GRACIAN
42
GRIFFIN
study of philosopliy that liis superiors sent him to
Salamanca, Spain, for the best possible training in
the sacred sciences. Having completed his studies
with great success he returned to Italy in 1688, and
was sent to Mantua to teach philosophy in the con-
vent of the order there. Hardly had he undertaken
his duties when he was recalled to Rome by the
master general to fill the chair of pliilosophy in the
Minerva convent. Next he was ordered to estabUsh
a new coui'se of philosophy at Bologna, where in
1695 he was made pubhc professor of theology by the
senate of the university. In 1708 he was elected
prior of the Dominican convent at Bologna; re-
elected in 1714; and, two years later, made superior
of that entire province. In 1715 Clement XI ap-
pointed him general inquisitor of the Faith in the
city of Milan. Although most unwilling to receive
this appointment, Gotti zealously discharged its
arduous duties for two years, when, after repeated
requests, the pope released him from the office.
Returning to Bologna, he was given the chair of
polemical theology in the university, and in 1720
was, for the third time, elected prior of the convent
there. On 30 April, 1728, Benedict XIII made him
cardinal-priest, and appointed him Patriarch of
Jerusalem. He was then made a member of nine
different congregations, to all of which he gave his
um-emitting attention. With his many duties as
cardinal, he never relaxed in the reUgious observances
of his hfe, and found, moreover, ample time for much
private study. He was present at the conclaves of
Clement XIII and Benedict XIV.
Cardinal Gotti possessed an acuteness of inteUect and a solidity of judgment altogether uncommon. A tireless student, he amassed a fund of knowledge, and acquired a faciUty of expression which placed him in the foremost ranks of the greatest minds of his time. Special tributes to his abihty and sanctity of hfe were repeatedly paid by Popes Clement XI and XII, and Benedict XIII and XIV, by various members of the Sacred College, by Victor Amadeus II, and his son Emmanuel, and by the Princess Maria Clementine Sobieski.
Among the best known works of Gotti are: (1) "La vera chiesa di G. Christo dimonstrata dai segni et dai dogmi contro i due Ubri di Giacomo Picenino" (4 vols., Bologna, 1719), translated into Latin with added notes by Vincent Thomas Covi, O.P., and pubhshed at Milan (1734) and Bologna (1750); (2) "Concordia matrimonii cum ministro", which was pubhshed at Bologna in 1727 under the title, "Col- loquia theologica polemica intres classes distributa"; (3) "Theologia scholastico-dogmatica juxta mentem Divi Thomse Aquinatis" (Bolognaj 1727-35), which filled eight volumes and was divided into sixteen parts: the first part comprises the prolegomena and loci theologici, and all the rest follow the order of the "Summa" of St. Thomas, except the last part, which deals with the state of the soul after death, the end of the world, general judgment, etc.; this same work was again published at Venice in 1750. (4) "Veritas re- hgionis christians; et librorum, quibus innititur contra atheos, polytheos, idololatras, mohammedanos et judajos demonstrata" (3 vols., Rome, 1735-36); (5) "Veritas religionia christian£E ex genere, con- ceptu, ortu, gestis, raysteriis ac prodigiis Jesu Christi, necnon Virginis Deiparte confirmata" (4 vols., Rome,
1737); " ex mirabiU ejus propagatione per apos-
tolos et eorum gesta comprobata" (5 vols., Rome,
1737) ; " ex prodigiis eius inter paganorum perse-
cutioncs augmento et mirabili constantia martyrum"
(6 vols., Rome, 1738); " ox devictis haeresibus
directe eius veritatem impugnantibus" (7 vols., Rome, 1738-40).
HoRTER, Novirndalor, II (Innsbruck, 1893), 1291 .sqq.; EcHAHD, Srriiil. Oril. Prird., II, 814; TouRON, Hist, des humm. iUtist.. VI (Paria, 1749), 640.
Chas. J. Cai,l,4j<.
Gracian (Gratian), Baltasar, Spanish writer,
b. at Belnionte, a suburb of CalatajTid, Aragon,
8 Jan., 1601; d. at Tarragona, 6 Dec., 1658. He
came of a noble family and was reared in the home
of his uncle Antonio Gracidn, hcentiate at Toledo.
His mother's name was Morales, and it is supposed
that she and his father died when Gracidn was a
child. His three brothers, Fehpe, Pedro, and
Raimundo, entered rehgious orders, and Baltasar
entered the Society of Jesus in 1619, being among
the first to receive an education according to the
principles of the Ratio Studiorum. He taught in
various colleges of the order, and at the time of his
death was rector of the College of Tarragona. He
was on terms of intimacy with King Philip III.
His correspondence with a gentleman of Huesca,
Vincencio Juan de Lastanosa, is no longer extant.
He is the author of a number of works which exercised
a wide influence on the literature of his country by
the extreme artificiality of their style. The subject
matter of most of his works is the ideal Spanish
gentleman. The critical exposition of the stilo ciilto
Gracian adopted in his " Agiideza y arte de ingenio".
He is best knoivn through his " Ordculo manual 6 arte
de prudencia" (1647). This was his most finished
work, the earhest known edition of which is in the
British Museum. It has been translated into Italian,
French, Enghsh, Latin, Hungarian, Pohsh, German
and Dutch. His other works are "El Heroe"
(Madrid, 1630); "El poUtico Fernando el Cat61ico"
(1641); "El Discreto", dedicated to Don Baltasar
Carlos of Austria (Huesca, 1645); "El Critic6n"
(1st part, Madrid, 1650; 2nd and 3rd parts, Huesca,
1653); "El Comulgador", devotions for Commu-
nion (Madrid, 1655). The last named work, as
also his eulogy of Ferdinand the CathoUc, are ex-
ceptions to his usual choice of subject. Whatever
may be thought of the evils of his style, it is
a brilliant medium for his wisdom and frequently
exalted sentiments.
Jacobs, Introduaion to The Art of Worldly Wisdom (London, 1904); Duff in Fortnightly Review (March, 1877); De B.acker, Bibl. de la Cornpagnie de Jesus: Fitzm.icbice-Kellt, History of Spanish Literature (London. 1S9S).
Gertrude Dana Steele.
GriflBn, Martin Ign.'vtius Joseph, journalist, his- torian, b. at Philadelphia, 23 Oct., 1842; d. there, 10 Nov., 1911. In early manhood he was associated as contributor and editor with various Cathohc pubh- cations. Appointed in 1872 secretary of the Irish CathoUc Benevolent Union he founded and edited its organ from 1873 to 1S94, first with the title the " I. C. B. U. Journal", and then as " Griffin's Journal". His articles on local Cathohc history printed in this "Journal" led to the founding, 22 July, 1884, of the "American Catholic Historical Society" of Phila- delphia, of which he was hbrarian at his death. In January, 1887, he began the pubUcation of the "American Catholic Historical Researches", which he continued to edit t ill he died . An indef at igable delver into the byways of the past, he collected a large amount of original data that will be of much value and assistance to the historian of the development of the Church in the United States. His most important publications are the "History of Commodore John Barry" (Philadelphia, 1903), and "Catholics and the American Revolution" (3 vols., Philadelphia, 1907- 1911). Monographs on the history of old St. Joseph's and several other Philadelphia churches (lSSl-1882), on Bishop Michael Egan, O. S. F. (1885), ThomasFitz- Simons (1887), and "The trial of John Ury" (1899) pre- serve many details otherwitse neglected. Mr. Griffin was also very active in the promotion of the cause of total abstinence, and of the building and loan associa- tions that did so much good in the industrial com- munity of his native city.
Catholic Historical Researches (Pliiladelp)ua. April,
