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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. I. B.C. 4004 to A.D. 1066.
page 331
A.D. 680. The abbess Hilda, after she had lived in the dress of holy religion at ôtrmefljali) for thirty-three years, departed from this world to be with the Lord. And this most blessed virgin, being of the high-born family of king Edwin, and having been converted to the faith by the preaching of the blessed Paulinus, afterwards, abandoning her secular garb, proposed to transfer herself to the monastery of Cala, where her sister Hereswitha, the mother of JEldulf, king of the East Angles, was happily serving God. But she was kept back by Bishop Aidan, and made abbess at llertaftp, and afterwards of the monastery called ôtrnuff)alï), which she had founded herself, and where she so instructed her clergy in ecclesiastical habits that five of them rose to the episcopal dignity, namely, Bosa and Wilfrid, at York, Hedda, in the church at Dorchester, John, in the church at Hagustald, Ostfort, in the province of the Wiccians, which was at that time governed by king Osric. Tadfrid, also, of the same monastery, was elected bishop, but by his untimely death was prevented from being consecrated.
The mother of this same Hilda had had a dream, in which, when seeking her husband, she could not find him, but under her garments she found a valuable necklace, which gave light to all the borders of Britain. But the most holy Hilda languished six years, while her soul was being gradually freed from the annoyances of the flesh, and her virtue was being made perfect in weakness ; and after seven years* fever, she departed from death to life. And in the very hour in which she died, a certain nun saw her soul being carried up to heaven by angels, where she is enjoying everlasting jo y with Christ. The same year, Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, convened a council in the place which is called Hatfield, in the sixth year of Ethelred, king of Mercia, while Ealdulf was reigning in the kingdom of the East Angles (he was the successor of Ethelwald), Egfrid being king of Northumberland, and Kentwin of the West Saxons. In this council Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, presided, being present with his suffragan bishops and many others. Accordingly, the sacred gospels being laid before them, Theodore produced a creed to all the assembled holy ^fathers, framed in the following language :—
" We admit the Five Holy General Councils of the Holy Orthodox Fathers, to wit the Nicene Council, convened to
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