PATER. pit'ti".r. WALTER HORATIO (1839-94 ?. An English essayist. born at Shadwell, in the East of London, August 4. 1839. He was educated at King's School, Canterbury, and at Queen's College, Oxford, graduating B.A. in 1562. in 1864 he was elected fellow of Brasenose College. Except for his visits to the Continent and a short residence in London, he passed his life at Oxford. He had come to the university with the intention of entering the Church of England; but by 1865—the date of his first visit. to ltaly—he had lost all belief in Christian doc trines. lle found his mission in interpreting to his age the spirit of the Renaissance in art and literature. For this end he employed the historical novel, the story, and mainly the essay. In all his work—much of which originally ap peared in the reviews—he wrought with the great est care, aiming at absolute precision in the ex pression of his thoughts and emotions. The re sult was an extremely delicate and refined style.
delightful in its rhythm, but lacking in vigor and simplicity. After a quiet career as tutor and author, Paler (lied at Oxford, July 30. 1894. His publications in hook form comprise: Studies in the History of the Renaissance (1873). con taining the brilliant essay on Winckelmann; .11(trius the Epicurean (1885), a masterly ex position of the hest phases of Epieureanism, put into the form of an historical romance: Imagi nary Portraits (1887), studies in philosophic fiction: pierce la t ions (1:4891, his most subtle literary criticism and a notable es say on style: Plato and Platonism (1893) : and The Child in the [louse (18941, an imagi nary portrait. After his dea lb appeared Greek Studies (1S95), and a volume of essays collected from contributions to the auardian ( 1R07). Ills Workg in eight volumes appeared in 1900.