A Filthy Man Holds A Pike To My Back…

A filthy man holds a pike to my back and forces me further up onto the Tor.

It’s been a wretched experience.

Soldiers came to the abbey carrying a letter from my friend, the king. They demanded I sign a document which would hand over the land and buildings, to the crown. I have already signed the ‘Act of Supremacy’, acknowledging Henry as Lord of the English church.

I could not bring myself to hand the abbey over to him as well.

The king is afraid of war with the Pope and has other reasons for defiling our monastic communities. I can not be a party to it………. But now he wants ‘my’ abbey.

Glastonbury has been my home and my life.

I am afraid.!

My guards have been laughing at my two friends and I. We are all strapped to hurdles and have suffered a trial, whereby we were accused of theft….. I cannot believe that they found us guilty.

Now we are being taken up to the top of Glastonbury Tor…… the views are lovely, and looking down on the abbey, which has a greater income than the king himself, I feel pride and fear. I can see why he wants it and the church lands.

I am told that we will hang and our heads will be cut off and placed over the great gate of the abbey. We will be quartered and ‘tarred’ and then our limbs will be displayed at Wells, Ilchester, Bridgwater and Bath, as a warning to others who might think about defying the king….. Is this the end of ‘my church’?

I have so many questions and so many fears.

It has begun to drizzle….. the rain cools me. My guards still laugh.

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