While we cannot withhold a tribute of respect from Allen for his zeal and earnestness, and recognize that his foundation at Douai survives to-day in the two Catholic colleges at Ushaw and Ware, it is impossible to deny that he injured the work with which his name will ever be associated, by his disastrous intercourse with Father Parsons. Known as a sharer in that plotter's schemes, he gave a reasonable pretext to Elizabeth's government for regarding the seminaries as hotbeds of sedition. That they were not so is abundantly proved. The superiors kept their political actions secret from the students, and would not allow such matters even to be talked about or treated as theoretical abstractions in the schools. Dr Barrett, writing (April 14, 1583) to Parsons, makes open complaint of Allen's secrecy and refusal to communicate. How far Allen was really admitted to the full confidence of Parsons is a question; and his later attitude to the Society goes to prove that he at last realized that he had been tricked. Like James II. with Fr. Petre, Allen had been "bewitched" for a time and only recovered himself when too late.
AUTHORITIES. -- T. F. Knox, Letters and Memorials of Cardinal
Allen (London, 1882); A. Bellesheim, Wilhelm Cardinal Allen
und die englischen Seminare auf dem Festlande (Mainz, 1885);
First and Second Diaries of the English College, Douai
(London, 1878); Nicholas Fitzherbert, De Antiquitate et
continuatione religionis in Anglia et de Alani Cardinalis vita
libellus (Rome, 1608); E. Taunton, History of the Jesuits
in England (London, 1901); Teulet, vol. v.; the Spanish
State Papers (Simancas), vols. iii. and iv.; a list of
Allen's works is given in J. Gillow, Biographical Dictionary
of English Catholics, vol. i., under his name. (E. TN.)
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