The St.Martin Window, St.Martin-Le-Grand, Coney Street, York

The Saint Martin Window
This was formerly the West Window of the Nave. In its present setting in the new North Wall it extends nearly to ground level, and its detail can be seen clearly. Subject Panels: These show thirteen scenes from the life of St Martin of Tours, around a double height picture of the saint.		There are 20 tracery compartments, the largest showing the nine orders of angels. Much of the detail dates from the 1871 resoration by Knowles of York. Donor Panel of Robert Semer
Date: c.1442	Height: 31 ft. 0 ins.; Width 13 ft. 5 ins.	Restored: 1965-7

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St Martin casts out the devil The saint, dressed as a bishop, drives out the devil from a child held by its parent. (This panel has no inscription; perhaps this description of its subject is conjectural. It could represent Martin restoring speech to a dumb child.)

	St Martin kneeling at an altar He is surrounded by clerics and lay-people. The Holy Spirit as a dove descends in rays of glory.

The birth of St Martin His mother lies in a canopied bed, attended by two women.

	St Martin's vision of Christ His vision followed his division of his cloak with a beggar. Martin is shown praying in bed, dressed as a nobleman. (Historically, Martin was eighteen; he is presented as much older here!) Christ, flanked by angels, appears above him. Christ's shoulders are draped with the half of the cloak Martin gave to the beggar. The ewer and the commode at the right are characteristic bedchamber details.
St Martin at Mass The kneeling saint has his wrists clothed by an angel.

	St Martin brought to school His parents present the child to a school teacher. Martin's contorted posture may express unwillingness; the teacher holds a scourge! Martin was scourged when he returned to live with his parents after his first military service.

St Martin divides his cloak Martin is shown as a noble warrior on a richly caparisoned horse dividing his cloak to share it with a beggar. This is probably the best known legend of St Martin. It is the scene most usually employed to represent the saint. El Greco's treatment of the theme is the most famous.

	St Martin's death The saint, wearing a mitre lies in bed, surrounded by his disciples, among whom appears the devil. According to legend, Martin rubuked the devil with the words: 'What dost thou here, cruel beast? Thou shalt find nothing in me - Abraham's bosom is open to receive me'. Above, his soul is carried to heaven by two angels.
St Martin restoring life to a catechumen The catechumen has been brought to him on a bier. Sulpitius Severus gives several instances of such restorations in his life of the saint.

	. St Martin as a soldier He stands unarmed in the battle, between two armies, as described by Sulpitius

St Martin consecrated archbishop He is flanked by two bishops. This subject shows the license of legend: Martin was, in fact, a bishop.

	St Martin subdues the devil He compells the devil to carry his missal. Martin trained as an excorcist, choosing this as the most humble of vocations within the church.

St Martin rescues a hare from hounds In a sylvan setting, Martin resues a hare from four hounds.

Semer did not die until 1443, some years after work was begun on the window. He left the residue of his estate to rebuilding the church, with the condition that this was to be done within seven years.	Donor figure of Robert Semer An inscription extending across the window above the lower two rows was first deciphered in 1965. Translated it reads: 'Pray for the soul of Dominus Robert Semer, formerly minister of this church and Chamberlin of the Chapter of York, who seeing that the end of his life, as he was an old man, was naturally approaching, ordained this work, the 4^th day of the month of October, A.D.1437, for whose soul may God be propritiated.' The scroll over his head translates as: 'St.Martin repulse me not nor make me afraid'. The open book displays the opening of Psalm 51: 'Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies'.

	St. Martin This double height panel is the centre-piece of the window. It shows the saint in full eucharistic vestments, and with archbishop's pallium. Behind him is the Sun of York emblem. ('Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this fair son of York' - Shakespeare: Richard III.)