. The greater abbeys of England . sing from its ruins; as even personally watch-ing over the arrangements of the kitchen and other do-mestic concerns; or as rising before the day had dawnedto copy, study or revise the manuscripts of his house,or to kneel motionless in the church with hands liftedheavenwards and face moist with tears. All agree indescribing his kindly genial demeanour to others, hisgentle yet firm method of teaching and his special lovefor boys. After a period of perhaps fifteen years spentin his beloved home at Glastonbury, and in his best-loved occupations of the cloistered l
. The greater abbeys of England . sing from its ruins; as even personally watch-ing over the arrangements of the kitchen and other do-mestic concerns; or as rising before the day had dawnedto copy, study or revise the manuscripts of his house,or to kneel motionless in the church with hands liftedheavenwards and face moist with tears. All agree indescribing his kindly genial demeanour to others, hisgentle yet firm method of teaching and his special lovefor boys. After a period of perhaps fifteen years spentin his beloved home at Glastonbury, and in his best-loved occupations of the cloistered life, Dunstan becameBishop of Winchester, and then Archbishop of Canter-bury. But amidst all the occupations for Church andState which engrossed the greater part of his life, henever forgot his monastic home, and his name has everbeen irrevocably associated with Glastonbury. During the closing period of the struggle betweenSaxon and Dane in England, in the first decades of theeleventh century, the sanctuary was honoured by the 104. Glastonburymonarchs of both dynasties. Edmund Ironside enrichedthe abbey with land and possessions and when, aftervaliant though vain struggles, he died for his Saxonfatherland, his body was laid to rest in the spot he hadchosen for his tomb in St Dunstans Church. ToGlastonbury also in 1030 came King Canute, hisDanish successor: and here, after confirming every giftand privilege granted to the place by his Saxon pre-decessors, he knelt in prayer at the tomb of his rivaland spread over it a covering enriched with the em-broidery of skilled Saxon ladies. Ten years later KingHardicanute testified his devotion to the hallowed spotby the present of a superb shrine to hold the relics ofSt Benignus. The Norman Conquest brought difficulties in thegovernment of the house. It was part of the Conquerorspolicy to replace Saxon bishops and abbots by Nor-man prelates wherever this could be done. So here,at Glastonbury, the Saxon abbot Ailnoth was made togive place
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