JIMENEZ (or XIMENEZ) DE CISNEROS, FRAN CISCO (1436-1517), Spanish cardinal and statesman, born at Torrelaguna (Castile). He studied at Alcala de Henares and at Salamanca, took holy orders and in 1459 went to Rome. On his return to Spain (1465), he claimed the archpriestship of Uzeda (Toledo) in virtue of an "expective" letter from the pope. Carrillo, archbishop of Toledo, opposed him, and threw him into prison, restoring him to his benefice in 148o only. This Jimenez changed almost at once for a chaplaincy at Sigiienza under Car dinal Mendoza, bishop of Sigtienza, who shortly appointed him vicar-general of his diocese. Abruptly resolving to become a monk, Jimenez threw up all his benefices and entered the Franciscan monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, recently founded by Ferdi nand and Isabella at Toledo. He added voluntary austerities to the ordinary severities of the noviciate. He slept on the bare ground, wore a hair-shirt, doubled his fasts, and scourged himself, with much fervour. His private life was continuously and rigor ously ascetic, even at the acme of his greatness. In 1492, at Mendoza's recommendation and against his will, he became Isa bella's confessor. The post was politically important, for Isabella submitted to the judgment of her father-confessor not only her private affairs but also matters of State. Appointed in 1494 pro vincial of the order of St. Francis, Jimenez reduced the laxity of the Conventual to the strictness of the Observantine Franciscans ; he met with intense opposition, but his stern inflexibility, backed by the influence of the queen, subdued every obstacle. At the death of Cardinal Mendoza Jimenez was nominated to his diocese of Toledo, the richest and most powerful in Spain, second perhaps to no other dignity of the Roman Church save the papacy. With the primacy of Spain was associated the lofty dignity of high chancellor of Castile, but though Jimenez was forced to live in a style befitting his rank, the outward pomp only concealed his private asceticism. In Jimenez accompanied the court to Granada, where he joined the mild and pious archbishop of Talavera in his efforts to convert the Moors. But Jimenez's co ercive methods provoked open revolt, which was quelled with difficulty.
Upon Isabella's death on Nov. 24, 1504, Ferdinand resigned in favour of Joanna and her husband, the archduke Philip. The latter died suddenly in 1506, Joanna's intellect gave way com pletely, their son Charles was still a child and Ferdinand was at Naples. In this crisis, the nobles of Castile entrusted affairs to Jimenez, and on Ferdinand's return in 1507, he was made cardinal and grand inquisitor-general for Castile and Leon. At his own expense he fitted out expeditions (15°5 and 1509) against the Moorish city of Oran ; his religious zeal, supported by the prospect of the political gain that would accrue to Spain from the posses sion of such a station inspiring him. Oran was captured in a day,
and leaving the army to make fresh conquests, Jimenez returned to his diocese, where he sought to recover from the regent the ex penses of the expedition. Ferdinand died in 1516, leaving Jimenez as regent : Charles, then a youth of 16 in the Netherlands, ap pointed Adrian, dean of Louvain, as his choice. Jimenez admitted Adrian to a nominal equality and, in violation of the laws, acceded to Charles's desire to be proclaimed king. His position was rend ered peculiarly difficult by the haughty turbulent Castilian nobility and the jealous intriguing councillors of Charles ; he ruled, notwith standing, in a firm and even autocratic manner. In 1517, Charles landed in the Asturias; Jimenez, who had hastened to meet him, fell ill on the way and received a cold note from his king thanking him for his services and dismissing him to his diocese. He died— some say without seeing the letter—at Roa on Nov. 8, 1517.
Jimenez was a bold and determined statesman. Sternly and inflexibly, with a confidence at times overbearing, he carried through what he had decided to be right, with as little regard for the convenience of others as for his own. In the midst of a corrupt clergy his morals were irreproachable. Liberal to all, he endowed very many benevolent institutions in his diocese. His whole time was devoted either to the State or to religion ; his only recreation was in theological or scholastic discussion. In 1500 he founded the university of Alcala de Henares, within whose walls at one time 7,000 students met. In 1836 the university was removed to Madrid, and the magnificent buildings were left vacant. He re vived the Mozarabic liturgy, and endowed a chapel at Toledo, in which it was to be used. His most famous literary service was the printing at Alcala (Lat. Complutum) of the Complutensian Poly glott, the first edition of the Scriptures in the original text. He was aided in this work by Lopez de Stufiiga, Fernando Nunez, Vergara, Nebrija, the Cretan Ducas and by three Jewish converts. The work was begun in 1502, the New Testament finished in Jan. and the whole in April 1517. The text occupies five volumes and a sixth contains a Hebrew lexicon, etc. The second edition (1572), the Biblia Regia or Filipina, was revised by Arias Montano and reprinted by the Antwerp firm of Plantin at the expense of Philip II.