The death of Dr. James Martineau, which took place last
Thursday week, was announced too late for our last issue. The great Unitarian minister, who came of Huguenot descent on his father's side, was horn in 180.5 in Norwich—then a great intellectual centre—was educated under Dr. Valpy at the Grammar-school, where he showed great mathematical aptitude, and was originally destined to be a, civil engineer, but entered the Manchester New College at eighteen, and at twenty-three was chosen junior minister of a Unitarian church in Dublin. Distinguishing himself alike as a preacher and tutor, he responded in 1832 to a call to Liverpool ; in 1840 he was appointed Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy in Manchester New College, and for the next thirty years led a life of the greatest industry and activity as lecturer, preacher, and writer. In 1848 he paid an extended visit to Germany, and from m 1859 to 1870 was sole minister of Little Portland Street Chapel, where his congrega- tion included many of the most brilliant intellects of the time. In 1885 he retired from the post of Principal of Manchester New College, and devoted the remainder of his long life to theological, philosophical, and ethical studies, embodying the results of his inquiries in a number of works of the first importance, of which it may suffice to mention his "Types of Ethical Theory," and "A Study of Religion : its Sources and Contents." We deal elsewhere with the personality, the intellectual equipment, and the inspiring influence of this singularly noble figure, great alike as teacher, thinker, and writer, who faithfully described the work of his life as "summed up in the simplest of arts,—the unreserved expres- sion of whatever took hold of me as most true and good."
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