Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/862

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YONKERS. 730 YORK. south portion becoming Kingsbridge, which two years later was annexed to New York City. Con- sult: Allison, The History of Yonkers (New York, 1896) ; Sebarf, History of Westchester County (iSIew York, 1886). YONNE, yon. A tributary of the Seine, hav- ing its source in the mountains of Morvan. in the Department of Ni6vre, France (Map: France, K 4). It empties into the Seine from the south, near ilontereau. It becomes navigable at Aux- erre. Length, about 150 miles. YONNE. A north central department of France, formed of portions of Burgundy and Champagne. (Map: France, K 4). Area, 2892 square miles. The department is traversed by the Yonne, a tributary of the Seine, and its surface is undulating or hilly, with many beautiful val- leys. A considerable portion is covered with forest, but more than half of the area is under cultivation, producing large crops of wheat, oats, beets, and potatoes. Vineyards cover about 84.000 acres. The chief mineral product is build- ing stone, and the most important industries are sugar refining, lumbering, and glass manu- facture. Population, in 189G. 332,051!; in 1901, 321,062. Capital, Auxerre. YOR'ICK. ( 1 ) The former jester of the King of Denmark in Shakespeare's Hamlet. The find- ing of his skull in the fifth act suggests to Hamlet the famous apostrophe beginning "Alas, poor Yoriek!" (2) The pseudonym assumed by Laurence Sterne, in most of his works after the publication of Tristram Hhandy. In tliclatter novel he drew a picture of himself which he labeled Pai'son Y'orick, and thereafter even his "Eliza" correspondence was carried on under that nom de plume. YORITOMO MINAMOTO, yu're-to'mo me'- nii-mn't'i (1146 Hill. A .Tajianese warrior and statesman, who played an important part in the struggles for power of the rival military families, the f aira and the Minamoto, to the latter of which he belonged. His father. Yoshitomo, hav- ing been treacherously murdered in 1159 at the in-stance of Kiyouiori, chief of the Taira clan, and at that tiii'e the virtual ruler of the coun- try, Yorito7no fled, but was captured and con- demned by Kiyomori to be beheaded. Spared through the pity of the stepmother of Kiyomori, he was banished to Idzu. There he married the daughter of Hoio Tokimasa, one of his guardians in exile. In 1180. calling around him his father's scattered retainers, and securing the assistance of his father-in-law and the monks of Iliyei- zan (see Kurro), he got toijether an army which lie placcil under the command of his youngest brnther. Y<isliitsime. and proceeded against the Taira. Five years later his enemies were utterly annihilated in a great naval battle off Dan-no-ura, near Shimonoseki. He made Kaniakura his cap- ital, was created Sei-i-tai sbogun in 1192, laid the foundations of the feudal system in .lapan, and became the virtual ruler of the land — nomi- nally un(U'r the Mikado — and the office of shogun became hereilitary in the Minamoto family. He died in 1109 with his great reputation some- what sullied by his cruel treatment of his brother Yosliitsune. See MtXAMOTO Yosnn'.SLNK. YORK. The capital of Yorkshire, England, situated at the junction of the Ouse and Eoss, nearly equidistant from London and Edinburgh (ilap: England, E 3). The city preserves its mediicval aspect with its narrow streets, quaint liouses, ancient gateways, and double walls. The walls inclose a circuit of 2% miles, and along tle tops have formed an interesting promenade from remote times. There are remains or me- morials of Roman towers and temples, and of the earliest British churches. One of the most magnificent of the Anglo-Saxon churches was erected at York in the eighth century, and, de- stroyed by fire, rebuilt, enlarged, and changed from time to tim.e, is now known as York Min- ster. A portion of the original church was dis- interred during excavations in 1829. The pres- ent structure ranks with the finest specimens of Gothic architecture in the world. It was mainly built in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Its lengtli is 525 feet, and its extreme breadth 250 feet. The Roman Catholics have a fine pro- cathedral. The educational institutions include Saint Peter's School, founded in 1557, Arch- liisho]) Ilolgate's free school, dating from Henry VIII., and' the Y^orkshire School for the Blind, conducted in a palace originally Iniilt for the Lord President of the Covmcil of the North. The buihling erected for a fine art exhibition held in 1879 contains a concert-hall and picture galleries. The Yorkshire Pliilosophical Society possesses a h.andsome building and gardens on the site of Saint Mari's Abbey, with a museum, rich in antiquarian relics and specimens illustrative of natural history. There are also the county hos- pital, the first established in England north of the Trent, the lunatic a.sylum, and the Friends' retreat. The ancient castle., with the exception of its imposing ClitTord's tower, is superseded by the modern and commodious assize courts. The Ouildhall. a fine Gothic buihling, was erected in 1446. The government is vested in 12 aldermen and 36 councilors, of whom one is Lord JIayor. The annual rent from the municipal estates yields $18,645. The municipality owns the Foss Canal, provides tugs for towing vessels between Hull and York, and constitutes the Ouse navigation authority. It has built promenades and baths along the river. The city's industries include the making of leather gloves, combs, glass, etc., iron fouiir'iii's. flax-spinning, the manufacture of linen, and the construction of railwaj' carriages. Before the Roman invasion York was one of the chief towns of the Brigantes. the most numer- ous and powerful of the British tribes. It was constituted a Roman station, imder the name of FAmracnm. by Agricola about ..I). 79, and became the principal seat of Roman power in the north, perhaps in all Britain. Here Hadrian lived iind Severus died. Here, too, died Constantius Chlorus, the father of Constantino the Great, and some believe his greater son was l>orn here. Wlien the emperors visited the province, York was their chosen residence. It snITered dur- ing the Ions conflict between the Britons and the Picts. against whose incursions York was a material defense. It afterwards became the capital of Northumliri;^. The first metropolitan church in England was built here by Edwin, the Northumbrian King, wlumi Paulinus ba]itized. Williani the Conqueror was lon<r unable to over- come this stronghold of the north. York has an interesting record, reaching from earlv Norman times down to the Civil War, of