BRADWARDIN, Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury, surnamed the Profound Doctor, was born at Hartfield in Sussex towards the close of the 13th century. He was educated at Merton College, Oxford, where he took the degree of doctor of divinity, and acquired the reputation of a profound scholar, a skilful mathematician, and an able divine. He was afterwards raised to the high offices of chancellor of the university and professor of divinity. From being chancellor of the diocese of London, he became chaplain and confessor to Edward III., w hom he attended during his wars in France. After his return from the war he was made prebendary of Lincoln and subsequently archbishop of Canterbury. He died of the plague at Lambeth, in the year 1349, forty days after his consecration. Chaucer in his Nuris Priest's Tale ranks Bradwardin with St Augustine.

His great work is a treatise against the Pelagians, entitled De causa Dei, printed at London, 1618, folio, by Sir Henry Savile. He wrote also De Geometria speculativa, Paris, 1495, 1512, 1530; De Arithmetica practica, Paris, 1502,1512; De Proportionibus, Paris, 1495, Venice, 1505, folio; De Quadratura Circuli, Paris, 1495, folio.