DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61904#0030
I 8 GLASTONBURY ABBEY.
to build a church in honour of the mother of God, the per-
petual Virgin Mary ; and he pointed out to him the fpot. In
obedience to the archangel he conftrucfted it in a circular form
of plaited twigs, no doubt of willow, which muft have been
abundant there, — a fort of bafket-work church. This was in
the thirty-firft year after the paffion of our Saviour.
Here the holy brethren continued for years to ferve God
and the holy Virgin in watchings, fafts, and facred exercifes,
fo that Marius the fon of Arviragus, and Coilus the fon of
Marius, granted them twelve hides of land around their humble
oratory—a hide each. In courfe of time Jofeph and his com-
panions died. The fpot was not chofen with much reference
to fanitary principles ; it muft have been very damp and un-
wholefome : their lives probably were not long. Jofeph was
buried in a bifurcate line from the meridian angle of the
oratory, in prepared hurdles, lying upon a figure of the adorable
Virgin, “and having interred with him two veflels of filver
filled with the blood and fweat of the prophet Jefus, by virtue
of which neither water nor the dew of heaven can ever be
wanting to the inhabitants of this moft noble ifle. When his
farcophagus fhall be opened, which will be in the valley of
Jofaphat fometime before the day of judgment, it will be found
to have been untouched, and be fhown to the whole world.”
After the death of Jofeph and his eleven companions the
place continued long deferted, and from the abode of holy
men became once more a lair of wild beafts, till it pleafed the
holy Virgin to recall her oratory to the memory of the faith-
ful. Yet the race of Jofeph of Arimathea was not extimft;
on the contrary, it became the royal line, and the famous
king Arthur was the tenth in defcent from him. According to
the book called the SanEtum Graal^ this was the genealogy: —
Helaius, the nephew of Joseph, was the father of Jofhua, Jofhua
to build a church in honour of the mother of God, the per-
petual Virgin Mary ; and he pointed out to him the fpot. In
obedience to the archangel he conftrucfted it in a circular form
of plaited twigs, no doubt of willow, which muft have been
abundant there, — a fort of bafket-work church. This was in
the thirty-firft year after the paffion of our Saviour.
Here the holy brethren continued for years to ferve God
and the holy Virgin in watchings, fafts, and facred exercifes,
fo that Marius the fon of Arviragus, and Coilus the fon of
Marius, granted them twelve hides of land around their humble
oratory—a hide each. In courfe of time Jofeph and his com-
panions died. The fpot was not chofen with much reference
to fanitary principles ; it muft have been very damp and un-
wholefome : their lives probably were not long. Jofeph was
buried in a bifurcate line from the meridian angle of the
oratory, in prepared hurdles, lying upon a figure of the adorable
Virgin, “and having interred with him two veflels of filver
filled with the blood and fweat of the prophet Jefus, by virtue
of which neither water nor the dew of heaven can ever be
wanting to the inhabitants of this moft noble ifle. When his
farcophagus fhall be opened, which will be in the valley of
Jofaphat fometime before the day of judgment, it will be found
to have been untouched, and be fhown to the whole world.”
After the death of Jofeph and his eleven companions the
place continued long deferted, and from the abode of holy
men became once more a lair of wild beafts, till it pleafed the
holy Virgin to recall her oratory to the memory of the faith-
ful. Yet the race of Jofeph of Arimathea was not extimft;
on the contrary, it became the royal line, and the famous
king Arthur was the tenth in defcent from him. According to
the book called the SanEtum Graal^ this was the genealogy: —
Helaius, the nephew of Joseph, was the father of Jofhua, Jofhua