, 1893-02-11
PROFESSOR FROUDE A
OXFORD.
By Norman II. Smith.
From the Christian Union,)

Oh other event Of special interest'to which
7 rafaryed last week has been the return TO
Oxford as Professor Of Modern History, of
Mr.. James Anthony Froude. The delivery
of.his inaugural lecture was somewhat over
ahadowed by the visit and lecture OF Mr.. w.
E. Gladstone, which it followed almost lmme-
diatsly. Still, so much interest centers around
the name Of Froude, that inevitably q large
oonoourse Of the most representative KIND
gathered to hear him in the lecture room at the
Museum. once the scene OF John Ruskin's
famous lectures. 1t was 8 strange and even
pathetic sight to see the stalwa and I'M
dauntsd old man of seventy four IN the end OF
his DAYS return to his old University and ut
ter his confession Of faith, or shall we say
"apoloqia pyo Vitd sud'7 Oxford mas seen
many changes since lie first came here, and
none more strange than that j. A. Froude
should occupy the chair just. vacated by the
late Professor Freeman. The whirligig Of
time brings many rsvenges. When Mr..
Froude first entered Oriel College, the High
Church revival was in full activity, and Oriel
was its center. Newman and Keble were
the acknowledged leaders, and the Professors
alder brother, Hurrell Froude, was oneof the
ablest men in tho Traotarian Party. But
Hurrell Froude died just as his brother came
up from tho country parsonage where High
Cburch and Tory traditions Of the Old school
had ALWAYS predominated. 1t was, therefore,
most natural that young Froude should be
draw into the movement. From the first,
ba knaw the leaders and was. behind thelscenes.
His allegiance was unfaltering until he came
to undertake a certain share in the great series
of THE Lives Of the Saints projected by the
Traotarian leaders after "the Tracts them
salves had been completed. Then he began
to find unexpected difficulties, and his faith
finally gave way. He withdrew from the
party, and eventually repudloted the Anglican
orders which he had assumed, Tie betook hImseIf
to the field of literature and how dlllSent a
worker he has been is known to all. lie has
written innumsrable essays and reviews, but
his rta0pum ~opGs-which took some twenty
wears work-has been his history or Eng
lane. He has also been a writer of fiction aud
of travels, but in later years his name has
been associated in tie mind Of the English
speaking world with Thomas Carlyle and his
wife. His historical work has never been ful-
" accepted, and has been very lort hly
handled by the critics, but the volume which
have portray ed SO wildly the lives OF the
dyspeptio Carlyle and his vivaoious wife have
brought on Mr.. Froude almost universal re-
proaoh. At the same time from almost every
quarter Of Englsnds colonial empire have
come loud protests at Mr. Frouds's misrepre-
sentations Ia such books as "Oceana." Con-
sequently Lord Salisbury's choice of Mr..
Frouds as successor to Ur. Freeman gave
Else in tn early part Of the year to cons.ue sra
BILE surprise. not TO say dismay. It was an
open secret that the experts would have great
" preferred MI. S. R. Gardiner, the historian
Of the English Commonwealth.
With the Oxford Of to-day Mr. Froude
makes no profession of any special sympathy.
and in the matter of method hsis willing to
oppose the whole school of modern history
IN this University. In his inaugural lecture