International studio (81.1925)

mcGRnACionAL

we feel like begging off and assuring him
that we'd rather read what he has to say
about them than to go there; but when
Howells, writing from York, assures us in
modern American that the city has "all
kinds of streets except straight," we want to
take the first boat for Liverpool. Anticipat-
ing the uprising of a million or so professors,
let it hastily be added that this merely
means that Howells was a better press
agent. The irregularity of the streets is
blamed on the Danes who, finding the city
an honest Roman rectangle, rearranged them
nearer to the Norse desire. Then to further
confuse the few conquered citizens whom
they had not slaughtered, they called the
streets "Gates" so that the real gates of the
city, built in Norman times, had to be called
Bars "or else the stranger might take them
for streets." These Bars arc often handsome
and always historic. There are four of them
along the city walls and in the dubious
language of publicity they are "almost the-
atrically fine." The city walls almost en-
circle the city and one may walk about on
top of them.

The story of Hotspur comes to an end at
one of these city gates known as Mickelgate
Bar. Sir Henry Percy, known as Hotspur
because he was a brave and headstrong
soldier, led an insurrectionary force against
his king, Henry IV. He was killed in battle,
but Henry had his body disinterred, crushed

between two millstones and then beheaded, drawn of the besiegers and were promptly slain "by
and quartered with typical medieval thorough- their brethren in Christ."

ness. The four quarters were exhibited in different Unfortunately York lies just a little beside the
places and the head was hung on Mickelgate Bar path of many tourists, not so much in actual dis-
in York where the king was staying. Henry tance as in their ignorance of history and archi-
summoned Hotspur's father, the Earl of North- tecturc. It is as thickly plastered with gory facts
umberland, to York; and the poor earl made as the west front of the cathedral with ornament,
abject submission to the king. On this cheerful The tourist who goes to Stratford can come back
errand his way lay through the Bar, beneath the home and boast with confidence of a single thing:
head of his favorite son. But this need not have "I have seen the place where Shakespeare was
given the earl any feeling of pride, for so many born." But the tourist who goes to York hardly
heads were exposed on Mickelgate Bar, before knows which fact of its history to pick as the most
and after Hotspur's time, that it was scarcely a dazzling with which to confound his friends at
mark of distinction. home. He cannot say: "I have seen the place

Clifford's Tower is almost as full of bloody where Constantine was crowned emperor, the first
memories as Mickelgate Bar. In 1190 there was English Christian king baptized, Alcuin the
a persecution of the Jews and the Chosen People scholar was the keeper of the library," and so on
took refuge in the Tower. Closely besieged by down to modern times. After Constantine, each
those who would convert or kill them, about five event is bound to partake of the nature of an anti-
hundred killed themselves and their families and climax. Only a Howells can see, alike in the his-
set fire to the tower. The rest chose to save their tory of the city and the architecture of the
lives by professing Christianity, so they emerged minster, an ample spaciousness that gives the
from it with this intention to redeem the promise imagination free play.

Illustrations by courtesy oj the London t'r Northeastern Railway

BEDERN, YORK

JUNE I925

one seventy-nine