IIO THE GIANT AND THE MAYPOLE OF CERNE. 



travellers, hunger, thirst, and wearines, he that sate uppon the 

 fountaine wearied with his journey, Christ Jesus, voutchsafed to 

 appeare visibly unto him with words of heavenly comfort and 

 encouragement. Then the holy man, being refreshed with the 

 sweet fountaine of eternall life, fell presently uppon his knees 

 and adored the place of Christ's footsteps, and striking his staffe 

 into the ground there straight sprung forth a cleere fountaine of 

 cristall streames, in which all his fellowes quenched the extremitie 

 of their thirst and gave infinite thankes to Allmightie God who 

 had voutchsafed to helpe them in that necessitie. 



" And the same place was afterwards called Cernel, a name 

 composed of Latine and Hebrew, for Cerno in Latine signifies 

 to see, and El in Hebrew signifies God ; because there our holy 

 apostle Augustine was honoured with the cleere vision of him 

 that is true God and man. Moreover upon the same fountaine 

 in memorie hereof a chappell was built dedicated to our Saviour, 

 which, togeather with the fountaine, my Authour had seen; (31) 

 and the water cured manie diseases. 



" Afterwards one Egelward, a rich man, founded a fayre 

 monastery of Benedictine monks in the same place, dedicated to 

 Saint Peter the Apostle, which was called the monastery of 

 Cernel and dured to the last fatall destruction of Abbeies in the 

 unfortunate raigne of Henry the eight." 



Of this narrative it is well to give the chief parts in Gotselin's 

 own words, and to emphasise those of especial interest. 



" Hinc divertens, dux verbi Domini successit tandem cuidam 

 profanae villulae in provincia quae dicitur Dorseta, ubi demoniaca 

 plebicola sanctos Dei omnibus opprobriis ac ludibriis dedecora- 

 vere ; adeo ut (quod etiam referri injuria est) prodnctas piscium 

 caudas ingererent. Unde indignatus spiritus Domini in hujus 

 auctores sceleris et in omnem progeniem illorum suum dedecus per 

 os Augustini vatis perpetualiter sententiavit ; et pravis propriam 

 ignominiam, sanctis vero perennem gloriam refudit. 



(31) Observe this allusion to an earlier record. 



