By the Rev. W. H. Jones. 67 



the river flowing by Malmesbury, now known by the generic term 

 of the Avon. He was poor, — and hence, as his learning was great 

 for those days, for his maintenance he established a school.^ By 

 degrees he formed his scholars into a small society, but so needy 

 were they that they could scarce find means of subsistence. An 

 extract given by Leland fixes the foundation of this monastery in 

 637 ; ^ but this, if trustworthy, can only allude to the time when 

 Maildulf first established himself here.^ His monastery, if such 

 indeed we may call it, was after all but a voluntary association, 

 hardly subject to rules, and held together by similarity of views 

 and feelings among those who became members of it, and a common 

 reverence for their teacher. Indeed, for some centuries after this 

 time, the word " monasterium" frequently means only a church, 

 with three or four priests attached to it.^ At all events an important 

 end was served by Maildulf 's society ; — it became, in some sort, a 

 missionary settlement, a centre from which the blessings of Chris- 

 tianity might be conveyed to the surrounding population, as yet, 

 for the most part, heathens. Fully alive as we have been in later 

 times to the evils of monasticism we cannot doubt but that in primi- 

 tive form it conferred many benefits on our country. Monasteries, 



1 " Hie dum sibi necessaria deiicerent, scholares sibi in disciplinatum adunavit. 

 Brevi autem tempore scholares in exiguum conventum coaluere." Leland, 

 Collectanea, iii., p. 158. The words of William of Malmesbury (MS. Cotton) 

 are still stronger as to Maildulf 's poverty: — ^" Deficientibusque necessariis, 

 scholares in disciplinatum accepit, ut ex eorum liberalitate tenuitatem victus 

 corrigeret." 



^ Leland, Collect., ii., SOL The extract is said by Leland to have been taken 

 from a chronicle of the Abbey, which he saw on his visit to Malmesbury. It is 

 added, that it was in the same year that Mahomet, the false prophet, died. 



^ William of Malmesbury, in his Chronicles, under date of A.D. 955-959 

 speaks of the monastery of Malmesbury as having been inhabited by monks for 

 more than 270 years. Robert of Gloucester, in his Chronicle, adopts the same 

 date. Thus in speaking of Edwin, who was king from A.D. 955-959, he says, — 



" Abbeys jjys lujjer man brogte ek in alle wo. 

 And bat hous of Malmesbury, bat an old hous was bo, 

 Of two hondred yer and seueuty j'rerd ]?er byuore. 

 He made yt stable to ys hors, as it were alle vorlore." 



* Parker, Introduction to Gothic Architecture, p. 19. 



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