By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 



25 



According to various notices scattered through the work alluded 

 to, the earliest church within the precincts of the monastery had 

 been a " very small basilica " in Maldulf 's time. This had been 

 enlarged into a more important one by Aldhelm who gave it the 

 title of "The Church of the Holy Saviour and of the Apostles 

 Peter and Paul." But Aldhelm not content with this, made a still 

 larger one, called " St. Mary's," which the Historian says was 

 remaining in his own days (1139) and was in size and beauty the 

 noblest old church in England. The church of the " Holy Saviour, 

 St. Peter, and St. Paul " was nevertheless not only left standing, 

 but was duly considered as the chief church, ("caput loci") down 

 to Abbot iElfric's time, the reign of King Edgar. Down to that 

 period, gifts of land, &c, were made to the church of the "Holy 

 Saviour, St. Peter and Paul." But from and after King Edgar's 

 reign, St. Mary's, (whether a fresh church, or an old one restored 

 I by Abbot iElfric,) became the " caput loci " or chief church. The 

 present Abbey Church, also called St. Mary's, certainly covers the 

 J ! site and more than the site, of Abbot ^Elfri^c's St. Mary's : but 

 whether any part of that Abbot's actual building is still visible, is 

 i very questionable. 1 But that the older one of "St. Saviour, Peter 

 and Paul" still continued to stand, by the side of St. Mary's even 

 I to the time of the Dissolution of Monasteries, is very probable ; 

 1 for Leland who visited Malmesbury in 1540, after describing the 

 : large Abbey Church, says " there was a little church joining to 

 : the south side of the transept of the Abbey Church, in which some 

 9, said that John the Scot, the preceptor, was slain by his pupils in 

 e the time of King Alfred. Weavers have now looms in this little 



church, but it standeth and is a very old piece of work." 

 I But we must return, to see how the monks were going on in the 

 reign of King Edgar. They were going on very prosperously, for 

 il they had just received a further addition to their property, by a 

 il grant of the Manor of Charlton, a very nice plaster for the sores 

 • lately inflicted. They had however hardly begun to feel the com- 

 fort of this soothing application when fresh troubles began, for the 



*Mr. Britton "could not persuade himself to believe that any material part of 

 i the present building was erected before the reign of Henry I." (Arch : Antiq : i.) 



