Allan, William

Allan, William (Cardinal), born in Lancashire in 1532, and educated at Oriel College, Oxford, where he afterward became, in Queen Mary's time, principal of St. Mary's Hall. and was also made canon of York. At Queen Elizabeth's accession he retreated to Louvain, and then became professor at Douay, canon of Cambray and Rheims, and lastly, in 1587, he was made cardinal- priest of St. Martin's in Rome, and in 1588 archbishop of Mechlin. He was very active in collecting the English Romanists abroad into one body, and in establishing a college, first at Douay and then at Rheims. His zeal against Queen Elizabeth showed itself in two bitter works, which he published before the invasion of England by the Spaniards, encouraging King Philip to that enterprise, and urging the subjects of Queen Elizabeth to consider themselves absolved from their allegiance, and to execute the papal ban dethroning Elizabeth and putting Philip II in her stead. This treason greatly embittered the English people against Allan, and the Earl of Arundel was afterward condemned to death for corresponding with him. He died at Rome in 1594, and the Jesuits were charged with poisoning him. They, in turn, charged the crime against Dr. Lewis, bishop of Cassona, who, they said, hoped to succeed Allan as English cardinal. —Hook, Eccl. Biog. 1, 103; Collier, Eccl. Hist. 7, 180.