William Gifford

, Son of John Gifford Esꝫ by Elizab. his Wife, Daughter of Sir Geo. Throcmorton of Coughton in Warwickshire Knight, was born in Hampshire in 1554. being the second year of Qu. Mary, and in 1569. was by his Mother, then the Wife of one Will. Hodgckin, sent to Linc. coll. at which time it was governed by John Bridgwater, who in his heart was a R. Catholick, and had under his government many of that profession. After he had continued in the University, mostly in the said coll. and partly in the house of Geo. Etheridge a Physitian, for the space of four years, exercising himself in Grammar, Musick, Logick, and Philosophy, he was sent with his Tutor to Lovaine, where soon after he took the degree of M. of A. Afterwards spending four years in Theological studies, under Father Bellarmine, he took the degree of Bach, in that faculty. But leaving the said University, because of the Civil Wars in that Country, he retired to Paris, where continuing for some time in the study of Theology among the Sorbonists, he was by Dr. Will. Alan sent for to Rheimes, where continuing in the Eng. coll. (governed by the said Alan) for some time, was by him sent to the Eng. coll. at Rome, where consummating his divine studies, was recalled by the said Alan and made publick Professor of Theology at Rheimes. About which time being created Doctor of that faculty, with great solemnity in the University of Pont-a Mousson in Loraine, (in Nov. 1584.) managed with great credit his publick Professorship for about eleven years. But Civil Wars breaking out in France, he journyed to Rome and became Chaplain to Card. Alan, (as he was afterwards for a time to Card. Charles Borromeus at Millane) at whose request to P. Clem. 8. he was made Dean of the Church of S. Peter at Ressell commonly called L’isle in Flanders; which preferment he keeping for ten years was at length forced (f)(f) See in the Running Register by Lew. Owen, Printed 2626. p. 91. to leave it by the violence of the Jesuits, because he took part with the Benedictine Monks when they prevailed so far with the Abbot of Arra [•] , a good man, to build a Cloister for them at Doway, which was much opposed by the said Jesuits. Afterwards Dr. Gifford return’d to Rheimes again, and was made Rector of the Academy there, which he governed with great praise and honour. At length being above 50. years of age, he gave a farewell to the World, and its vanities, entred himself into the Order of St. Benedict in June 1608. and became professed on the 14. Dec. in the year following, in the coll. of the English Benedictines at Diculward in Loraine. Whereupon according to the manner he changed his name to (g)(g) Pits De illstr. Argl. Script. Aet. 17. nu. 1061. Gabriel de S. Maria, which he kept to his dying day, became famous for his admirable Sermons preached there, in Flanders, Poiteu, at Rheimes, and in Britaine, to which place, as ’tis (h)(h) In Gall [•] a Christiana, Tom. 1. p. 548. said, he was sent a Delegate by P. Clem. 8. to K. Jam. 1. concerning matters of Religion. Afterwards being noted for his great piety and learning, he was made Prior of the Benedictines at S. Maloes in France, and President of the Congregation of that Order. At length his great worth suffering him not to live in a Cell, he was by Ludovic. de Loraine commonly called Cardinal Guise, (Archbishop of Rheimes) made his Suffragan in that See, under the title of Episcopus Ar [••] id [•] liae, (in Greece) Which place he enjoying till that Cardinals death, the Duke of Guise thereupon (because his second Son was but a Child, and therefore not capable of the Archbishoprick of Rheimes, fearing lest any other N [•] bleman in France should beg it for any of their Sons) did presently, before the death of his Brother the Cardinal was known, go to the French K. and beg’d the same for Dr. Gifford, and procured the Pope to confirm the Kings grant. Whereupon Gifford receiving Consecration in 1622. enjoy’d it about 7 years; not without paying a considerable yearly pension from it (as ’twas thought) to the then Duke of Guise. By vertue of the said Archbishoprick, he became a Duke and the first Peer of France: And having a great yearly value coming in, became hospitable, liberal to all English Exiles and Travellers, and a Founder of two Houses in France, for the reception of the English Monks of the Order of S. Benedict, namely one at Paris, and another at S. Maloe. He hath written and published,

Orationum lib. 1. Spoken mostly at the inauguration of Albert and Isabell, in their inauguration at L’isle: Also before Card. Burbon, Vandome, Guise, &c. at Rheimes, and the Duke of Guise, d’Aumale and others—Printed at Doway.

Sermones Adventuales. He also took a great deal of pains in perfecting and finishing a book intit. Calvino-Turcismus, &c. written by Will. Rainolds, and printed at Antwerp, 1597. Answered by one who writes himself T. M. S. in a book intit. De Turco-papismo, &c. Lond. 1598. 99. qu. In the Preface to which he falls foul on our author Gifford, whom he stiles Scriptor mendicissimus, &, ut omnibus constat, iracundus—Ex Anglis ad Hispanos transfuga, hostium mancipium, hostis patriae, turpissimum popularium suorum propudium—comptus & calmistratus, & apud mulieres Belgicas gratiosus, &c. He also wrote a book at the instance of the D. of Guise, which I have not yet seen, and translated from French in Engl. The Inventory of erroùrs, contradictions and false citations of Philip Morney Lord of Plessis: written by Fronto Ducens a Jesuit. Besides which he hath written and translated other matters, but they having been printed beyond the Seas, we seldom or never see them here, and so consequently I cannot give you a Cat. of them in this place. This great Archb. and Duke Dr. Gifford gave way to fate on the eleventh of April, in sixteen hundred twenty and nine, 1629 according to the accompt follow’d in France, and was buried with great solemnity in the Church of the Blessed Virgin at Rheimes, behind the great Altar, near to the grave of Lewis Card. Guise. In his Archbishoprick succeeded Hen. de Loraine Son of Charles Duke of Guise, born at Paris 4. Apr. 1614. so that he was but 15 years of age when he was made Archbishop, which was per accessum; but being not consecrated, he renounc’d it in 1641. about which time he succeeded his Father in the Dukedom of Guise, and took to him a Wise.