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WILFRID RETURNS TO ENGLAND. 79
in bringing matters to an amicable conclusion,
another and larger council would be summoned at
Rome to efifect a settlement. It is clear that the
pope was unwilling to alienate Aldfrid by too urgent
a demand of obedience to the decrees of Rome.
His policy was to gain time by directing the dispute
to be settled, if it might be, on English ground. It
was obvious enough to him that the strongest repugnance
existed in England to the recognition of any
absolute authority as vested in the see of Rome.
Wilfrid's own wish was to have an end of contention
and to end his days ad limina apostolorum. But he
was overruled, and set forth on his homeward journey.
Sickness attacked him on the way, and he lay for
some days at Meaux in a death-like stupor, watched
over by the faithful Acca. On awakening from it he
told of a dream or vision he had had of St. Michael,
and how the great archangel had promised him four
more years of life. He gathered strength and set
forward on his way, landed in Kent and proceeded to
Mercia, having first sent messengers to Bertwald, who
seemed well disposed to cultivate a friendly feeling,
and promised to mitigate the harshness of the decisions
which had been passed in the synod over which
he had presided.
On arriving in Mercia he found Ethelred in monastic
garb, ruling the monastery of Bardney as abbot,
instead of Mercia as king. He listened to the pope's
letter with the utmost reverence, as did his nephew
and successor Kenred. The decree and the letter
addressed to Aldfrid by the pope were sent to that
prince, who absolutely refused to accord anything to