GROTE, GEORGE, politician, historian, and philosopher, was b. 1794, at Clay Hill, Beckenham, Kent. His grandfather, Andrew Grote, a native of Bremen, settled in London in the beginning of the last c„ and in conjunction with Mr. G. Prescott, founded the London banking-house that still bears their joint names. His mother, Selina Mary Peckwell, was the daughter of the rev. Dr. Peckwell, chaplain to the countess of Huntingdon, who married an Irish lady, descended from an old French family in Touraine, one of whom, being a Protestant, settled in this country after the revocation of the edict of Nantes. Grote was educated at Charter house, and at 16 entered his father's banking-house, employing all his leisure hours in study. In 1823 he began to amass materials for a history of Greece. Previous to 1832 he wrote on parliamentary reform, and threw himself into the agitation for the reform bill. After the passing of the bill he was elected at the top of the poll, a representative of the city of London in parliament, and continued a member of the house of commons till 1841. His parlia mentary career was chiefly distinguished by his annual motion for the ballot, but he spoke with great effect on many other questions. In 1848 he retired from the banking
house, and devoted himself exclusively to his history; the first two volumes appeared in 1846, and the last (twelve volumes in all) in 1856. He forthwith commenced the study of Greek philosopy, and in 1865 brought out his work on Plato. The remainder of his studious life was devoted to Aristotle, but he did not execute more than a part of what lie intended. He died in 1871. After his death, appeared what he had composed en Aristotle; also a collection of essays, entitled Minor Works, and, in 1876, Fragments on Ethical Subjects. The Personal Life of George Grote was written by Mrs. Grote. He spent much of his time, in later years, in the management of the great unsectarian education institutions—University college, and the university of London—being, at the time of his death, president of the one, and vice-chancellor of the other. His whole career was marked by attachment to liberal opinions. He was not merely a man of erudite research; he devoted himself also to mental philosophy and logic, by which he became as much distinguished in his capacity of historian of philosophy as he was iu political history.