Mathilda, countess or Tuscan^-, well known in history through her close political connection with pope Gregory VII (q. v.), was a daughter of Boniface, count of Tuscany, and was born in 1046. She is said to have married (Jodfrey (surnaracd II Gobbo, or the ''Hunch- back"), duke of Lorraine, in 1069, by procuration ; but, if so, her husband did not make his ajipearance in Italy until four j-ears after the wedding ceremony, and the two, if they were ever united, soon afterwards separated. Godfrey went back to his duchy, and became a supporter of the emperor Henry IV, while IMathilda made herself conspicuous by the /.eal with which she espoused the cause of Gregory VII. She became his inseparable as-
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sociate, was ever ready to assist him in all he under- took, and to share every danger from which she could not protect him. In 1077, when Henry had suddenly made his appearance in Italy, and Gregory was fearing for his safety, she gave the pontiff shelter in her own castle. This intimacy of Mathilda with the pope has given rise to much scandal, though every unprejudiced mind will clear both of the guilt they stand accused of. Both the countess and the vicar were pure in character, if their correspondence may serve as an index of their thoughts. (See on this point Neander, Ch. Hist, iv, 113, 8(5.) In 1'079 jMathilda made a gift of all her goods and possessions to the Church. In 1081 she alone stood by the pope, when Henry poured his troops into Italy, burning to avenge his humiliation at Canossa; she sup- ported him with money when he was besieged in Eome ; and after his death at Salerno boldly carried on the war against the emperor. She died at the Benedictine mon- astery of Polirone in 1115. Her death gave rise to new feuds between the emperor and pope Paschal HI on ac- count of her gift to the Church, which finally resulted in the former wresting from the latter a portion of Ma- thilda's possessions, but even what remained constituted nearly the whole of the subsequent "Patrimony of Pe- ter." See P.VTRiMONiuJi Petri. (J. H. W.)
Mathurins, or Brethren of the Holy Trinity, an order of monks which arose at the end of the 12th century, and got this name from having a church at Paris which claims St. j\Iathurin for its patron saint. All their churches were dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Sometimes they are called Brethren of the Redemption of Cuptiees, because, originating at the period of the Crusades, they gave their labor and a third of their rev- enue to liberate Christian captives from Mohammedan masters. Their founders were two French recluses in the diocese of Meaux — Jean de Mattia and Felix de Yalois. By some they seem to have been called the Order oj" Asses, as they were permitted to use those an- imals only, and were debarred from riding on horses. A similar order was founded in Spain in 12"28, and there called the Order of St. Murtj. — Eadie, Eccles. Diet, s, v. See also Trinitarians,
Mathiirists. See Trinitarians.
Mathu'sala (Luke iii, 37). See Methuselah.
Matins, or Matutina, the ^hiew mominrj service," or the tirst of the morning services, and so called in con- tradistinction from the " old morning service," which was before day, whereas this was after day began. Cassian says this was first set up in Bethlehem, for till that time the old morning service used to end with the nocturnal psalms, and prayers, and daily vigils ; after v.'hich they used to betake themselves to rest till the third hour, which was the first hour of diurnal prayer. The name for morning prayer, in more modern Church-language, is matins. Before the Reformation the hours of prayer were seven in number, namely, matins, the tirst or prime, the third, sixth, and ninth hours, and vespers, and com- pline. The ofHce of matins in the Church of England is an abridgment of her ancient services for matins, lauds, and prime. Bitualists divide the office of mat- ins, or morning prayers, into three parts : first, the in- troduction, which extends from the beginning of the oflice to the end of the Lord's Prayer ; secondly, the psalmody and lessons, extending to the end of the Apos- tles' Creed ; thirdl}^, the prayers and collects, which oc- cupy the remainder of the service. See Farrar, Eccles. Diet. s. V. ; Eadie, Eccles. Diet. s. v. ; Neale, Introd. East. Church. See also Hours, Canonical.
Ma'tred (Heb. Matred', I'l:?'?, propelling; Sept, Ma-^n/S', Marpao), the daughter ofMezahab and moth- er of Mehetabel, which last was wife of one of the Edom- itish kings (Gen, xxxvi, 39 ; 1 Chron, i, 50), B.C. prob. ante 1619.
Ma'tri (Heb. Matri', '^'1^'? [but with the def. art.], prob. ea-jjectant ; Sept, MaTrapi,Yu\^. Metri), a Benja-
mite, the head of the ancestry of Kish, the father of Saul (1 Sam, x, 21). B.C, prob, cir, 1612,
Matriciila, a list or register of the church, called in Greek Kaviov and icaTcikoyoq upariKog ; in Latin, al- bum, matricula, tabula clericorum. The use of the word matricula to designate enti-y at college or university record of a new student is due to this early adaptation of the word. Because the names of all the clergy and other persons were enrolled in the matricula, they were called canonici. — Farrar, Eccles. Diet, s, v. ; Eadie, Eccles. Diet, s, V, See Canonici ; Diptyciis,