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Jennings, James

"The Dialect of the West of England; Particularly Somersetshire"




A LEGEND OF GLASTONBURY.
[First Printed in "Graphic Illustrator, p. 124.]

I cannot do better than introduce here "_A Legend of
Glastonbury_," made up, not from books, but from oral tradition
once very prevalent in and near Glastonbury, which had formerly
one of the richest Abbeys in England; the ruins are still
attractive.

Who hath not hir'd o' _Avalon?_
[Footnote: "The Isle of ancient Avelon."--Drayton.]
'Twar talked o' much an long agon,--
Tha wonders o' tha _Holy Thorn_,
Tha "wich, zoon Acter Christ war born,
Here a planted war by _ArimathA(_,
Thic Joseph that com'd auver sea,
An planted Kirstianity.
ThAc zAc that whun a landed vust,
(Zich plazen war in God's own trust)
A stuck iz staff into tha groun
An auver iz shoulder lookin roun,
Whatever mid iz lot bevAcll,
A cried aloud "_Now, weary all_!"
Tha staff het budded an het grew,
An at Kirsmas bloom'd tha whol dAc droo.
An still het blooms at Kirsmas bright,
But best thAc zAc at dork midnight,
A pruf o' this nif pruf you will.


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