The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-01-02
He Legend ef Westaainster Abhey.

i
Is not this alone that lends the place its
interest. Through century after centu-
~ England has buried her great within
its, walls, and here lie Kings and alb
bots, statesmen, soldiers, poets, actors,
philanthropists, artists, musicians, side
by side, until the Abbey has become
the beautiful burial place of that
Nations distinguished men; and thus,
when we think Of it, reverence over
powers admiration, and we forget the
splendor Of the building in thoughts of
those whose everlasting rest it over
shadows. But it is not of the Abbey in
its present condition of which we would
speak, but of its origin, and of the
legend connected with its foundation.
According to q monk named Flete,
the spot on which Westminster Abbey
now stands was once terrible place.
SO Overrun with thorns that it was
called Thorns' Island; and here stood
the Temple of Apollo, which Sebert,
King of the SaxOns, overthrow in the
beginning of theseventh century. Hav-
ing demolished the temple, he began
to build upon its site a Christian tenn
pie.
Mellitus was then Bishop of London,
and he highly approved of this good
work of Sebert's, and when it was quite
completed, promised to dedicate it with
great splendor. The King was happy;
his workmen did their best. At last
the building was finished, and on a GER
tain evening Mellitus was to come from
London for the purpose of performing
the ceremony.
However, before the day arrived, q
fisherman sat one night fishing on the
banks of the Thames, when suddenly
there appeared before him, as though
fallen from heaven, most majestic fig
ure, which thus addressed him:
take thy boat and row me across
the river"
Trembling, the man obeyed.
On the opposite bank, the figure COM
manded him to wait until he came, and
entered the church.
The fisherman knelt on the bank. He
dared not stir, for suddenly every win
dow of the church was ablaze with the
most unearthly light, and by it the poor
man saw troops of angels passing to
and fro, while the most wonderful mu-
sic reached his ears.
All this lasted for a long while; then
the lights went out, the music faded
away, and the majestic figure once
more stood beside the fisherman, and
babe him row him across the river
again.
BY this time the fisherman was near
ly dead with fear, but his strange pas
senger Gained him with these words:
"Have no dread of me; l am St.
Peter. My mission was to dedicate
yonder church; this have done. Cast
thy net again when I have gone; the
draught of fish will be miraculous.
When day breaks, take the largest to
the Bishop Mellitus, and tell him what
thou hast seen. Hereafter let one-tenth
of all fish caught here belong to the
church, and no fisherman shall ever
want"
The fisherman did SO, and the Bish.
op, hurrying to the church, found there
every token of the fact that the dedica.
ton had been performed by a heavenly
priesthood. There were marks of ex-
tinguished tapers and of the chrism.
Therefore he refused to rededicate the
pile, but simply celebrated mass there.
Whatever the origin of this tradition,
it is an historical fact that for MANY
centuries Westminster Abbey claimed
one-tenth of all the fish caught, within
certain limits, on the Thames; and fish.
ermen admitted the claim, under the
belief that St. Peter had promised to
prosper them SO long as they paid this
1.-THE.
From this building arose the splen-
did pile now known as Westminster
Abbey, succeeding Kings having built
and added to it for many centuries
Edward the Confessor being impelled
to his portion of the work by what he
considered a miraculous dream.
Y. Ledger.