The Dean of Ely, Dr. Merivale, died on Wednesday at
the age of eighty-five, after a long life of scholarly culture and work. He will be remembered chiefly by his Roman histories and his lectures on the conversion to Christianity of the Roman Empire and the Northern nations ; but those who knew him personally will remember him for other qualities which his scholarly works do not indicate, especially his great humour, kindliness, and personal attractiveness. He was one of a distinguished family to which the late Permanent Under- Secretary for the Colonies (his elder brother) belonged, and to which Mr. Herman Merivale, the distinguished dramatist, also belongs. Lord Derby (the father of the present and the late Earl), himself a translator of Homer, used to speak very highly of the Dean's translation of the " Iliad " into English verse,—an effort with which we regret to say we are not acquainted. The Dean's classical interests were chiefly con- centrated on Latin authors, and he was himself a master of Latin composition both in prose and verse. He is one of the last of the great scholarly Deans,—a type which wo earnestly hope may not perish out of the land. To keep the English Church scholarly, is a great safeguard against both dangerous fanaticism and flippant agnosticism.
Previous page
