The Washington herald., 1906-10-30
Chicago Woman Would Buy
Ruins of Glastonbury.
KING ARTHUR'S BURIAL PLACE
Oner To Purchase Historic English
shrine Refused-PrOpOsed to EN-
PIOy IL In Promoting Youthful Inter
national Order OF Knights OF Round
TabIe-DespOiIed by Henry VIII.
Correspondence Of The washington Herald.


back I'm the matter of attractions. ac-
cording to English notions, is the lack Of
historic ruins. And because, despite
their vast wealth. Americans cannot
create them. they are supposed to long
for them more than any other folk Per-
haps II is that feeling which recently
inspired an American to make an offer
for Glastonbury Abbey. one Of the most
ancient and renowned shrines of Chris
tendon In the kingdom. and indelibly asso-
ciated with the legend OF King Arthur,
which Tennyson has immortalized.
According TO a real estate journal here,
which is usually Well Informed, the offer
has been refused. The paper adds that
it would be extremely regrettable if the
ruins should be allowed to pass into for
eign hands. or into those of one who
failed to realize his responsibilities.
Americans who visit England certainly
exhibit a keener interest in its historic
ruins than do Englishmen themselves,
who ordinarily show little zeal for their
preservation. But when il Is reported
that an American wants 10 buy one. as
in the case OF Glastonbury Abbey, that
particular ruin becomes Immediately an
object OF great national interest, and pro-
tests are raised against subjecting it TO
the desecration and disgrace that would
result from its possession by any one who
did not owe allegiance 10 King Edward.
Chicago Woman WouId Buy IL.
If il were really question OF a realza-
tiOn OF the responsibilities imposed by the
ownership of what remains of Glaston-
bury Abbey, there would be small ground
for any objection 10 the scheme proposed
by Mrs Isabel Inez de Gusman Garrison,
Of Chicago. She suggests that Glaston-
bury should become the joint possession
of the Motherland and what Tennyson
called the great daughter of the West"
on that basis. she says, she would guar
antee to raise half its purchase price in
America in short time
It seems she has establiSed IN America
"a boy knighthOod OF the Round Table
with q view to intoxicating honor. loyalty,
magnanimity, and other knightly virtues
in lads whose everyday associations are
not of an elevating character.
AZ the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey are
the shattered symbols OF that ancient
chivalry she wishes them 70 be associated
with her youthful order OF knight-errant-
ry, which she hopes to see extended 10
England She says the hoodIums OF Chi
cagO have prohted greatly by IL, and she
thinks il might be the means Of reform
ing many OF the hooligans of London.
1t is certainly "a pretty idea. but the
joint ownership scheme is hardly one
that viii appeal to the average English
man. Since il was reported that IN
American wanted 20 buy Glastonbury Alb
hey, movement has been started TO buy
il for the nation, and that Is undoubt-
edly the plan that viii meet with The
warmeSt support here.
Origin Lost in Myths.
Glastonbury Abbey is situated in somer-
setshire, some thirty-six miles south of
Bristol It's origin is lost 81 the myths
OF tradition. It is one OF the earliest
ecclesiastical foundations in England. and
forms tie between the Briton and the
EpsIishman, the old Christianity and the
new, The first church was a little wat
tied building and il was the fond belief
OF many centuries that il was erected by
ST Joseph of ATimanthea, he who gave
his own sepuCheT for a resting place for
The bones Of tho Saviour
According to the story. he wandered
westward 10 spread the light Of faith,
bearing with him the Holy Grail and a
thorn from the Holy Land. and which
served him as a stan. Il is said that
he settled down in Glastonbury and there
planted his staff. which grew into tree
that was honOred by countless genera
tions OF pilgrims. He was buried there,
according 10 the same story.
Celtic legend credits it with being the
burial place of King Arthur and Queen
Ciuinevere. Il IS the place Of which
TennysOn wrote:
The island valley of Ariiou
Where falls not hail, or ram. OF any snow
Nor wind blows loudly. but It lies
Deepmead0wed happy fair. with orchard lawns
And howeyy hollors crowned with summer sea.
David OF AIineyia is said 90 have built
a. new church near the old one. about 546.
The West Saxon King, Inc, added a
monastery TO it. DespoiIed 10y the Danes
il was refouRded about 946 by ST. Dun
stan. For the modification Of his flesh
and the extinction OF worldly vanity, St
bunstan built for himself q cell-in the
abbey. 1--WE feet long by two and "a half
broad, where he retired To pray and 70
sec visions.
Seizes satan by His Nose.
Here, also, he worked in metals, and it
was while laboring at his forge there oc-
Cured, according 10 old chronicle, his
famous temptation by the devil, which he
ended by seizing the fend by the nose
with his red hot pincers. ST. Dunstan
Was buried in the abbey, and it subse-
quently became the scpulcher Of the Saxon
kings, Edmund. Edgar, and Edmund IRON
sides
1t was the one church OF the first rank
that passed unscathed through the storm
OF the English conquest There was not
in the height Of its fame a lordIier founda-
ticn in all England than that of Glaston-
bury. It's revenues exceeded S200Go0 per
annum, and in those DAYS a dollar was
worth five in these times II had seven
great deer parks stocked with deer.
No one dared To set foot I'm the Isle Of
Avalon where the abbey stood-not even
a bishop or a prince-Without the leave
Of my lord abbot
There were 100 monks and 900 servants
10 look after them. They lived well, did
those old monks. OF the ruins. the best
preserved is the stone abbot's kitchen.
thirty-three feet square and seventy-one
feet high with four huge fireplaces.
When Henry VIII started suppresSing
and plundering mOnasteries, he made a
clean sweep of Glastonbury, and hanged
the mitered abbot with two Of his monks
on the top of Tor Hill After that the
place fell into decay and became the
quarry OF all the builders in the neigh
bOrhood. The ruins OF the grand old
abbey. which o. ce covered sixty acres,
are now compare lively scauty. But there
still remains the r0Ofiess chapel of st.
Joseph,
Rev Dr VOOrSanRer Here