenants had allied themselves with the citizens, he returned to his home disgusted. The meeting, however, took place; but during the proceedings, which were conducted in the Guildhall, news was spread that the papists had rebelled. Away rushed the people from the hall; and in the streets they met the militia, who were on parade, crying, "A free parliament, the Protestant religion, and no popery." Joining their ranks, they secured Sir John Roresby and the regular troops. On the following day they summoned a meeting to declare their then views. On the 24th, following words by action, they plundered the houses and churches of the Catholics, much as their ancestors had plundered those of the Jews. On the 14th December, a month only from the time that they had voted a loyal address to James, they assembled to record their loyalty to William. And hc, the Prince of Orange, was proclaimed king, his consort being hailed as queen, on the 17th February, 1689. CLIFFORD'S TOWER. CHAPTER VI. HE entire circumference of the existing walls of Roman walls measured 1,970 yards and enclosed 50 acres. But they enclosed a celebrated castle, the first castle of York. Athelstan destroyed this castle; and on its site William the Conqueror—having, after the battle of Hastings, subdued the North-erected another, In 1069, on the rebellion of the Saxons and the Danes, the Norman king paid another visit to York; and then it was that he left such permanent traces of his sojourn there, in the destitution of the country round about—from the city itself to Durham. Then also was it that he built, in the little time afforded him by the few hours in eight days, that other fortified building or castle, called, from its position on the Bail Mound, the Bail Tower. Thus there were two castles in York-the castle proper, on the easterly side of the Ouse and the westerly side of the Foss, and the smaller castle on the opposite side of the Ouse But these were insufficient for the purposes of William. He erected yet another fort within the city—a fort that in after years was not only looked up to as a work of art, but was loved and feared as a monument of strength. That fort was Clifford's Tower. Its builder placed it to the north-west of the castle, designing that it should from its position there overawe the entire city, then populated by the Danes. Its position there can be assigned, if to no other reason, to at any rate one-a cogent one. The ground was already raised: the structure, like the Bail Tower, was built on a mound. Some have thought that this mound, which was thirty-three feet in height, had its origin in the custom that once made tumular interment popular—a custom that would seem to have been observed at the remote date when Achan and his family were put to death by Joshua, and subsequently buried under a barrow of stones in the valley of Achor. On the mound in question British kraals used formerly to be; at a later time the Roman and Norman defence and boundary walls occupied their place. Of the latter, there is now nothing remaining but the lower portion of the prison walls on the Foss river-on the right of which may be seen the main postern and sally post of the Norman era. Adjoining this is Clifford's Tower. The walls of the tower are ten feet thick. Its structural plan comprises four segments of circles, joined, varying in diameter from 45 feet to 64 feet. The stone portion of the tower is 39 feet high, its cross-measurements being 78 feet by 81 feet, and its base being in circumference 565 feet. The tower was strengthened as a stronghold by the moat surrounding it: the water in this moat was drawn from the Foss. At this day, the new prison wall, only recently built, hides from view much of the tower; but, before the erection of this wall, a spectator in, say, St. George's Fields, beheld in the tower the most picturesque and graceful of the ruins of medieval architecture in the fine old city of York. Yet so frequent have been the cries for improvement, and so little has been the respect for antiquity, that the tower has had many a struggle for existence. In was only on the late occasion of the enlarging and repairing of the county prison that the ruin escaped this fate-may it be said?— for the last time. But there have been other occasions, in former days, when attempts, as desperate as these, have been made to destroy it. Thus, in the days of Queen Elizabeth, the tower was loudly threatened. And had it not been for the protestations of the Lord Mayor and the Aldermen, the threats would, in all probability, have been performed. In 1596 letters of petition and remonstrance were addressed by that body to Lord Burghley, the Lord High Treasurer; to Sir John Fortescue, the Chancellor of the Exchequer; to the Earl of Cumberland, and to other persons of influence and position by the means of these petitions was the tower saved from destruction. In October of that year they thus addressed the Treasurer and Chancellor : "In most humble wise (we) show unto your Honour that whereas in Trinity term last we did inform your Honour that Robert Redhead, gentleman, gaoler of York Castle, having the herbage of a mount of Her Majesty's lying betwixt the said Castle and the City, within the circuit of the City's walls, upon the top of which mount a tower of Her Majesty's of freestone, of antient building, called Clifford Tower, doth stand, had pulled down some part of the said tower, and did intend the pulling down of the rest, and the stones thereof to take or beat into pieces and burn into lime for his own use, and he had then done a great part of a flanker of freestone built under the Castle, side by some of Her Majesty's noble progenitors, which tower, as it seemeth, was first built for the defence of this City, but now is the most especial ornament for show and beautifying of this City, as well within this City as far into the country, that is within or near unto the same, York Minster only excepted, and would be a great defacing to the show and beauty of this City, if the same should be pulled down, it pleased your Honour at our humble suit to direct your letters to the Most Reverend Father in God my Lord Archbishop of York, his Grace to cause the same tower to be viewed, and to certify to what goodness the same might best (be) employed, and so continued, and that Mr. Redhead might be charged not to proceed any further in pulling down thereof, which his Grace did accomplish, and, as we think, did certify that the same is an especial ornament for the beautifying of this City, and being pulled down will be a great defacing of the same, or to that effect; notwithstanding Mr. Redhead still intending, as we think, the pulling down of the same, hath since got a commission for the viewing of the said tower again to certain of his especial friends, for what purpose we cannot certain learn, but, as we fear, to the end to obtain licence to pull down the same, which not only we but the whole Commons of this City, in regard that the same by the show, building, and height thereof doth so adorn and beautify this City, would be very sorry to have pulled down; and we are very well assured that if Mr. Redhead shall have warrant to pull down the same, he will sell the most part of the stone' |