a town of Somersetshire in England; situated in W. Long. 2. 41. N. Lat. 51. 9.—It is noted for a famous abbey, some magnificent ruins of which still remain. The curious structure called the Abbot's kitchen is still pretty entire. The monks pretend that it was the residence of Joseph of Arimathea, and of St. Patrick. The King of the West Saxons erected a church here, which he and the succeeding kings enriched to such a degree, that the abbot lived like a prince, had the title of lord, and sat among the barons in parliament; and no person, not even a bishop or prince, durst set foot on the isle of Avalon, in which the abbey stands, without his leave. The revenue of the abbey was above 40,000l. per ann. besides seven parks well stocked with deer. The last abbot (Richard Whiting), who had 150 monks, and 300 domestics, was hanged in his pontificals, with two of his monks, on the Tor, a high hill in the neighbourhood, for refusing to take the oath of supremacy to Henry VIII. and surrender his abbey when required. Edgar and many other Saxon kings were buried here; and, as some will have it, Arthur the British king. Every cottage here has part of a pillar, a door, or a window of this fabric; of which there still remain the ruins of the choir, the middle tower and the chapels. The walls that remain of the abbey are overgrown with ivy, and the aspect of the whole is both melancholy and venerable. Here are two parish churches. This town, while under the protection of its abbots, was a parliamentary borough, but it lost that and its privilege of a corporation; the latter of which was, however, restored by Queen Anne, who granted it a new charter for a mayor and burgesses. The only manufactory here is flockings. At a little distance from the old church, and facing the monks' churchyard, are two remarkable pyramids, with inscriptions, that are in characters unintelligible, and an image in bishop's vestments. The story of the Glastonbury thorn, and of its budding upon Christmas day, is well known. This is not correctly true; but if the winter is mild, it always buds about the latter end of December, but later if the weather is severe.