GLASTONBURY ABBEY.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—You were good enough a few months ago to comment in a favourable manner upon the effort I am making to pur- chase Glastonbury Abbey for the Church of England, and I ant encouraged to write to you and explain the position in which we now find ourselves. The actual transfer of the property from Mr. Austin takes place on the 24th of this month. The property is sold to the three trustees of the Fund which I have formed,—namely, Mr. A. F. Somerville, of Dinder House, Wells ; Mr. Neville Grenville, of Butleigh Court, Glastonbury ; and myself. We pay over to the vendor the amount of money we have already received, and mortgage the property for the balance to Mr. E. Jardine, who is willing that we should pay off this balance as soon as we can. When this mortgage has been completed, the property will be placed in the bands of the Diocesan Trustees of the Diocese of Bath and Wells, an incorporated body. The way our funds stand at present is as follows. The purchase-money of the Abbey property is £30,000, and £1,000 must be reckoned as the cost of the expenses connected with the sale, the transfer, and the cost of the appeals for money. Of this sum of £31,000 we have actually received £19,129. The sum of £4,374 has been promised but not yet received, and the balance to be raised is £7,497, and from December 24th we have to pay interest on all the money not paid over. When the money has been paid, a Council consisting of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the five Bishops whose Sees are contiguous to Glastonbury, with
an equal number of prominent clergymen and laymen, will have the duty of choosing and stating the purpose for which the Church of England proposes to use this important property ; but nothing can be done with it until it is free from liability. For the time being the Abbey house will be let to Mr. Jardine. Now, Sir, it is obviously a wise thing that the necessary money to pay off the debt on the property should be contributed as speedily as possible. The burden of interest is considerable, and the delay in obtaining possession is rather disappointing.
There is a special reason why we should endeavour to com- plete the transaction with promptitude. In the year 1897 the Bishops attending the Lambeth Conference assembled to the number of a hundred and four for a remarkable service held in the ruins of the Abbey, with the object of emphasising the connexion of the Church of England with the ancient British Church. The Lambeth Conference is to be held again in the year 1908, and it is not to be doubted that if the Bishops could be invited again to Glastonbury to unite in a service of thanksgiving for the completion of the scheme of purchase, the hearts of many of them would be made to rejoice. The following year is also a notable one in this diocese, for in 1909 it will celebrate the thousandth anniversary of its formation, Bishop Aldhelm having been consecrated to this See in 909. I am quite aware of the paramount importance of caring more for the souls and bodies of our fellow-creatures than for the preservation of any buildings, however ancient, and the utilisation of historic sites, however sacred; but the different duties need not conflict,—indeed, Sir, you will be among the first to appreciate the stimulating effect of a reverence for the past upon efforts made for the good of the people who live in the present day. Therefore, notwithstanding the especial claims which the appeals of Christmastide may have upon your readers, I hope they may be induced to help us to bring to a successful issue the efforts we of this county are making to preserve Glastonbury Abbey for the Church and nation.— [It is with the utmost satisfaction that we print the appeal of the Bishop of Bath and Wells for funds to complete the purchase of what is without question one of the most interesting places in the British Islands from the point of view of English Churchmen. As the Bishop shows, the English Church is at Glastonbury in direct touch with a Church which was of higher antiquity in these islands than that of Rome, and never admitted the pretensions of the Bishops of the Imperial city. The site of a continuity so moving has been saved for the Church by the patriotism and devotion of the Bishop, but it is only right that he and his co-trustees should as soon as possible be relieved of a very heavy financial responsibility. If every reader of the Spectator who is also a Churchman would send his half-guinea to " The Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Palace, Wells, Somerset," the deficit would soon be turned into a credit balance. But, in truth, there is no reason why the gift should be confined to Churchmen. Glastonbury is the heritage of all English Christians, and all should share in its preservation as a national and spiritual historical monument. Those who help to preserve Glaston- bury need have no fear that harm as well as good may be done by their gifts. The preservation of a place of beauty and of deep historical interest as a national possession for ever cannot be other than a good work.—ED. Spectator.]
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