12 
THE ANCIENT GLASS IN YORK MINSTER. 
once. As it is examined it becomes more and more beautiful and 
interesting the longer it is studied. 
In the Chapter House heraldry is introduced and largely used 
as a decorative feature on the glass in the tracery and in the 
window borders. The tracery glass is adorned with pairs of 
shields, arranged vertically, and bearing the arms of the King, his 
relatives, and members of the Court. Some of the shields are 
represented in square panels, the spandrils at the base being filled 
with heraldic devices. The King's shield has a fleur-de-lys on each 
side in honour of his second queen, Margaret of France, whilst 
that of France, for Queen Margaret, has the foliage of the Oak 
for England, in honour of her husband. 
The colouring of the shields on the glass is in strict accord¬ 
ance with the science of Heraldry. The tinctures comprise two 
metals, five colours and eight furs. The metals are gold (or) 
and silver (argent), the colour of the glass itself suggesting the 
latter, and yellow the former. The colours are blue (azure), red 
(gules), black (sable), green (vert), and purple (purpure). The 
rule is to put colour on metal, or metal on colour. The furs are 
the ermine: black on white (ermine), white on black (ermines), 
black on gold (erminois), gold on black (pean) ; the others are 
termed vair and counter-vair, potent and counter-potent. 
The erection of the Chapter House is not recorded. Edward I. 
spent three days in York during the August of 1280, and probably 
Hid the foundation stone of the Chapter House. The King and 
Queen Eleanor were present at the translation of the remains of 
St. William in the Minster on January 6th, 1284. In Lent 1291, 
the King and Prince Edward made offerings to the Queen's 
memory at the high altar of the Minster. On April 6th the 
foundation stone of a new nave was laid by Archbishop Romanus, 
possibly in place of the King, who was then mourning for his 
beloved Eleanor who had died about four months previously. 
The King's affection for his queen was shown by the erection of a 
cross at each place where the body rested on its way from Lincoln 
to the burial place at Westminster. 
In 1296, John Baliol, King of Scotland, renounced his allegiance 
to Edward I., who at once set out to bring Scotland under his 
rule, and made York the base of operations for that purpose. The 
Scottish King was taken prisoner. Subsequently the Scots re¬ 
belled under Wallace, and defeated the English at Stirling. 
Edward summoned his nobles to meet him with their forces at 
