Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cross, Nicholas
CROSS, NICHOLAS (1616–1698), Franciscan friar, was a native of Derbyshire. He joined the order of St. Francis in 1641, and was so highly esteemed by his brethren that he was selected four times for the office of provincial, in 1662, 1671, 1680, and 1689; but in consequence of ill-health he could not complete the latter triennium, and accordingly he sent in his resignation on 12 May 1691. For a time he was chaplain to Anne, duchess of York. He suffered imprisonment three times in this country, but ended his days at Douay on 21 March 1697–8, and was buried before the high altar of the old conventual church.
He is the author of: 1. ‘The Cynosura; or a Saving Star which leads to Eternity, discovered amidst the celestial orbs of David's Psalms, by way of Paraphrase on the 50th Psalm,’ London, 1670, folio. Dedicated to Anne, countess of Shrewsbury. This is wrongly ascribed by Dodd to John Cross, D.D. (1630–1689) [q. v.] 2. ‘A Sermon [on the Joys of Heaven] preach'd before her Sacred Majesty the Queen, in her chapel at Windsor on 21 April 1686,’ London, 1686, 4to; reprinted in ‘A Select Collection of Catholick Sermons’ (London, 1741), ii. 121.
[Oliver's Catholic Religion in Cornwall, p. 549; Dodd's Church Hist. iii. 490.]