ON MILTON ABBEY CHURCH. 79 



expiation of the murder of his half -brother, Edwin, whom he 

 had turned out to sea in an open boat, without sail or oar, under 

 the impression that he had been conspiring against him. It 

 was further asserted that Edwin, in a fit of mad despair, threw 

 himself overboard and was drowned. After a time proofs of 

 his entire innocence came to light, and then Athelstan, wishing 

 to make all the reparation in his power, founded two religious 

 houses Muchelney, in Somerset, and Milton. Now, as 

 Athelstan was one of the greatest of all English Kings, a 

 worthy descendant of his grandfather Alfred, and one, besides, 

 who exercised a remarkable influence upon the Continent, it is very 

 satisfactory to think that this most grave accusation is altogether 

 untrue, that he was not, as has been asserted, the murderer of his 

 own brother, and the whole story contains only two particles of 

 truth. Edwin was indeed drowned at sea, and Athelstan did 

 also found Muchelney and Milton. All the rest of the legend is 

 a mere romance, which was always thought by some unworthy of 

 credit, and even in the uncritical 18th century, when Hutchings 

 wrote his History of Dorset, he distinctly states that he did not 

 believe it. Some motive, however, Athelstan must have had in 

 founding so considerable an institution, which, although not 

 taking rank among the 27 great mitred Abbeys of England, 

 still occupied a foremost place among houses of the second order, 

 and its abbot on several occasions was summoned to Parliament. 

 Tradition has preserved an explanation of Athelstan's motive, 

 which is quite as reasonable, and far more satisfactory. It is 

 said, then, that when Athelstan was marching northwards to 

 fight the Scots and their confederates at Burnaburr, he had to 

 pass through this part of the county, and encamped for a night 

 on the hill above this place, where St. Catherine's Chapel now 

 stands. During the night he believed that some supernatural 

 revelation was made to him either by vision or dream, assuring 

 him that in the impending contest he should gain the victory. 

 This, of course, in so perilous an enterprise as he was then 

 engaged in, would prove both to himself and to his army a most 

 welcome and cheering omen of success, and could not fail to act 



