The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-03-24
OBITUARY..

| oho oeooiS'
| OBITUARY.
PROFESSOR JOHN sHERREN BREWER, ENGLISH
HISTORIAN. N
Rev. j. s. Brewer, rector of Toppesheld Essex late
professor Of English literature in Kings College,
London; preacher at tho Rolls Chapel and editor Of
several volumes Of English historical records in the
Rolls series. died at Toppesfeld Rectory on the 10th
| ult. He born in 1910. graduated in 1883 al
Queens College. Oxford. with first class honors In
classics; was for some years successful tutor and
| published an edition Of Aristote's "Nicomachean
Ethics.'' with English notes. which. though
never reprinted by him. is still used as
| text book at oxford. Subsequently he
was ordained in the Church of England.
entered with great zeal into parochial work among
the poor of London. and was for some time chaplain
| to a workhouse In 1889 he appointed lecturer
in classical literature Kings College, London and
in 1s41 professor Of the English language and tera
tSre in that institution. to which he gave the best
energies Of his life, accomplishing great educa
tional work and exerting influence upon his
| pupils Professor Brewer edited "Fuliers Church
History" and "Field on the Church," for the Uni.
versty of Oxford but he is best known to tho public
by his scholarly labors editor of the Treasures
| of English State Papers," buried in the British
chives and disentombed by the patient toll Of
several modest workers, who have furnished
the materials for thoroughly views
| of the course of English history. His
was appointed by the late Lord Romilly, Master Of
the Rolls to edit the calendars of State papers relat
ing to the reign OF Henry VIII. 1t would have been
hard to lind man so competent for this difficult
| task. for he combined q singular knowledge OF
| MEDIEVAL aud OF modern history. aud possessed a
the various and divergent ideas embodied in those
two periods of life and thought He was thorough
an enthusiastic adhorent Of the principles
of the Reformation. but was ut the
n mf and Always ssy
to acquesce in the overthrow OF his theories by
indubitablc evidence He was master Of singularly
| graceful and correct English style and made many
valuable contributions to periodical literature The
results of his labors OH tho sixteenth century
he edited They are highly valued by scholars and
historians but inaccessible by their form to or
binary readers and are little known to literary
| circles. Unfortunately his labors comprise little
more than half OF the period OF Henry VIII but SO
fur they extend they the very best history Of
an important period and rank in merit with the
works of such men AS Edward A. Freeman and Canon
Stubbs Professor Brewer was for some time librarian
to the Marquis OF Salisbury and rendered great public
service in the Interpretation of the vast historical
materials ut Hatfield House. Professor Brewer also
| accomplished heroic work an educator. With oil
modest and unassuming. and could gain the conf
degree . Evidence e of this fact was supplied in 1871
his resignation of the chair he had so long held
|
OF the prominent names in English litera-
| ture. In 1870 he elected honorary follow
College for in aa and he
| 1874 edited. with Mr.. William Buen, THE lendnr
OF the Carew Manuscripts Preserved in the Archiepfs.
copal Library lambeth" In 1876 he presented
by Lord Beaconsfed with the Crown living Of
Toppesneld. Halstead. Essex. with an income Of
100, which afforded him at once recompense for
faithful service and much needed support for his
declining years. The appointment was well meant
but it had tho perverse effect of withdrawing Pro-
lessor Brewer from those uncompleted labors In
which he few rivals and entailing upon him the
laborious and unfamiliar duties OF country par.
sonage.
JOHN FREDERICK FRAIL. ENGLISH SPORTSMAN.
| John Frederick Frail. Mayor Of Shrewsbury. Eng.
land. died in that town on the 9th inst In his
seventy fifth year after illness Of about six weeks
The deceased was the senior partner in the firm of
AIessrs. Frail. handicappers and was clerk of the
course at the following among other meetings-
Shrewsbury, Manchester. Northampton, Windsor.
and until recently Bristol. He native Of shrcws
bury, and hal been member Of the Council for
number Of The veterans OF the turf are pass
ing rapidly away and though Mr. Frail had not the
same social emnence as Admiral Rous Mr.. George
Payne and General Peel, he was nevertheless
one of the most popular Of racing officials.
while It is not too much to say that no
did more for the welfare Of the sport with which no
was so intimately associated for upward Of half q
of the Jockey Club. 1t Mr.. Frail's am
bition to make every race meeting with which.
as clerk of the course, he officially
connected, successful in the best Of
the word. He not content. that is to say, with
| making It profitable to himself by giving uncom-
promising gamblers unlimited opportunities na , OF
value, but his aim was to raise the charac-
ter Of the sport by handsome endowment:
animals very superior to those which are, q rule
| to be found contrasting the prizes at country
| gatherings. How far he succeeded in this may
| be best obtained by consulting tine records OF
the Shrewsbury meeting. which from small be-
Of the season. and this because Mr.. Frail who had
associated himself with its fortunes had the wit to
would catch the biggest Ash. Instead OF being con-
tent to add paltry hundred pounds or two to
the chief x races in his programme he boldly
and that his venture was we'll inspired may be
gathered from the fact that other clerks Of courncs
did ~ iiiswise.s Mr.. Fraii made the shrews
bury meeting so popular that his services
teristic of the esteem in which his tai.
ents held that wherever he took
sared I'd. The Northampton and Huntingdon axtures
| TO mention but two of those which have recently
come within his direction: were almost IN drticsio
mo,fis, but his vvitying influence soon made itself
| felt while his personal popularity enabled him
TO get all the great names of the turf upon his
was probably unsurpassed. even by Admiral Rous.
and though he had, like the latter gallant sportsman.
to sustain the shafts of obloquy and disappointed
ambitions, there DO doubt that his integrity
proof against all temptations, and that In the deli
| cate task Of apportioning the weights he knew
neither fear nor favor.
BARON RAPHAEL HUMMER, AUSTRIAN DrPLo-
MATrsr.
Baron Hubner. secretary Of the Austrian Foreign
Office. with tho rank OF Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenpotentisry died in Vienna on the lth
inst. aged forty years. He rendered distinguished
serviccs at Paris rs Secretary Of Embassy In 1871