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Bathilda (Bathilde, Bathyldis, or Baldechilda) St.

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Bathilda (Bathilde, Bathyldis, Or Baldechilda) St.

(corrupted into St. Bauteur and St. Baudour), was by origin a Saxon, and born in. Englanld, and was exposed for sale on the coast of France, when she was purchased by Erchinoald or Archambaud, the maire du palais of Chlodoveus, or Clovis II; she afterwards became, through the means of Archambaud, the wife of the king, about 640. St. Gregory of Tours calls her prudens atque elegans, and by her Clovis had three sons — Clothaire III, Childeric II, and Theodoric III. Upon the death of the king she became regent, and used all her authority in endeavoring to discover and reform abuses in Church and State, and founded many churches and religious houses; among the latter, the celebrated monastery of Corbie, in Picardy. She also endowed, or restored, the houses of St. Vandrille, Luxeuil, Jouarre, Farmoutiers, and Corbion; and completed that of Cala (Chelles), in the diocese of Paris, which St. Clotilda, the queen, had commenced. To this last monastery she retired, when the injustice of Ebroin, or Ebrovinus, the maire du palais, and the violence of others of the courtiers, had compelled her to resign the government. Having thus forsaken the world, she took the vows, and gave herself up to a religious life, under the abbess St. Bertila, whom she had herself constituted at the first establishment of the community. She died Jan. 30, 680, on which day she is commemorated, and her tomb is yet to be seen at Chelles. See Ruinart, Not. in Grey. Turon. p. 663; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v