DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61904#0035
GLASTONBURY ABBEY.
23
hither to be buried, that the whole pavement of the church,
even about the high altar, above it and below it, and on each
fide, and thofe of the two chapels, and the furface of the
whole cemetery, were fo crowded by them that it was difficult
to find place for any other. And thofe who lived in diftant
regions, even to a certain Soldan, fent for its facred earth to be
buried with them. Here king Arthur, who was fond of
feeking reft and retirement from the cares of government at
the abbey, died of a wound received from his nephew, the
ufurper Modred, in Cornwall, and was buried in the cemetery
about the year of our Lord 542. Nine feet deep was he
buried, left the Saxons his enemies, whom he had fo often con-
quered, fhould find and infult his remains. On a leaden crofs,
however, placed under the ftone which covered him, and with
the writing turned next to the ftone for concealment, was
infcribed :—“ Hie jacet fepultus inclitus rex Arthurus in infula
Avallonia, cum Guennevera uxore fua fecunda.” But Guen-
neverwas buried fometime after, and placed over king Arthur,
only fix feet deep. Six hundred years afterwards his remains,
at the repeated inftigation of Henry II., were fought for and
found, as well as thofe of his queen Guennever. The crofs
and infeription were entire. The bones of the king were of
an enormous fize ; and the hair of the queen ftill looking frefh
and enveloping her bones, yet falling to powder on being
touched. Thefe were transferred to the church and buried in
feparate tombs ; that of the queen being at the foot of that of
the king, before the high altar. Here Edward the Firft, and
Elinor the queen, coming in 1278, had thefe tombs opened,
and found all as before defcribed. The king then wrapped
the bones of Arthur in a rich pall, and the queen did the fame
by thofe of Guennever, and replaced them in their tombs,
fealing them with their feals. But they retained the fcull and
23
hither to be buried, that the whole pavement of the church,
even about the high altar, above it and below it, and on each
fide, and thofe of the two chapels, and the furface of the
whole cemetery, were fo crowded by them that it was difficult
to find place for any other. And thofe who lived in diftant
regions, even to a certain Soldan, fent for its facred earth to be
buried with them. Here king Arthur, who was fond of
feeking reft and retirement from the cares of government at
the abbey, died of a wound received from his nephew, the
ufurper Modred, in Cornwall, and was buried in the cemetery
about the year of our Lord 542. Nine feet deep was he
buried, left the Saxons his enemies, whom he had fo often con-
quered, fhould find and infult his remains. On a leaden crofs,
however, placed under the ftone which covered him, and with
the writing turned next to the ftone for concealment, was
infcribed :—“ Hie jacet fepultus inclitus rex Arthurus in infula
Avallonia, cum Guennevera uxore fua fecunda.” But Guen-
neverwas buried fometime after, and placed over king Arthur,
only fix feet deep. Six hundred years afterwards his remains,
at the repeated inftigation of Henry II., were fought for and
found, as well as thofe of his queen Guennever. The crofs
and infeription were entire. The bones of the king were of
an enormous fize ; and the hair of the queen ftill looking frefh
and enveloping her bones, yet falling to powder on being
touched. Thefe were transferred to the church and buried in
feparate tombs ; that of the queen being at the foot of that of
the king, before the high altar. Here Edward the Firft, and
Elinor the queen, coming in 1278, had thefe tombs opened,
and found all as before defcribed. The king then wrapped
the bones of Arthur in a rich pall, and the queen did the fame
by thofe of Guennever, and replaced them in their tombs,
fealing them with their feals. But they retained the fcull and