Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 19.djvu/350

  Commons' Journals, i. 596–624; Howell's State Trials, ii. 1153 seq. viii. 92; Lingard's Hist. of England (1849), vii. 223; Lords' Journals, iii. 110–83; Parliamentary Hist. v. 427–47.] 

FLOYD, HENRY (1563–1641), jesuit, elder brother of Father John Floyd [q. v.], born in Cambridgeshire in 1563, received his education in the English College of Douay during its temporary removal to Rheims. On 8 May 1589, being then a deacon, he was sent with other students by Dr. Richard Barret, president of the college, to assist in commencing the new English College founded by Father Parsons at Valladolid (Records of the English Catholics, i. 220, 224). For a time he was stationed at the ‘residence’ or seminary established by Parsons at Lisbon. He was probably ordained priest in 1592, and he defended universal theology with great applause at Seville on 20 Feb. 1592–3. From Lisbon he crossed over to England about 1597, and for nineteen years he was chaplain to Sir John Southcote. In 1599 he entered the Society of Jesus, and in 1618 was professed of the four vows. He underwent many vicissitudes owing to his great zeal, and at various times was incarcerated in Newgate, the Clink, and the Fleet prisons in London, and in Framlingham and Winchester gaols. On James I's accession, being sent into banishment with many other priests, he returned to Lisbon, but soon revisited England, and again fell into the hands of the pursuivants. After serving the mission in the London district for many years, he died in London on 7 March 1640–1.

[More's Hist. Missionis Angl. Soc. Jesu, p. 286; Oliver's Jesuit Collections, p. 93; Foley's Records, i. 503–13, vii. 267.] 

FLOYD, JOHN (1572–1649), jesuit, called also, younger brother of Father Henry Floyd [q. v.], was born in Cambridgeshire in 1572. After studying in the school of the English jesuits at Eu in Normandy, he was admitted on 17 March 1587–8 into the English College at Rheims, where he made his course of humanities and philosophy. Next he proceeded to Rome, was admitted into the English College there 9 Oct. 1590, and joined the Society of Jesus 1 Nov. 1592 (, Records, vi. 185). On 18 Aug. 1593 he received minor orders at Rheims or Douay, and on the 22nd of the same month he was sent back to the English College at Rome with nine companions (Douay Diaries, pp. 232, 233). He taught philosophy and theology with great success, and acquired fame as a preacher. In 1609 he became a professed father of the jesuit order. He laboured long and zealously on the English mission. Having ventured to visit Father Edward Oldcorne in Worcester gaol in 1606, he was detained, and he was unable either by entreaties or bribes to escape the clutches of Popham (, Hist. Missionis Anglic. Soc. Jesu, p. 287). After a year's imprisonment he was sent into exile with forty-six other priests, and he spent four years in preaching at St. Omer and composing controversial works. Then he returned to England, where he was often captured, and as often contrived by payments of money to escape from the pursuivants. Finally he settled at Louvain, where he was professor of theology. He died suddenly at St. Omer on 15 Sept. 1649 (Florus Anglo-Bavaricus, p. 51).

Wood describes him as ‘a person excellently learned, as well in philosophy as theology’ (Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iii. 483). He wrote the following works, some of which appeared under the pseudonyms of Daniel à Jesu, Hermannus Lœmelius, George White, and Annosus Fidelis Verimentanus, and the name Flud, and the initials J. R.: 1. ‘The Overthrow of the Protestants Pulpit-Babels, convincing their Preachers of Lying and Rayling, to make the Church of Rome seeme mysticall Babell’ [St. Omer], 1612, 4to. This contains an answer to ‘The Jesuites Gospell,’ by William Crashaw [q. v.], published in 1610. Floyd's work, which purports to be by ‘J. R., Student in Divinity,’ has been erroneously ascribed to Father Robert Jenison (, Bibliographical Dict. iii. 611). In reply to this or some other work by Floyd, Sir Edward Hoby wrote ‘A Counter-Snarle for Ishmael Rabshakeh, a Cecropedian Lycaonite, being an Answer to a Roman Catholic, who writes himself J. R.,’ London, 1613. 2. ‘Purgatories Triumph over Hell, maugre the barking of Cerberus in Syr Edward Hobyes Counter-Snarle. Described in a Letter to the said Knight, from J. R., authour of the Answere unto the Protestants Pulpit-Babels,’ 1613, 4to, to which Hoby rejoined in a book entitled ‘Curry-comb for a Coxcombe,’ 1615. 3. ‘Synopsis Apostasiæ Marci Antonii de Dominis, olim Archiepiscopi Spalatensis, nunc apostatæ, ex ipsiusmet libro delineata,’ Antwerp, 1617, 8vo, translated into English by Father Henry Hawkins, St. Omer, 1617, 8vo, and again edited by John Fletcher, D.D. [q. v.], Lond. 1828, 8vo. 4. ‘Hypocrisis M. A. de Dominis detecta, seu censura in ejus libros de Republica Ecclesiastica,’ Antwerp, 1620, 8vo. 5. ‘Censura X Librorum de Republica Ecclesiastica M.A. de Dominis,’ Antwerp, 1620, 12mo; Cologne, 1621, 8vo.