Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Gordon, James (1553-1641)
GORDON, JAMES, D.D. (1553–1641), Jesuit, a member of the house of Lesmore, Aberdeenshire, born in 1553, entered the Society of Jesus at Paris in 1573. After teaching theology with distinction he was appointed rector of the college of his order at Toulouse, and subsequently rector of the college at Bordeaux. He took the degree of D.D., and was nominated theologian of the metropolitan church of Bordeaux at the council of Bordeaux. When advanced in years he was summoned to court as confessor to Louis XIII. He died at Paris on 17 Nov. 1641.
His works are: 1. 'Opus chronologicum, nnorum seriem, regnorumque mutationes, et rerum toto orbe gestarum narrationem, à mundi exordio ad nostra usque tempora complectens,' Poitiers 1613, and Cologne 1614, 2 vols. fol.; 2nd edition, Poitiers, 1617, fol. 2. 'De Catholica Veritate. Pro epithalamio. Ad Serenissimum Valliorum Principem, magnum Britanniarum hæredem,' Bordeaux, 1623, 12mo. 3. 'Biblia Sacra cum commentariis, ad sensum literæ, et explicationem temporum, locorum, rerumque omnium, quæ in Sacris codicibus habent obscuritatem,' 3 vols., Paris, 1632, fol. 4. 'Theologia Moralis Universa, octo libris comprehensa,' 2 vols., Paris, 1634, fol. 5. 'Opuscula tria. Chronologicum, Historicum, Geographicum,' 3rd edition, Cologne, 1636, 12mo. This is extracted from the 'Opus Chronologicum.' It has been printed several times. 6. 'De rebus Britanniæ novis.'
[Catholic Miscellany, ix. 35; Oliver's Jesuit Collections, pp. 22, 23; Gordon's Catholic Mission in Scotland, p. 557; Anderson's Scottish Nation, ii. 330; Watt's Bibl. Brit.; Lowndes's Bibl. Man. (Bohn), p. 914; Foley's Records, vii. 309; Southwell's Bibl. Script. Soc. Jesu, p 366; De Backer's Bibl. des Écrivains de la Compagnie do Jésus; Cat. of Advocates' Library, Edinb. iii. 448.]