Benedictine monk and accomplished scholar, who wrote a history from the beginning of the world to the end of the reign of Edward I. under the title of Flores Historiarum; which was afterwards continued by other hands. He died in 1380.

St Matthias, an apostle, was chosen instead of Judas. He preached in Judaea and part of Ethiopia, and suffered martyrdom. See the Acts of the Apostles, chap. i. There was a Gospel published under Matthias's name, but rejected as spurious; as likewise some traditions, which met with the same fate.

St Matthias's Day; a festival of the Christian church, observed on the 24th of February. St Matthias was an apostle of Jesus Christ, but not of the number of the twelve chosen by Christ himself. He obtained this high honour upon a vacancy made in the college of the apostles by the treason and death of Judas Iscariot. The choice fell on Matthias by lot; his competitor being Joseph called Barsabas, and named Justus. Matthias was qualified for the apostleship, by having been a constant attendant upon our Saviour all the time of his ministry. He was, probably, one of the seventy disciples. After our Lord's resurrection, he preached the gospel first in Judaea. Afterwards it is probable he travelled eastwards, his residence being principally near the irruption of the river Aparus and the haven Hyssus. The barbarous people treated him with great rudeness and inhumanity; and, after many labours and sufferings in converting great numbers to Christianity, he obtained the crown of martyrdom; but by what kind of death, is uncertain.—They pretend to show the relics of St Matthias at Rome; and the famous abbey of St Matthias near Treves boasts of the same advantage; but doubtless both without any foundation. There was a gospel ascribed to St Matthias; but it was universally rejected as spurious.

MATTINS, the first canonical hour, or the first part of the daily service, in the Romish church.