The eminent journalist and essayist, Mr. William Rathbone 'Greg, died
on Tuesday, at Park Lodge, Wimbledon Common, after a long illness. We have given an imperfect estimate of him as a thinker, writer, and politician elsewhere ; but may add here that he was born in 1809, that in early life he was a cotton manufacturer, that after a considerable literary career, he entered the Government service in 1856 as a Commissioner of the Board. of Customs, and that from 1864 to 1877 he was the Comptroller of her Majesty's Stationery Office. He will, however, always be remembered chiefly as a thinker and writer.
The publication of his " Creed of Christendom " was an event to many practical men who had never seen the difficulties of Biblical orthodoxy so powerfully stated before ; and his " Enigmas of Life " were an equally powerful exposition of the perplexities of Theists, though it is obvious enough that Mr. Greg never really abandoned his devout Theism. His political attitude was less agnostic. He represented vigorously enough that distrust of democracy which most economists of his class and generation indulged. But whatever Mr. Greg did, he did. with power. It was impossible to read any of his essays, how- ever much you differed from it, and not be impressed by it The verve and vivacity of his style were as remarkable as the sweeping outlines of his sometimes one-sided judgment.
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