86 THE HAWTHOEM. 



traversed) and fell asleep. When he awoke he found, to his 

 great surprise, that his staff had taken root, and was covered 

 with white blossoms. From this miracle he drew a very 

 natural conclusion, that as the use of his staff was taken 

 from him, it was ordained that he should fix his abode in 

 this place. Here, therefore, he built a chapel, which, by 

 the piety of succeeding times, increased to its subsequent 

 magnificence. Gilpin, in his " Observations on the Western 

 Parts of England," gives the following amusing account of 

 the veneration with which it was regarded at a no more 

 distant period than the close of the last century : " I should 

 ill deserve the favours I met with from the learned anti- 

 quarian who has the care of these ruins, though he occupies 

 only the humble craft of a shoemaker, if I did not attempt 

 to do some justice to his zeal and piety. No picturesque 

 eye could more admire these venerable remains for their 

 beauty than he did for their sanctity. Every stone was the 

 object of his devotion. But above all the appendages of 

 Glastonbury, he reverenced most the famous Thorn which 

 sprang from St. Joseph's staff, and blossoms at Christmas. 

 " It Avas at that time, he said, when the King resolved 

 to alter the common course of the year, 1 that he first felt 

 distress for the honour of the house of Glastonbury. If the 

 time of Christmas were changed, who could tell how the 

 credit of this miraculous plant might be affected 1 In short, 

 with the fortitude of a Jewish seer, he ventured to expos- 

 tulate with the King upon the subject ; and informed his 

 Majesty, in a letter, of the disgrace that might possibly 

 ensue if he persisted in his design of altering the natural 

 course of the year. But though his conscience urged him 

 upon this bold action, he could not but own that the flesh 

 trembled. He had not the least doubt, he said, but the 

 King would immediately send down and have him hanged. 

 He pointed to the spot where the last Abbot of Glastonbury 

 was executed for not surrendering his Abbey ; and he gave 

 us to understand there were men now alive who could suffer 



1 The alteration of the Calendar alluded to at p. 83. 



