40 Malmesbury. 



he, "here is rebuilt a church like a stable." The days that 

 followed Charles I. were certainly not favourable to ornamental 

 church-restoration. Nor to ancient religious usages. The parish 

 registers show that during the Commonwealth banns of marriage 

 were published, not in the church, but at the market cross, and 

 the parties were married, not by a clergyman, but by the deputy 

 alderman of the borough, and sometimes by neighbouring magis- 

 trates. Such novelties are not intolerable : but another proceeding 

 was. In order to shew the high respect they entertained for 

 all crowned heads in general and the great Benefactor of the town 

 in particular, in September 1657, the body of "John Buckle, 

 reputed to be a gypsie, deceased at John Perm's house upon the 

 Fosse," was brought to the Abbey church, and buried in King 

 Athelstan's chapel. " Howbeit," says the Register, " (by means 

 of Mr. Thomas Ivye, Esquier, and by the desyres and endeavours 

 of others) he was taken up again out of the said chappell, and 

 removed into the church-yarde." Perhaps some "commoner" 

 crossing the "King's Heath " at night-time, had seen a dark figure 

 in a scarlet cloak, a diamond belt, and a Saxon sword, with a golden 

 crown on his head, come to take back his 500 acres ! 



Historical Notices, (chiefly from William of Malmesbtjry,) of 

 Church-building at Malmesbury Abbey. 



A.d. 



677. Maildulf began the Monastery. At first there was a 

 small " basilica" 

 Aldhelm enlarged this into a more noble church, 

 (" augustiorem eccksiam ") dedicated to " The Holy 

 Saviour and the Apostles Peter and Paul." This was 

 the church used by the Monks, and it was regarded by 

 them as the principal one, the " Caput Loci." (Wm. 

 of Malmesbury, Lib. v. De Pontif. Gale's Script., 

 II., 343.) 



Aldhelm builds within the precincts of the Monastery 



