We have it by Bede that on the site of the wooden church, in which the
baptism was conducted by Paulinus, Edwin erected "a large and more noble
basilica of stone," dedicated to St. Peter; but, as we have seen, the
work was interrupted by the untimely death of the founder. Finally it
was repaired by Archbishop Wilfrid, the third prelate to succeed to the
government of the See and provinces. His predecessor had been Cedda, who
had been appointed on the death of Paulinus in Kent. The establishment
was continued on its original lines by Wilfrid and his successors till
the Norman Conquest. In the meantime York, under Archbishop Egbert, from
730 to 766, became a most celebrated centre of learning, and reached to
its height under Alcuin. The former had repaired the ravages caused by
fire in 741 to the Cathedral, which is described by Alcuin as "a most
magnificent basilica." The city fell into the hands of the Danes. They
soon made it an important seat of commerce, and constituted it the
capital of the Danish jarl. In 1050 the Abbey of St. Mary's was founded
by Siward, who is supposed to have died at York five years later and to
have been buried in St. Olave's Church. William the Conqueror then
seized York in 1068 and erected a tower. The new condition of things was
not allowed to remain long. Sweyn, in the following year, sent his two
sons, Harold and Canute, with a numerous following of Danes. They
disembarked on the shores of the Humber, and, joined by Edgar Atheling
and his army, advanced to York, laying waste the land they passed
through. To prevent the enemy from fortifying itself, the garrison fired
the houses in the suburbs; but the flames were fanned by a strong wind
into a devastating conflagration, in the midst of which the Danes
entered and put to the sword the whole Norman garrison. This slaughter
was eventually punished by the Conqueror, who, harbouring a suspicion of
treachery on the part of the citizens, reduced them to his idea of
submission by burning the city about their ears and desolating the
neighbouring country from the Humber to the Tyne. Nevertheless the city
gradually recovered in the two succeeding reigns. Archbishop Thomas
endeavoured to patch up the Cathedral, but eventually pulled it down and
rebuilt it. The city continued to advance in prosperity in spite of many
attacks from the Scots. In 1088 William Rufus laid the first stone for a
large monastery for the Benedictine Order, which was dedicated to St.
Mary.
[Illustration: YORK