The Abbey-church. 139 



restoration seems to have been needed and effected before 

 the year 931, when ^thelstan conveyed estates to the con- 

 vent, (still of secular clergy,) the church of which was dedi- 

 cated to St. Peter. Within a few years thereafter, grants of 

 property were made by several successive charters to the 

 " monastery" at Bath. In one of these, dated 957, the church 

 is referred to in terms ('■'■ mira fabrica" ) implying magnificence 

 of structure and dignity of standing. This is supported by 

 the fact that it was the place of the coronation of King 

 Eadgar in 973. 



About three years before that event " a change had come 

 o'er the spirit of the dream." The seculars had been ejected, 

 and a community of Benedictine monks established in their 

 stead, — ^Ifeah or Alphege being the first abbot. In the 

 "Golden Legend" he is credited with building and endowing 

 the Abbey at Bath. This may have been true of everything 

 but the church itself, which we see was, shortly before, in a 

 flourishing condition; and so soon after was fit to be the scene 

 of a royal pageant of the first rank. The " Catalogue of 

 English Bishops," quoted by Warner, gives loio as the date 

 of this work. It may have been completed then, but not by 

 Alphege, who was raised to the see of Winchester in 984. 

 It is rather curious that another event of a contrary charac- 

 ter (for which the writer can find no authority) has also been 

 attributed to the same da'te (loio). It is recorded on the 

 afore-mentioned brass tablet, that in that year " the church 

 was destroyed by Sweyn, the Dane." Now Sweyn did not 

 come to Bath until 1013. He made it, for a time, his head- 

 quarters ; and we know no other than that his occupation of 

 the place was peaceable. Moreover, in the will of Queen 

 .(^Ifgyfu, dated 1012, she leaves lands to Bath monastery, 

 which must then have been standing. Alphege seems to 



