The New Student's Reference Work/Froude, James Anthony

JAMES A. FROUDE

Froude (fro͞od), James Anthony, an English historian, was born at Dartington, Devonshire, April 23, 1818. His early literary work appeared largely as contributions to magazines; but in 1856 appeared the first volumes of his History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada. Later on he published four volumes of brilliant essays entitled Short Studies on Great Subjects. Among more recent works are a sketch of Julius Cæsar and Oceana, the latter an account of a voyage to Australia and some of the Pacific islands. In 1873-74 appeared The English in Ireland in the Eighteenth Century. Froude was for some years rector of St. Andrew's University and editor of Fraser's Magazine. In 1892 he was appointed regius professor of history at Oxford. Froude had fine literary ability, and in the art of making history as fascinating as fiction Macaulay is his only rival; but he lacked the critical fairness and accuracy of modern historians, a fault which greatly impairs the permanent value of his works. He died on Oct. 20, 1894.