22 A MEDIEVAL CITY

popular. To the north and south of the . Central
Tower are the Transepts. From the North Transept
the Vestibule leads to the Chapter House. The
church is, therefore, of the shape of a cross (the
centre of which is marked by the Central Tower)
with an octagonal building standing near and
connected with the northern arm.

The furniture was of wood and elaborately
carved. In the Choir w^ere the fixed stalls with
towering canopies, and other seats, which were
ranged along the north and south sides and at the
west end. Chapels were marked off by wooden
screens, often of elaborate tracer}^.

The cost of erecting this huge and splendid
church must have been enormous. The Minster
contained the shrine of St. William of York,
which, like those of St. Cuthbert at Durham and
St. Thomas at Canterbury of European fame,
attracted streams of pilgrims, whose donations
helped the funds of erection and maintenance. This
was an established means of raising funds for
church purposes. There was, also, the money from
penances and indulgences. The Archbishops were
keenty interested in their cathedral church. Citizens
gave and bequeathed sums of money to the Minster
funds.. In addition, the Minster authorities received
gifts from wealthy nobles of the north of England.
The house of Vavasour, for instance, supplied
stone ; that of Percy gave wood to be used in
building the great metropolitical church. If the
money cost wras enormous, the completed building,
for design, engineering, and decorative work—in
stone, wood, cloth, stained glass—was far beyond
monetary value.

The Nave, the part open, to the public, was used
for processions; some started from the great west