Page:Men of the Time, eleventh edition.djvu/765

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748

MAINE.

covered, and it was stated that Mahmoud Pasha was seriously im- plicated in it.

MAINE, Sib Hbnby Jambs SuMNEE, K.C.S.I., LL.D., F.E.S., son of the late James Maine, Esq., M.D., by Eliza, daughter of Andrew Fell,^ Esq., of Caversham Grove, Oxfordshire, was born in 1822, and at the usual age entered Pembroke College, Cambridge. His under- graduate career was one of remark- able brilliancy, as will be seen by an enumeration of the honours he obtained during his University course. In 1842 he obtained Sir William Browne's medal for a Qreek ode, the Camden Medal, and the Chancelloif's Medal for English poetry. In the year following he was elected Craven Scholar, and was awarded Sir William Browne's medal for a Latin ode and epigrams. He graduated B.A. in 1844, when he attained the distinction of Senior Classic, Senior Chancellor's Clas- sical Medallist, and likewise ob- tained mathematical honours as a Senior Optime. It is rather singu- lar that so eminently distinguished a career should not have been rewarded with a Fellowship. The authorities of Trinity Hall, how- ever, offered to Mr. Maine the office of Tutor of that college, which he accepted, and he became a member of lYinity Hall and discharged the duties of Tutor for a few years. In 1847 he was selected as Begins Pro- fessor of the Civil Law on the retirement of the Eev. J. W. Gel- dart, a half-brother of the late Master of Trinity Hall, from that office. The promotion of Mr. Maine to a Professorship at the early age of 25 was an exceptional advance- ment. He, however, only held the appointment until 1854, when he relinquished it to undertake the duties of Beader on Jurisprudence at the Middle Temple. Mr. Maine had been called to the Bar in 1850. In 1862 Mr. Maine proceeded to India on being appointed Law Member of the Supreme Govern-

ment, and during his tenure of this office originated a large number of legislative improvements. After nearly seven years of noble work done for Indian prog^ress, he re- turned to Enfi^land in Oct., 1869, and was elected to the newly-created Corpus Professorship of Jiirispru- denoe in the University of Oxford in 1870. In Nov., 1871, he was ap- pointed a member of the Council of the Secretary of State for India, on which occasion he was created a K.C.S.I. In 1875 he deUvered the Bede Lecture at Cambridge, the subject being " The effects of Ob- servation of India on Modern Euro- pean Thought." This lecture at- tracted considerable attention, and was published in a pamphlet form. After the death of Br. Geldart, Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, the Fellows of that College were unable to agree in the choice of his successor. One party was in favour of the Bev. H. Latham, the Senior Fellow, while an equal number de- sired to elect Professor Fawcett. In these circumstances, and in order to prevent the appointment lapsing to the Duke of Devonshire, Chancellor of the University, the Fellows consented to a compromise; and, by a unanimous vote, elected Sir H. Maine to the vacant master- ship, Dec. 27, 1877. In May, 1878, he signified to the Vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford his intention to resign the Corpus Pro- fessorship of Juriapmdence at the end of the year. Previously to his resigpiation he delivered (Nov. 1878), in the hall of Corpus Christi College, Oxf ord> a series of lectures on " Modern Theories of succession to property after death, and the corrections of them suggested by recent researches." His works are Boman Law and Legal Education," in "Cambridge Essays," 1856; " Ancient Law: its connection with the Early History of Society, and its relation to Modern Ideas," 1861; " Village Communities in the East and West: Six Lectures delirered