Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Compton, Thomas
COMPTON, alias CARLETON, THOMAS (1593?–1666), Jesuit, was a native of Cambridgeshire. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1617, being then in the twenty-fourth year of his age (Southwell, Bibl. Soc. Jesu, p. 761). Having been ordained priest at Douay in 1622, he was sent to England in 1625 and was professed of the four vows 21 May 1628 (Foley, Records, vii. 154). He taught rhetoric and belles lettres in the English college at St. Omer, and philosophy and theology for many years at Liège, where he was also for a long time prefect of studies. He died at Liège on 24 March 1665–6. Oliver states he was deservedly admired for his classic taste and his skill in philosophical and theological science (Jesuit Collections, p. 72).
He wrote: 1. 'Philosophia Universa,' Antwerp, 1649, 1664, fol. The title-page is a fine engraving by Winceslaus Hollar, representing the author's patron, Maximilian, duke of Bavaria, seated on his throne. 2. 'Prometheus Christianus, seu liber Moralium in quo Philosophiæ finis aperitur. Simulque media quibus in homine formando in hominem utitur declarantur: ex antiquorum Philosophorum monumentis deducta.' Antwerp, 1652, 8vo. 3. 'Cursus Theologici tomus prior,' Liege, 1658, fol., tomus posterior 1664. Other editions of the 'Cursus Theologici,' 2 vols. Liège, 1659-64, Antwerp, 1624, 1634, 1684, 1710, fol. 4. 'Disputationes Physicæ, ubi etiam de Generatione et Corruptione,' Salamanca, 1676, 4to; founded on the works of Aristotle. 5. 'Disputationes in universam Aristotelis Logicam,' Salamanca, 1716, 4to.
[Authorities cited above; Backer's Bibl. des Écrivains de la Compagnie de Jésus (1869), i. 1348; Cat. of Printed Books in Brit. Mus.; Gillow's Bibl. Dict. i. 546; Dodd's Church Hist, iii. 311.]