Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 61.djvu/63

White of events proves, of lowering the standard of the secular clergy. If the Benedictines, with their tradition of learning, were to be allowed to settle in Douai, it would entirely upset the intentions that Parsons had as regards the secular college and the English mission. The maladministration would be exposed, and students leave the college for the monastery. The new foundation was made early in 1605, and White, as vicar-general, had control over it, although his work as chaplain-general and the defence of his position kept him away from Douai till the September of 1606, when he was actually in residence as prior. Very soon he found that Dr. Worthington had been appointed to head the attack. In June 1607 he went to Brussels to defend his monastery, and had an interview with the nuncio Caraffa, who told him that he sent for him to counsel him to leave Douai, for that ‘the jesuits and the president will never let you be quiet.’

White had already found another spot in case the jesuits succeeded in driving him out of Douai. Through the good offices of William Giffard, an old disused collegiate church at Dieulewart in Lorraine was transferred to him in December 1606. White, however, succeeded at Rome and Madrid in defeating the opposition to the establishment at Douai, where Philip Caverel, abbot of St. Vedast's in Arras, promised to build and endow a house for them. The monastery of St. Gregory was founded at Douai, where it remained flourishing until the French revolution, when the community passed over to England and finally settled at Downside, near Bath.

While thus engaged in a life and death struggle White was able to help the secular clergy. He obtained, from the munificent Caverel, Arras College in Paris as a house of study for the English clergy who were to devote themselves to writing. The house was to be modelled after the idea of Chelsea College, lately established for Anglican divines by James I. When Worthington was released from his vow of obedience at Parsons's death (15 April 1610), he became reconciled to White, who informed the arch-priest George Birkhead [q. v.] that he might deal confidently with the president. Thus the clergy were induced to forgive the grievous wrong that misguided president had done them.

As vicar-general, White was constantly in England superintending the numerous subjects who were working on the mission. In 1614 there were over eighty. Before Parsons's death White began his negotiations for a reunion of all Benedictines in England into one congregation. The monks from Italy (never more than a dozen) had secured for two of their own men, Edward Maihew [q. v.] and Sadler, an aggregation to the monastery of Westminster, then represented by old Father Robert (or Sigebert) Buckley [q. v.]. These two were joined later on by a third (19 Dec. 1609), who therefore represented the old historic English congregation. White's subjects were numerous: they possessed houses and men. The Italians had neither; the old English had only the succession. These two latter were desirous of a union, and White entered enthusiastically into the project. What would suit the smaller bodies would be for the Anglo-Spanish monks to furnish men, money, and houses, while the others acted as superiors. The incongruity of such an arrangement did not seem to strike White, who, on 13 Feb. 1610, signed an agreement of ten articles. His precipitate action was greatly resented by the rest of his brethren, and the monks at Douai appealed to the Spanish general, and White was summoned to Spain in 1612. The result was that he was removed from his vicarship and John (Leander) Jones set up in his place. The union with the old English congregation was eventually brought about under more equitable terms. On his way back from Spain White came under the notice of the famous Capuchin Joseph de Tremblai, afterwards known as the ‘Grey Cardinal.’ The friar was then engaged in his work of reforming certain abbeys, and had lately taken interest in the order of Fontevrault. Under his influence the Abbess Louise de Bourbon, with her coadjutrix Antoinette d'Orléans, was desirous of restoring monastic observance in the houses of monks and nuns subject to her rule. White was recommended by De Tremblai ‘as one full of zeal, sanctity, ability, and energy.’ He began his work in October 1613, and was so successful that he was called to a like work in the abbeys of Chelles, Remiremont, and Poitiers. He became also engaged in a projected union of the monks of Fontevrault with the English monks at Douai. But, although this would have been of material advantage to the latter, further reflection showed the vicar-general that it would drain the mission of men and be a tax beyond the strength of his English monks. So the matter was dropped, and White withdrawn. He was then sent to found a house for English monks in Paris, and for one year presided over its destinies. In 1616, having a well-earned reputation for observance, he was sent to reform