CHAPTER II. 
North Transept—“The Five Sisters.” 
Grisaille Glass, 13th Century. 
New Transepts—Pointed Windows—“The Five Sisters’’—Geometrical 
Medallions on Grissaile—Ivy and Maple—Condition—Appearance. 
Walter de Gray, a favourite of King John and Henry III., 
became Archbishop of York in 1216. In 1221, Alexander of Scot¬ 
land was married in the Minster to Joan, sister of Henry III. 
Six years later the Pope placed Archbishop William, who died in 
1153, on the Calendar as St. William of York. The erection of a 
larger cathedral was begun, starting with the transepts, which 
were probably completed before 1252, when Alexander III. the 
boy-King of Scotland, was married in the minster to Margaret, 
daughter of the English King. 
Round-headed windows were succeeded by pointed ones. At 
first, these consisted of a single opening, subsequently the windows 
were grouped into two, three or five lights as in the “Five Sisters'' 
window. In the latter the artist-glazier had to grapple with a 
new problem. He had a group of five lights, each 5 feet 1 inch 
wide, and 53 feet 6 inches high, to fill in with painted glass. 
With the instinct of the decorative artist he worked it out in an 
eminently satisfactory manner. The “ Five Sisters ” (fig. 5) consists 
throughout of a light uniform tone, which is termed “ grisaille.” 
This window is a great contrast to those in the Norman minster. 
Bright colours are only used in outlining the medallions which 
rest on a tinted background adorned with naturalistic foliage 
outlined in white on a brown ground. The colours used are 
ruby, blue, green, and yellow. The medallions (restored in figs. 
6, 7, 8, 9, io) 1 are varied in form in each light and alternate in 
colour. The borders have foliage similar to the diaper with a 
coloured margin, and in each light the treatment is varied. In 
the foliage of the central light there appear the iv)^ and maple 
leaves. The fourth and fifth borders have foliage trailed through 
a zig-zag line, whilst the fifth has in addition an inner margin. 
1 For coloured illustrations see Browne’s “York Minster,’’ pis. lxi., lxiii., lxv., 
Lxvii. and lxix. 
