11/24/43 Letter from England while stationed there as army
sgt. during World War II:
"My dear - [
1505]:
"I begin the writing of this letter with some reluctance; not
because there is not a wealth of subject material, but
because it is not possible to do the subject justice. I am
conceited enough to believe that I can not do justice either
to the description, or my feelings brought on by this visit
which I am going to try and picture for you.
"The macadam road to Glastonbury is built about six feet
above the level of surrounding land. It is not hard to
visualize the low marshy land covered by a great arm of the
Bristol channel. Even in recorded history there are records
of the tide washing the steps of the great Glastonbury Abbey.
It was raining the day I visited the Glastonbury, and when
one views the massive ruins and learns that the houses and
the roads through the town were built of the walls of this
monastery, it is easy to add to the rain a few tears.
Perhaps, I should give you a brief description of this great
monastery as it once stood; then you can weep with me over
the ruins.
"Joseph of Arimathea landed on the island of Glastonbury with
eleven men. It is said that he planted his thorn staff, and
that is still growing in the church yard. There is a thorn
tree almost ready to bloom for Christmas standing near the
ruins. Certainly a civilized Christian community existed in
Glastonbury as far back as the earliest records go - and the
English records go a long way back. It is said of this
monastery that if William the Conqueror, who landed in
England in 1066, had founded it, today, the monastery would
not be as old as it was when he made the blood-less conquest
of the country. Early in the 12th Century it is recorded
that the Abbot dug up the grave of King Arthur and his queen
and had it moved to a beautiful tomb in front of the high
altar. It was to this monastery that Arthur was brought when
he was fatally injured. He visited Glastonbury many times
during his travels through this part of the country, and it
is certain that many of his men stopped there as they went
forth on their many quests.
"I talked with H. E. Balch, famous archaeologist and he
assured me that discoveries made in and near Glastonbury
definitely proved the existence of a real King Arthur. How
many times I have read Mallory's 'Death of Arthur' and
Tennyson's more popular 'Idylls'. How real they seem now!
"Glastonbury became famous under St. Dunstan, who later
became Archbishop of Canterbury. There is no question that
gradually Glastonbury became the center for culture for the
whole south west of England. It was the largest and biggest
of all the monasteries. At one time three-fourths of all the
people in the county lived on church lands.
"The monks of Glastonbury were famous clock makers and one
of them with a charming name (Peter Lightfoot) made the most
famous clock in all England. It is now in the Wells
Cathedral, and I will tell you about it later.
"At the height of its prosperity Kings and Queens were
frequent visitors to the abbey. Edward, the first, and his
bride Eleanor made a famous pilgrimage to the tomb of Arthur.
Later other Kings were entertained in the finest style.
"When Henry, the Eighth, broke with Rome and began to look
around for money to finance his marriages and wars,
Glastonbury was the last of the great churches to fall. The
Abbot Whiting held out against Henry and was thrown into the
Tower of London for his opposition. Henry's soldiers sacked
the church of its riches and the people of the town were
instructed to tear down the walls and use the stone in their
buildings. It took many years to destroy this massive
structure, but now only huge piles of stone remain.
"The church has purchased the land again and it is now a
shrine, sacred as the birthplace of Christianity in England,
the home of St. Patrick for a time, the burial place of
England's first King, famed in story, legend and history,
greatest of the old medieval churches - this is Glastonbury.
"When I walked through the ruins a few days ago - stood
before the tomb of King Arthur, touched the buds of the thorn
tree that will bloom for Christmas, let my eye follow the
outline of the most massive church ruins in all England - it
was like stepping into another world. From Joseph's grave,
to that of King Arthur's is but a few steps, and a few
centuries.
"In one corner of the ruins is the old Abbot's kitchen. It
is a circular building with four great fire places. Whole
pigs and half cows were roasted on the spits before the
fires. A complicated system of vents for fresh air was
built into the roof, showing great engineering skill. This
kitchen is now used as a small museum and contains cases of
various things found on the grounds - roman coins, old
kitchen tools, bits of unusual carving tile paving blocks
enscribed with coats of arms, old keys, some so large that
they look like small axes. Connected with the kitchen is
an archway that was the alms house. Here the weary traveler
was fed at any time of day or night, before he was given
a resting place in the monks quarters adjoining the church.
"One can not help but wonder how the great buildings were
constructed without plans except those made by the builders
themselves. The English are justly proud of the
accomplishments of their medieval builders, their freemasons,
who constructed edifices which cannot be equalled in all the
world. Today even the remains of Glastonbury are awe
inspiring in their very massiveness, grace and beauty.
"The grounds are beautifully kept today. The grass is like
a carpet and is always green.
"When we left the ruins and followed the winding street
through the little town it was possible to actually see
stones taken from the walls of the church. [
3605] and I
found a quiet little inn and before an open fire had tea
and cheese on toast, while we talked about the Abbey and
its history.
"Like the man in the travelogue - it was with great
reluctance that we took our leave.
Good night - dear,
I said a prayer for you and [
2824] before the high altar,
but I doubt if God really listened more intently than he does
to those that go up each night from our neisen hut.
Love, [
341]
P.S. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. We have so much to be
thankful for, and I head my list with the names of those who
are so dear to me there in ..."
11/25/43 Letter to his parents, copy of which they allowed
GD to use:
Dear Mother and Dad:
"Yesterday, I wrote [
1505] about a trip I took recently.
This letter is really a continuation of the one written her,
for it is a continuation of the same trip.
"Not far from Glastonbury is a town called Wells. It is
famous as the site of one of the most beautiful cathedrals
in England. You have heard this before when I wrote about
the Salisbury trip, but it is true again. I am surprised
that these cathedrals, built in the same periods and in some
respects much alike, are so different and offer a never
ending source of beauty - yes, and inspiration.
"This great church at Wells is twice as broad as the
Salisbury cathedral and covers more ground. The entire west
front of the building was at one time finished in blue and
gold. There are rows upon rows of figures set in niches in
the front of this building. Today, the color has worn away,
but even now on a clear day the sun seems to light and bring
out hidden colors.
"On one side of the church is the famous clock made by one
Peter Lightfoot (I like that name), a well known Glastonbury
monk. Originally this clock was on the Glastonbury church,
but was moved at the time of the destruction to Wells. The
mechanism is still working though it is in a London museum.
The old face of the clock is there with the knights who hit
the bell and each hour unseat one another. I am enclosing
a little leaflet on the clock which will interest you.
"On the inside the church is extremely beautiful, while not
as high as the Salisbury building it contains some
magnificent sections each with its altar and beautiful
stained windows.
"Near the church is a great building known as the Bishop's
Palace. Here the Bishop lives in regal splendor, even today,
though part of the building is used as a girl's school. You
reach this building over a draw bridge which crosses a wide
moat. On this water ducks are swimming about with large
white swans. When the swans get hungry they go to the castle
gate, near the bridge, and pull a cord attached to a bell.
Swans have been doing this for a couple of hundred years, so
far as anyone can remember, and near the bell which they ring
is a stone swan representing the first swan that learned to
pull the rope and thus secure food. Inside the castle
grounds is the remains of a medieval 'great house'. Today
it is in bad repair, but you can still see its possible
splendor.
"Near the church is the famous Wells Museum. Here
H. E. Balch has assembled his famous collection of early
church antiquities and his findings from the world famous
Wookey Hole Caves. I had heard the name of Mr. Balch for he
is a well known archaeologist who has done much to assist the
backward march of man's history. It was a real thrill to
hear him say that he had found excellently preserved remains
of man's civilization coinciding with the beasts which roamed
the earth 12 and 14 thousand years ago. He showed me his
notebooks which he is now keeping on his regular Saturday
afternoon diggings in Wookey Hole. This cave is famous
because it has been inhabited by man for such a long time.
When the Romans came they found an advanced tribe living
there. He has a fine collection of Roman coins, dug up in
the cave, for they mined there. The pottery, kitchen ware
and table implements, are examples of a well developed
people. These are found along with the bones of the great
mammouths, sabre tooth tigers, and wooly rhino's, positively
dated back to ten and fifteen thousand years B.C.
"In the Wookey Hole Caves there is a great underground river.
This river was responsible for a strange legend that grew
up about the place. In the middle ages an old woman lived
in the cave and was known as the Witch of Wookey. She was
responsible, it was said for many of the difficulties that
beset the people nearby, but most of all she was held
responsible for the terrible noises that poured forth (and
still do) from the cave mouth. Her bones are now in the
museum and Balch has written her story. She was so famous
that Clement of Alexandria, writing to prove the existence of
supernatural phenomena, including her in his writings. The
noises are caused by the rising of the river and the
compression of the air caught in the tunnels.
"Balch has written a number of books. One of them I am now
reading.
"[
3605] [See Par. R5 below] and I are going back to Wells and
Glastonbury when we do not have to rush through getting data
for our tours. There is one more spot to tell you about,
but I will save that for another letter.
"Get [
1505] to show you the letter I wrote her about
Glastonbury and let her see this one - perhaps then [
487]
would enjoy them both."
Love, [
341]
"P.S. Thanks for the socks and the package which I haven't
opened yet."
12/21/43 Letter to EC: "[
3605] was upset because [
5328] got
a much earlier date, though he wrote much later than [
3605],
whose appointment is for Oct. 1944."
1/21/44 See
3605-1 indicating that [
3605] was associated in
the past with [
341] in England.
See subsequent notations under
341-8 Reports.
Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation