HumanitiesWeb.org - Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Book IV (Chapter XXIII) by Venerable Bede
Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Book IV Chapter XXIII
by Venerable Bede
OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE ABBESS HILDA.
[A.D. 680]
IN.the year of the incarnation of our Lord 680, the most religious servant of Christ,
Hilda, abbess of the monastery that is called Streaneshalch, as abovementioned, after
having performed many heavenly works on earth, passed from thence to receive the rewards
of the heavenly life, on the 17th of November, at the age of sixtysix years; the first
thirtythree of which she spent living most nobly in the secular habit; and more nobly
dedicated the remaining half to our Lord in a monastic life. For she was nobly born, being
the daughter of Hereric, nephew to King Edwin, with which king she also embraced the faith
and mysteries of Christ, at the preaching of Paulinus, the first bishop of the
Northumbrians, of blessed memory, and preserved the same undefiled till she attained to
the sight of him in heaven.
Resolving to quit the secular habit, and to serve him alone, she withdrew into the
province of the East Angles, for she was allied to the king; being desirous to pass over
from thence into France, to forsake her native country and all she had, and so live a
stranger for our Lord in the monastery of Cale, that she might with more case attain to
the eternal kingdom in heaven; because her sister Heresuid ' mother to Aldwulf, king of
the East Angles, at that time living in the same monastery, under regular discipline, was
waiting for her eternal reward. Being led by her example, she continued a whole year in
the aforesaid province, with the design of going abroad; afterwards, Bishop Aidan being
recalled home, he gave her the land of one family on the north side of the river Wear;
where for a year she also led a monastic life, with very few companions.
After this she was made abbess in the monastery called Heruteu, which monastery had
been founded, not long before, by the religious servant of Christ, Heiu, who is said to
have been the first woman that in the province of the Northumbrians took upon her the
habit and life of a nun, being consecrated by Bishop Aidan; but she, soon after she had
founded that monastery, went away to the city of Calcacestir, and there fixed her
dwelling. Hilda, the servant of Christ, being set over that monastery, began immediately
to reduce all things to a regular system, according as she had been instructed by learned
men; for Bishop Aidan, and other religious men that knew her and loved her, frequently
visited and diligently instructed her, because of her innate wisdom and inclination to the
service of God.
When she had for some years governed this monastery, wholly intent upon establishing a
regular life, it happened that she also undertook either to build or to arrange a
monastery in the place called Streaneshalch [Whitby], which work she industriously
performed; for she put this monastery under the same regular discipline as she had done
the former; and taught there the strict observance of justice, piety, chastity, and other
virtues, and particularly of peace and charity; so that, after the example of the
primitive church, no person was there rich, and none poor, all being in common to all, and
none having any property. Her prudence was so great, that not only indifferent persons,
but even kings and princes, as occasion offered, asked and received her advice; she
obliged those who were under her direction to attend so much to reading of the Holy
Scriptures, and to exercise themselves so much in works of justice, that many might be
there found fit for ecclesiastical duties, and to serve at the altar.
In short, we afterwards saw five bishops taken out Of that monastery, and all of them
men of singular merit and sanctity, whose names were Bosa, Hedda, Oftfor, John, and
Wilfrid. We have above taken notice, that the first of them was consecrated bishop at
York; of the second, it is to be observed that he was appointed bishop of Dorchester. Of
the two last we shall speak hereafter, as they were consecrated: the was bishop of
Hagulstad, the second of the church of York; of the third, we will here take notice that,
having applied himself to the reading and observation of the Scriptures in both the
monasteries of Hilda, at length, being desirous to attain to greater perfection, he went
into Kent, to Archbishop Theodore, of blessed memory; where having spent some more time in
sacred studies, he also resolved to go to Rome, which, in those days, was reckoned of
great moment : returning thence into Britain, he took his way into the province of the
Wiccii, where King Osric then ruled, and continued there a long time, preaching the word
of faith, and making himself an example of good life to all that saw and heard him. At
that time, Bosel, the bishop of that province, laboured under such weakness of body, that
he could not perform the episcopal functions; for which reason, this Oftfor was, by
universal consent, chosen bishop in his stead, and by order of King Ethelred, consecrated
by Bishop Wilfrid, of blessed memory, who was then bishop of the Midland Angles, because
Archbishop Theodore was dead, and no other bishop ordained in his place. Before the
aforesaid man of God, Bosel, Tatfrid, a most learned and industrious man, and of excellent
ability, had been chosen bishop there, from the same abbess's monastery, but had been
snatched away by an untimely death, before he could be ordained.
Thus this servant of Christ, Abbess Hilda, whom all that knew her called Mother, for
her singular piety and grace, was not only an example of good life, to those that lived in
her monastery, but afforded occasion of amendment and salvation to many who lived at a
distance, to whom the fame was brought of her industry and virtue; for it was necessary
that the dream which her mother, Bregusuit, had, during her infancy, should be fulfilled.
At the time that her husband, Hereric, lived in banishment, under Cerdic, king of the
Britons, where he was also poisoned, she fancied, in a dream, that she was seeking for him
most carefully, and could find no sign of him anywhere; but, after having used all her
industry to seek him, she found a most precious jewel under her garment, which, whilst she
was looking on it very attentively, cast such a light as spread itself throughout all
Britain; which dream was brought to pass in her daughter that we speak of, whose life was
a bright example, not only to herself, but to all who desired to live well.
When she had governed this monastery many years, it pleased Him who has made such
merciful provision for our salvation, to give her holy soul the trial of a long sickness,
to the end that, according to the apostle's example, her virtue might be perfected in
infirmity. Falling into a fever, she fell into a violent heat, and was afflicted with the
same for six years continually; during all which time she never failed either to return
thanks to her Maker, or publicly and privately to instruct the flock committed to her
charge; for by her own example she admonished all persons to serve God dutifully in
perfect health, and always to return thanks to Him in adversity, or bodily infirmity. In
the seventh year of her sickness, the distemper turning inwards, she approached her last
day, and about cock-crowing, having received the holy communion to further her on her way,
and called together the servants of Christ that were within the same monastery, she
admonished them to preserve evangelical peace among themselves, and with all others; and
as she was making her speech, she joyfully saw death approaching, or if I may speak in the
words of our Lord, passed from death to life.
That same night it pleased Almighty God, by a manifest vision, to make known her death
in another monastery, at a distance from hers, which she had built that same year, and is
called Hackness. There was in that monastery, a certain nun called Begu, who, having
dedicated her virginity to God, had served Him upwards of thirty years in monastical
conversation. This nun, being then in the dormitory of the sisters, on a sudden heard the
well known sound of a bell in the air, which used to awake and call them to prayers, when
any one of them was taken out of this world, and opening her eyes, as she thought, she saw
the top of the house open, and a strong light pour in from above; looking earnestly upon
that light, she saw the soul of the aforesaid servant of God in that same light, attended
and conducted to heaven by angels. Then awaking, and seeing the other sisters lying round
about her, she perceived that what she had seen was either in a dream or a vision; and
rising immediately in a great fright, she ran to the virgin who then presided in the
monastery instead of the abbess, and whose name was Frigyth, and, with many tears and
sighs, told her that the Abbess Hilda, mother of them all, had departed this life, and had
in her sight ascended to eternal bliss, and to the company of the inhabitants of heaven,
with a great light, and with angels conducting her. Frigyth having heard it, awoke all the
sisters, and calling them to the church, admonished them to pray and sing psalms for her
soul; which they did during the remainder of the night; and at break of day, the brothers
came with news of her death, from the place where she had died. They answered that they
knew it before, and then related how and when they had heard it, by which it appeared that
her death had been revealed to them in a vision the very same hour that the others said
she had died. Thus it was by Heaven happily ordained, that when some saw her departure out
of this worId, the others should be acquainted with her admittance into the spiritual life
which is eternal. These monasteries are about thirteen miles distant from each other.
It is also reported, that her death was, in a vision, made known the same night to one
of the holy virgins who loved her most passionately, in the same monastery where the said
servant of God died. This nun saw her soul ascend to heaven in the company of angels; and
this she declared, the very same hour that it happened, to those servants of Christ that
were with her; and awakened them to pray for her soul, even before the rest of the
congregation had heard of her death. The truth of which was known to the whole monastery
in the morning. This same nun was at that time with some other servants of Christ, in the
remotest part of the monastery, where the women newly converted were wont to be upon
trial, till they were regularly instructed, and taken into the society of the
congregation.