OIL
558
GIL
Caradoc, a Welshman, in the twelfth century. Both
biographies contain unchronologieal and misleading
statements, which have led some critics to reject the
lives as altogether valueless. Ussher, Ware, Bale,
Pits, and Colgan endeavour to adjust the discrepancies
by contending that there were at least two saints
named GUdas, hence their mvention of such distinc-
tive surnames as "Albanicus", "Badonicus", "Hiber-
ni'cus", "Historicus", etc. The more general opin-
ion, however, adopted by Lanigan, Leland, Healy,
Stillingfieet, Mabillon, BoUandus, and O'Hanlon, is
that there was but one St. Gildas. The discrepancies
may be accounted for by the fact that the lives were
drawn up in separate countries, and several centuries
after the saint existeil. As to Caradoc's statement
that Gildas died at Glastonbury, O'Hanlon remarks
that Glastonbury appropriated more saints than
Gildas (Lives of Irish Saints, I, 493).
Both narratives agree m several striking details, and may thus be harmonized : Gildas was born in Scotland on the banks of the Clyde (possibly at Dumbarton), of a noble British family. His father's name was Cau or Nau ; his brother's, fluel or Cuil. He was educated in Wales under St. Iltut, and was a companion of St. Samson and St. Peter of L6on. Having embraced the monastic state, he passed over to Ireland, where he was advanced to the priesthood. He is said to have lived some time in Armagh, and then to have crossed to North Britain, his teaching there being confirmed by miracles. On his return to Ireland, at the invita- tion of King Ainmire, he strengthened the faith of many, and built monasteries and churches. The Irish annalists associate him with David and Cadoc in giv- ing a special liturgy or Mass to the second order of Irish saints. He is said to have made a pilgrimage to Rome. On the homeward journey his love of solitude caused him to retire to the Isle of Houat, off Brittany, where he lived a life of prayer, study, and austerity. His place of retreat having become known, the Bretons induced him to establish a monastery at Rhuys on the mainland, whither multitudes flocked (Marius Sepet, "St. Gildas de Rhuys ", Paris, s. d.). It was at Rhuys he wrote his famous epistle to the British kings. His relics were venerated there tUl the tenth century, when they were carried for safety into Berry. In the eighteenth century they were said to be preserved in the cathedral of Vannes. He is the patron of several churches and monasteries in Brittany and elsewhere. His feast is locally observed on 29 January; another feast, 11 May, commemorates the translation of his relics.
The authentic work of St. Gildas, " De excidio Bri- tanniae liber querulus", is now usually divided into three parts: (1) The preface; (2) A sketch of Briti.sh history from the Roman invasion to his own time; (3) An epistle of severe invective addressed to five petty British kings — Constantine, Vortipor, Cyneglas, Cynan, and Maelgwn. In the same epistle he ad- dresses and rebukes the clergy whom he accuses of sloth and simony. His writings are clearly the work of a man of no ordinary culture and sanctity, and indi- cate that the author was thoroughly acquainted with the Sacred Scriptures.
Gildas is regarded as the earliest British historian, and is quoted by Bede and Alcuin. Two MSS. copies of his writings are preserved in Cambridge University library.
Stanton, Mcnolngi/ of Enolanil and Wales (London, 1887); Challoner, Britannia Sancta (London, 174.5); Butler, Lives of the Saints, 29 January; Haddan and Stubbs, Councils (Ox- ford, 1869), I, 44 sq.; Ussher, Works, V, HOG, VI, 216; Lani- gan, Eccl. Hist. Ir., I, ix; O'Hanlon, Lives of the Irish Saints, 29 January; Forbes, Kalendar Scottish SS.; Healy, Ireland's Ancient Schools and Scholars: Giles, Works of Gildas and Nni- nius (London. 1841); P. L.. LXIX: Colqan, Acin SS. Hib.. 176 sq.; Mabillon. Acta SS. O.S.B. (Venice, 1733, 1740), I, 138 sq,; Acta SS., January, III, 573 sq.; Tout in Diet. Nat. Biog., s. v.; Gammack in Diet. Christ. Biog., s. v.
CoLUMBA Edmonds.
Gil deAlbornoz, Alvarez Carillo, a renowned
cardinal, general, and statesman; b. about 1310 at
Cuenca in New Castile; d. 23 Aug., 1367, at the Castle
of Bonriposo, near Viterbo, in Italy. His father, Don
Garcia, was a descendant of King Alfonso V of Leon,
and his mother, Teresa de Luna, belonged to the royal
house of Aragon. After studying law at Toulouse, he
became royal almoner, soon after Archdeacon of Cala-
trava, and, finally, on 13 May, 1338, Archbishop of
Toledo. In 1340 he accompanied King Alfonso XI on
his campaign against the Moors, saved the life of the
king in the battle of Rio Salado on 30 Oct., 1340, and
took part in the siege of Algeciras in 1344. As Arch-
bishop of Toledo he held two reform synods, one at
Toledo in May, 1339 (Mansi, XXV, 1143-8), the other
at Alcald in April, 1347^ (Mansi, XXVI, 123-6). In
March, 1350, Alfonso XI was succeeded by his son
Pedro "El Cruel", whom Albornoz on various occa-
sions severely rebuked for his cruelty and lascivious-
ness. As a result the king conceived a deadly hatred
of him and sought his life. The archbishop fled from
Spain and took refuge at the papal court in Avignon,
where Clement VI received him kindly and created him
Cardinal-Priest of San Clemente, 17 Dec, 1350, where-
upon Albornoz resigned as Archbishop of Toledo.
Two years and a half later Innocent VI entrusted him
with the restoration of papal authority in the eccle-
siastical territories of Italy. The Bull appointing him
legate and vicar-general of the Papal States with ex-
traordinary powers was issued on 30 June, 1353. Dur-
ing the sojourn of the popes at Avignon the ecclesiasti-
cal territories of Italy had, to all intents and purposes,
become lost to the popes. The intrepid cardinal set
out for Italy in the autumn of 1353 at the head of a
small army of mercenaries. After gaining the support
of the influential Archbishop Giovanni Visconti of
Milan and that of Pisa, Florence, and Siena, he began
his military operations against the powerful Giovanni
di Vico, Prefect of Rome, Lord of Viterbo and usurper
of a large tract of papal territory. The latter was de-
feated in the battle of Orvieto, 10 March, 1354. A
treaty was concluded at Montefiascone on 5 June,
whereupon Giovanni di Vico made his submission to
the cardinal at Orvieto. In order to gain the support
of the prefect for the future, the cardinal appointed
him Governor of Corneto for twelve years. Innocent
VI was displeased at the ea.sy terms of the treaty, but
the cardinal justified his act by pointing out the neces-
sity of prudence for his final success. The pope had
already previously sent Cola di Rienzi, the former
tribune of Rome, to Italy to be used by the cardinal
as he saw fit. The cardinal did not trust the visionary
Rienzi, and for a time kept him at Perugia; but upon
the repeated request of the Romans and of Rienzi him-
self, he finally appointed him Senator of Rome, to re-
place Guido deir Isola who showed himself powerless
against the intrigues of the Roman nobility. On 1
Aug., 1354, Rienzi entered Rome and was hailed by
the people as a liberator. Soon, however, his cruelty,
his oppressive taxes, and his costly revelries made
him hated, and during a popular tumult on 8 Oct.,
1354, he fell a victim to the fury of the mob. After
the fall of Rienzi, the cardinal restored ortler in Rome.
The submisson of Giovanni di Vico resulted in the return of the Papal States (in their narrow sense) and the Duchy of Spoleto to papal authority. Albornoz now turned his attention to the restoration of the March of Ancona and the Romagna. After gaining to his side Gentile da Mogliano of Pernio and Ridolfo da Varano of Camerino, he liegan military operations against the two powerful Malatestas of Rimini. The Malatestas allied tl]eiiiselves with (heir enemy, Fran- cesco dctjli Ordcliiin, who had usurped a large part of the lioniagnii. They also won over the faithless Gen- tile da Mogliano. Hidolfo da Varano, to whom the cardinal had given the supreme command of the papal army, gained a eignal victory over Galeotto de' Mala-
