PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 257 



and to an article, with a plan, which appeared in the 

 " Builder," in March, 1895. 



I do not propose to enter into any detailed account of 

 the early history and foundation of the xMonastery : this 

 has already been dealt with in various able papers. 



The generally received account of the original founda- 

 tion is that Maeldulph built a cell at Malmesbury ; that 

 Aldhelm, a disciple of his, enlarged, in the 7th century, 

 upon Maeldulph's work, founded the Monastery, and 

 dedicated it to the Holy Saviour and St Peter and St 

 :Paul. 



Mention is also made of two smaller Churches dedi- 

 cated respectively to St Mary and St Michael. Aldhelm 

 was transferred to Sherborne, but was subsequently buried 

 at Malmesbury. 



The Monastery received many grants of land and other 

 benefactions from various donors, particularly from King 

 Athelstan, who is said to have been buried before the altar 

 in 941. 



Passing over the interval between the original founda- 

 tion of the Monastery and the rebuilding of the Church 

 on its present grand scale, we find that this building is 

 said to have been commenced by Roger, Bishop of Salis- 

 bury, about the year 1135, but the character of work 

 would hardly bear out this view. Freeman says on this 

 point : " It appears to be generally believed that the 

 present Church was begun by Roger, Bishop of Salis- 

 bury, about the year 1135," 



" This tradition seems confirmed by two passages 

 of William of Malmesbury, neither of which directly 

 assert it." 



" Certainly the architecture of even the earliest portions 

 of the Church is remarkably advanced for that date, but 

 this is no more than we might reasonably expect in the 

 works of a prelate so renowned for his architectural 



