The history of York Abbey is heartbreaking to lovers of art--for from every standpoint St Mary’s church stood as a perfect type of English work. How few people realise that within a few hundred yards of the world-famed minster are the remains of what was architecturally a far more glorious structure, and which, though not so great in length, possessed more beauty of workmanship than the venerable minster. English Gothic was at the height of its perfection when, in 1270, Abbot Simon of Warwick rebuilt the Abbey. Norman and French influences had entirely vanished to be superseded by the light and graceful outlines of Early English architectural work. The west front is less perfect than the rest of the building, and is believed to be part of the earlier structure previous to Abbot Simon’s rebuilding. There are still to be seen the fast mouldering wall of the north nave aisle--a portion of the west end, and one tower pillar, which, alas, has been cut off to about half of its original height. The foundations of the east arm of the church are now exposed--for which we must again thank the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. There are also a few stones left of the chapter-house, and this is all there is with which we can conjure up a faint idea of what this abbey must have been in the noontide of its glory. We must be grateful that it is now in the care of loving hands, and will henceforth stand as a lasting memory of an ancient house of learning and hospitality, and also of the most perfect and consummate architecture known to the Christian world. BYLAND (_Cistercian_) 1134, Gerald, an abbot, leaves Furness Abbey, with twelve Brothers, for Calder--1137, Depredations of the Scots compel their return to the mother abbey, where they are refused admission--The brotherhood comes under the protection of Gundreda de Albini and Roger de Mowbray--1142, Gerald journeys to Savigny, where he renounces his allegiance to Furness--dies at York, and Robert, the Hermit of Hode, succeeds him--1143, The Brotherhood removes to Byland-on-the-Moor, and remains there five years--1148, During a thirty years’ sojourn at Stocking, a church and cloister built--1177, The community remove to the present site at Byland--1322, Byland sacked by the Scots under Bruce--1540, The Abbot of Byland surrenders to Henry VIII. Annual revenue, £238, 9s. 4d.