ALAN, or ALLEN, Wrw.si•, a celebrated cardinal, was born at Rossal, in Lancashire, in 1532. After a successful prosecution of his studies at Oriel College, Oxford, he was, in 1556, made principal of St Mary's Hall, and one of the proctors of the university. In 1558, he was raised to the dignity of canon of York ; but, from his attachment to the catholic faith, his hopes of prefer ment were blasted by the death of queen Mary. He therefore quitted his native country in 1560, and connect ed himsell with the English College at Louvain. Here he was uniyersady esteemed for the extent of his erudi tion, and the affability of his manners, and obtained the highest distinction from a work which he published at Antwerp in 1563, entitled, "A Defence of the Doctrine or Purgatory, and Prayers For the Dead." From his Zt_re me application to study, his health began to de• cline ; and he was induced to return to England in 1565. for the benefit of his native air. His zeal for the reli gion which he was taught, did not here forsake him. His industry in making proselytes rendered him highly obnoxious, and compelled him to conceal himself in the neighbourhood of Oxford, where he found leisure to v rite a defence of the Catholic faith. The attempts, Lowe yen, which he was perpetually making in favour of his religion, again excited notice, and forced him, in 1568, to retire to Flanders. His character as a learned and able theologian induced the university of Douay to make him a doctor of divinity, and obtained him the of fice of canon of Cambray. The attention of Alan was now solely occupied in establishing seminaries for the education of EAglish Catholics, and in composing trea tises in defence. or the doctrines and ceremonies of the Romish church. His \corks were regarded as treason able in England : They were prohibited to be either sold or read ; and Alfield, a Jesuit, was executed in 1585, for importing them into the kingdom. The hostility of Alan to the religion and gm m nment of his native coun try w as not merely displayed in his writings in favour of the Romish hierarchy ; he united with sonic exiled Eng lish noblemen in instigating Philip II. of Spain to make
a descent upon England; and vindicated the treachery of sir W. Stanley, in surrendering Daventer to the Spanish arms. As a reward for these services, he was created a cardinal in 1387 ; and the Spanish monarch appointed him to a valuable abbey in the kingdom of Naples. Encouraged by these preferments, the cardinal took an active share in promoting the views of the Spe.n ish armada. lie is said to have composed a work, of which an immense impression was thrown off at Antwerp, for the purpose of disseminating seditious principles in England, and of alienating his countrymen from the laws, as well as from the faith of their country. The violence which characterized this inflammatory productidn was not approved of by the more sober Catholics ; but it raised the cardinal to higher favour with the king of Spain, who now promoted him to the archbishopric of 'Mechlin. Ile continued, however, to reside at Rome, affording an asylum to his exiled coun trymen, and exerting his talents in support of the Catholic faith. About the close of his life, he is said to have regretted the measures which he promoted against his native country, and to have expressed an anxiety for reconciling the Protestants and Catholics. There does not appear, however, to be sufficient evidence for this conjecture. The character of the cardinal was too de cided, his attachment to the Catholic superstition too strong, and his enmity to England too frequently shown, and too deliberately cherished, to admit of any unmanly mitigation at the hour of death. lie died in 1594, and was suspected, though without reason, to have been poi soned by the Jesuits. His remains were carried in great pomp to the chapel of the English College at Rome, where a splendid monument still records his sufferings and labours.