do embrace with brotherly charity—to king Geraint and to all God’s priests dwelling in Damnonia, Aldhelm, &c.[41]’ And when, shortly afterwards, Hædde, bishop of Winchester, died, and the moment had arrived for the long-contemplated division of the vast diocese of Wessex, Aldhelm became bishop ‘to the west of the wood,’ over a province which (as Ethelwerd tells us) was commonly called Selwoodshire. Aldhelm died in 709 upon one of his episcopal journeys, at the village of Doulting on the western brow of Mendip, between Wells and Frome. His memory has been locally revived in the present century by the discovery of a small Saxon church in Bradford-on-Avon, which has been identified by competent judges with the _ecclesiola_ which William of Malmesbury says that Aldhelm built in that place. To him was probably due the preservation of the British monastery at Glastonbury and its endowment by king Ina. That spot was dear to the British patriot as the mysterious sojourn of their hero, who in due time was to return and revive the ancient glory of the British name. The extant books in which this legend is recorded are later than the time of Alfred, but the romance itself is of the sixth century. Our oldest English form of it is of about A.D. 1200. THE PASSING OF ARTHUR (From Laȝamon’s _Brut_, line 28,582.) Arthur wes forwunded Arthur was wounded wunderliche swithe. very dangerously. Ther to him com a cnaue, There to him came a youth the wes of his cunne; who was of his kin; he wes Cadores sune, he was son of Cador, the eorles of Cornwaile. the earl of Cornwall. Constantin hehte the cnaue; Constantine hight the youth; he wes than kinge deore. to the king he was dear. Arthur him lokede on, Arthur looked upon him, ther he lai on folden, where he lay on the ground, and thas word seide, and these words said, mid sorhfulle heorte: with sorrowful heart: Constantin thu art wilcume, Constantine thou art welcome, thu weore Cadores sune; thou wert Cador’s son; ich the bitache here, I here commit to thee, mine kineriche: my kingdom: * * * * * * And ich wulle uaren to Aualun, And I will fare to Avalon, to uairest alre maidene; to the fairest of all maidens; to Argante there quene, to Argante the queen, aluen swithe sceone: elf exceeding sheen; and heo scal mine wunden and she shall my wounds makien alle isunde; make all sound; al hal me makien, all whole me make, mid haleweiȝe drenchen. with healing drinks. And seothe ich cumen wulle And sith return I will to mine kineriche: to my kingdom: