Arthur Faunt

, a most noted Jesuit of his time, Son of Will. Faunt of Foston in Leicestershire Esq. was born of an antient and gentile Family living at that place, an. 1554, and being very studious and delighted in Letters while he was a Child, became fit for Academical studies at 14 years of age. Whereupon being sent to Merton Coll. in 1568 he was committed to the tuition of the most noted Philosopher of that house named Joh. Potts; who, tho he had been before ejected by Mr. Jo. Man the Warden, yet was he permitted to attend his Pupil, whom he before had instructed in Grammar in the Country. But the said Potts being a R. Cath. or else an hearty well-wisher to the Popish Religion, he took away his Pupil from the said Coll. with the advice of his relations (who were Catholicks also) and in the beginning of 1570 conducted him to Lovaine in Brabant, where entring him into the Coll. of the Jesuits the same year, left him and went into Ireland. In the said Coll. he continued till he was Bach. of Arts; at which time, having a desire to travel, he went to Paris, where he remained for a time. Thence he went to Mynchen or Munchen a City and University in Bavaria, where William Duke of that Province, did, for the towardliness that he saw in him, choose him for his Scholar, and maintained him in the said University. While he continued there, he took the Degree of Master of Arts, and then having an ardent desire to study Divinity, he departed thence in the Year 1575, went to the English Coll. of Jesuits at Rome, made a very forward progress in that faculty, and changed his name to Laurence Arthur Faunt. Not long after, he was constituted Divinity reader in the said Coll. and was in very great favour with P. Greg. 13. who, had he lived a little longer, would, as ’twas then supposed, have honoured our profound Author Faunt with a Cardinals cap. However in token of his love, he gave him, on his humble desire, license to make a seal, that by virtue of it, which should be set to a writing to be drawn up by him, any of his Countrymen (whose welfare he ever tendred) might with safety pass through any Country, without peril of the Spanish inquisition, or any danger else whatsoever. In the mean time the K. of Poland having setled a Coll. for Jesuits at Posna, a City in his Dominions, our Author was sent by the said Pope to be Governour thereof. So that leaving Rome in order for that employment 10. June 1581, he was not long after received there with ceremony. Where, for his great learning, gravity, wisdom, and his religious life and conversation, he was held in great esteem by the spiritual and temporal estates of that Nation. While he remained there, he wrot several books, among which these following are some.

Doctrina Catholica de Sanctorum invocatione, & veneratione, &c. Posnan. 1584. oct.

Coenae Lutheranorum & Calvinianorum oppugnatio. part. 2. Posnan. 15986. qu.

Catholicae Eucharistiae defensio. Printed with Caena, &c.

Apologia Libri sui de invoc. & venerat. Sanctorum contra falsas Danielis Tossani criminationes, &c. Col. Agrip. 1589. in oct. He also wrot without his name set to it,

Tractatus de controversiis in ordinem ecclesiasticum & secularem in Polonia. Print. an. 1592. in qu. With other things which the Bib. script. of his society will tell you. This worthy Person, who was much celebrated in his time, gave way to fate at Vilna the chief City of the Province of Lithuania in Poland, on the 28. Febr. according to the accompt there followed,1592/9 [•] . in Fifteen hundred ninety and one, (which is ninety with us) after he had religiously served in the society of Jesus about 25 years, to their great renown and honour. The next Person in order to be mention’d is one, as famous in his way, as the former, but of the reformed Religion.