CHAPTER XIX 



AVALON AND A BLACKBIRD 



Excavations and restorations at Glastonbury— Blackbird music 

 — Its relation to human music: C. A. Witchell's theory — 

 A blackbird of genius — Intrinsic beauty of the blackbird's 

 voice — Our favourite singer — The blackbird in early Irish 

 poetry. 



4T Glastonbury I spent some hours at the 

 /-\ abbey, somewhat disturbed at the huge 

 diggings and a little saddened at the sight of 

 the repairs and restorations; yet they were necessary 

 if this loveliest ruin in England is to be kept stand- 

 ing a few centuries longer. Unfortunately, however 

 skilfully the restoring work is done, the new portions 

 will insist on looking outrageously new. Time will 

 doubtless restore the lost harmony, the ancient 

 venerable appearance, but it will be long before these 

 staring fresh parts will cease to have the effect of 

 patches of a new cloth on the frayed and faded 

 garment. Fifty years of sun and rain will prepare 

 the fresh, hard surfaces for the vegetation that 

 makes a ruin beautiful — valerian, ivy-toadflax, wall- 

 flower, and grey and green lichens and mosses. 



In the course of a conversation I had with some of 

 those engaged in these works at the abbey, during 

 which the subject of birds came up, Mr. Blythe Bond, 



the gentleman who has charge of the excavations, 



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