54 ATKINSON: HISTORY AND OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY. 
high position among the monastic houses of its own district, 
where it could have no rival of its own order except the house 
of St. Mary of York. Selby and St. Mary's stand alone in 
their own reputation as Benedictine houses of the first rank, 
and of these two, Selby stands alone as having its church pre- 
served in an all but perfect state= And the Minster of Selby 
is in truth a building worthy of a unique position. In outline 
it is certainly lacking; the western towers were never 
carried up; the south transept is gone — the only mutilation 
of the church itself, as distinguished from the utter sweep- 
ing away of the conventual buildings which joined it on the 
south side." And even this mutilation was negative rather 
than positive. The ancient central tower fell in the year 
1690, and crushed the south transept. The tower was 
rebuilt in the mean style of the time ; the transept was not 
rebuilt at all. Down to that time the whole of the building 
must have been perfect. As we see it now, the general 
aspect of bulk and stateliness which is the impression the 
church gives at the first glimpse from the railway, is not 
belied on a nearer examination. In the lantern and sur- 
viving transept we have the remains of the original Norman 
building. The nave in its full length is one of the richest 
and most varied examples of the Transition, exhibiting a 
feature shared by some other churches of the same region. 
In single bay do the south side and the north agree. Some 
difference or other seems to have been studiously made 
between each arch and the arch opposite to it. It is this part 
of the building which supplies the greatest study of remark- 
able architectural forms. It is one which it would be in- 
structive to compare with the contemporary nave of Worksop 
in the same diocese, though not in the same shire. But in 
most eyes the glory of Selby will be its choir, ending in a 
window which may claim at least the second place of its 
own class in England, and therefore in the world. Like 
