followed his sow from Wells along the Sugewege and found her under an apple-tree near the Old Church. Here he settled with his family.
Of the various names of this Island.
The British name Yniszvitrin was translated by the English as Glastinbiry. Or we may take the derivation from Glasteing, as given above. Avallonia may come from avalla, the British word for apples; or from Avalloc, who retired here with his daughters.
Of these three sections the first betrays itself at once as later than the days of Henry of Blois. The other two with their mythological explanations are, in style as well as in substance, such as we could not easily imagine William of Malmesbury to have written. And in fact, if we omit them, the narrative runs on without a break,[1] exactly as in the insertion in G. R.3
With what devotion divers saints came thither.
The church of which we speak was called by the English the Old Church. It was at first formed of wattles. Plain as it was, its fame was widespread, and pilgrims came from every quarter.
Of St Gildas.
Gildas the British historian (historicas) spent many years there. ' And there he died in a. d. 512, and was buried in the Old Church before the altar.'
With the exception of the last sentence, which is only found in the De Antiquitate, the narratives thus far are identical. What follows comes at a later point in the insertion in G. R.3 (p. 26).
Of St Patrick.
St Germanus of Auxerre, having come to the aid of the Britons against English invaders and Pelagian heretics, on his return took Patrick with him. Presently he sent him, by order of Pope Celestine, to preach in Ireland. When his work was done, he came to Glastonbury. There he found twelve brethren living as anchorites: he gathered them into a community and became their abbot, 'as the following writing, which he himself in his own day composed, manifestly declares.'
As far as the arrival of Glastonbury the two narratives run together (save that the insertion has two citations from the Chronicle): but in the insertion there is only added: 'and there he became monk and abbot, and after some years paid the debt of nature'. There is no mention of his Charter, which in the De Antiquitate now follows. It is so important for our argument, and in itself so interesting as marking a stage in the Glastonbury tradition, that it may be given here in full.
