The Gate of Remembrance: The Story of the Psychological Experiment which Resulted in the Discovery of the Edgar Chapel at GlastonburyBond, Frederick Bligh
Religion
The Gate of Remembrance: The Story of the Psychological Experiment which Resulted in the Discovery of the Edgar Chapel at Glastonbury
Bond, Frederick Bligh
Glastonbury Abbey -- Miscellanea; Parapsychology and archaeology -- England -- Glastonbury -- Case studies; Spirit writings
The script here deals with an area still unexcavated, as to which we
have but little documentary evidence. The position of the Guest Hall
may be reasonably inferred to be on the site suggested, due west from
the Refectory. The statement about the kitchens seems reasonable. At
this point the communication under the name Ambrosius ceases and an
entirely different handwriting is noted. The script continues:
"Ricardus de Tanton, who did make ye drawings for my Abbot Bere, wold
tell you that which Ambrosius can not."
We gather that the level of the ground was lowered and four cellars
made for storing wine for the Guest Hall above. Next we read:
"The grete Halle was ybuilded not long syne, and ye must goe where
the kitchens did joyne him to the Refectorium. Aufwold says that the
convent of Arimathia was at hys south-west corner, builded long tyme
since, and there was as it were a little cloystere between the Hall
and the chapel where Beere did saye masse. The stabel was over aganst
the Abbat's new howse which Beere builded, and which was in front of
the Guest Hall but away from hym. The crypt under the new Hall was
deeper downe. His roofe was near level to the floore of the vault of
the Refectorium....
"Goe you through the grete door at ye corner of ye Cloyster on ye est
syde downe XII steppes and on through ye passage-waye. Then shall
ye rise uppe ye steppes IX on ye south syde, and soe acrosse ye mint
garden to the Newe Halle where was a doore, and through hym cometh a
passage to the further syde and soe to the lyttel cloyster, and beyond
hym the lyttel convent and ye lyttel chapel builded long time syns.
And there was a grete wall to the est of all these places high and
stronge, and over hym was the dormer, and beyond, the parlour beneath
and the scriptorium above hym: and soe unto ye wall of ye lyttle
cloystere, and after a space, a yarde and the schola with its chappel
and buildings around yt ... for ye boyes, alsoe ye changing room for
ye choire who sang in ye minster.
"Ye boyes were ofttimes joyous and did playe and make a shouting, and
ye Abbat sayde: 'Chide not youth in its playe, but may ye keepe them
afar from ye claustre places lest they weary my devowte,'--and so ye
schola was far from ye (same)."
_Q._ "_Which was the Chapel of St. Dunstan?_"
_A._ "Hym on ye North syde of ye Crete Church, at ye ende, near to ye
newe chappel which Bere (built)."
_Q._ "_What was the exact length of the Church as completed?_"
_A._ "CCCXI[31] in passibus. CCCXI et capella nova. CCCXI in tota
longitudine."
[31] The length of the mediæval "pace" was unknown to us, and would
have been inferred to be the natural length of a walking "step" (in
F.B.B.'s case 22 inches).
But to reduce paces to feet, or _vice versa_, is not easy by mental
arithmetic, and the calculation was not made. Hence this CCCXI conveyed
nothing definite.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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