134 FAPERS, ETC. 



aftervvards buried iu the consecrated cemetery of the 

 Abbey. That this was tlie orlgin of the belief very gene- 

 rally entertained that Arthur was not dead, but had been 

 carried iuto fairy-land by Morganis, to return again in 

 strength and power to resume the Government of Britain." 

 Giraldus then specially remarks, " that though the Abbot 

 possessed some ckie to the resting place of the British king 

 from ancient writings and chronicles, as well as some from 

 the inscriptions on the obelisks, yet he derived most know- 

 ledge from the representations of the king himself, who 

 had often reported to him that he had undei'stood from the 

 chronicles and historical bards of the Britons, that King 

 Arthur had been buried between the two obelisks, which 

 had been afterwards erected in the cemetery, but that, lest 

 the Saxons and his enemies should disturb his remains, the 

 body was buried very deep in the ground. Accordingly, 

 on digging, a broad flat stone was found about seven feet 

 under ground, the sarcophagus being nine feet below that, 

 and a leaden cross discovered, inserted not on the upper 

 but on the lower surface of the stone slab, bearing the 

 foUowing inscription : 



HIC JAGET SEPÜLTUS INCLITUS REX ARTHURUS IN 



INSULA AVALONIA CUM WENNEVEREIA UXORE SÜA 



SECÜNDA. 



" And this cross," continues Giraldus, " after it had been 

 taken from the stone, we ourselves saw, being shown to 

 US by the foresaid Abbot Henry, and these words we 

 read. Now, as the cross was inserted iu the lower surface 

 of the stone, so the side of the cross on which the inscrip- 

 tion was placed was turned towards the stone, in order to 



be the better hidden Thus were found the 



remains of Arthur : not in a marble tomb, as became a 

 distinguished king, not in one of stone nor Parian, but 



J 



