Profoundly- religions, Arnold came naturally to take part in those theological discussions which attained prominence in the early decades of the last century. Ile wished to conserve the faith of the Church. and also to liberalize its thought. The clergy of his time appeared to hint negligent and apathetic; hence he welcomed the new life promised by the Oxford Movement, and in 1829 published his pamphlets on "The Christian Duty of Conceding the Roman Catholic Claims." But lie soon perceived that for him dogma could not he the sole basis of Christianity; and when, in 1836, the party in power at Oxford sought to keep Dr. Hampden from a professorship on a charge of heresy, lie wrote for the Edinburgh Review an article of unsparing rebuke. For years lie was misunderstood•by broad and by high churchmen alike. Because of the temper of his Phristirta Duty, the Archbishop of Canter bury refused to hermit him to preach Bishop Stan ley's consecration sermon. His Edinburgh article nearly cost him his Rugby post. But by 1840, with the passing of the first shock of the reli gious controversies of 1830-40 and with the les sening of his early strenuousness, as well as by the increasing recognition of his great work as master of Rugby, much of this friction passed away and his last years were full of honors. The honor most prized by him was his appointment by lord Melbourne to the professorship of mod ern history at Oxford in 1841. His enjoyment of this was, however, very short. He died suddenly June 13, 1842. His domestic relations were most happy. In 1820 he married .Mary, youngest daughter of Rev. dohn Penrose, rector of Fled borough, Nottinghamshire, and sister of one of his school and college friends. Trevenen Penrose. The story of his relations with his family and friends forms one of the most tender and beauti ful chapters in a life rich beyond that of most men in charm of personal associations. llis four sons, who survived 111111. were Matthew: Delatield (1828-50). director of public instruction in the Punjab and author of ortkiictil. who is commemmatcd in :Matthew Arnold's poem, A Southern Yiyht ; Thomas; and Edward Penrose (1820-78), a fellow of All Souls', Oxford, and an inspector of schools from 1866 to 1877.
Arnold endeavored to promote a better under standing between the poor and the well-to-do. lie lectured before meehanies' institutes, from May to July. 1831, published the Emitishtnan's Regis ter in aid of working people. and afterward. with similar purpose, contributed a series of articles to the Sheffield Caul Ill II . Some• of the Register and Couront papers, were reprinted by Stanley in a volume of Miser/boo outs Works (1813). Be
was also a member of the senate of the Uni versity of London from 1816 to 1838, when he resigned because of disagreement with the major ity of the members as to the requirements for degrees in Arts.
As a classical scholar, Arnold was deficient in the elegances of the tradi tion. Regardless of style, he viewed even the his tory of Livy with dislike. In the class-room his scholarship was most manifest in extempora neous renderings. That he was well versed in the wider reaches of philological principle is shown by his three-volume edition of Thucydides (1830-35; •41 ed., 1810-42) ; although it is to be admitted that the value of that work lies chiefly in its exposition of those ideas respecting the essential continuity of history which, voiced in Arnold's Oxford inaugural, afterward determined the philosophy of Freeman. Dr. Arnold's liter ary fame rests finally upon his History of Rome (Vols. I.-111., 1838-42), whieb. as projected, was to terminate in the coronation of Charlemagne, but was not brought beyond the close of the Sec ond Pilule War. The history was based on the epochal lliOnische Grschielite (3 vols., 1811-22) of Nielmhr. It is probably agreed that the repre sentative portion of the work is that which offers what Archdeacon hare has termed the first "ade quate representation of the wonderful genius and noble character of Hannibal" (Stanley, ch. iv.). Free from partisanship or paradox, dignified without being wearisome, the history is notable both for its finished style and its sound and ex tensive learning. That it attends closely neon the ipse dixit of the German authority has been regretted by many. Ilis other works include a volume of lectures on the Study of History de livered at Oxford, six volumes of sermons• besides traveling journals and miscellany. llis chief claim to remembranee must rest on his noble and character. "I lis Thurydides, his history, his sermons, his miscellaneous writings, are all proofs of his ability and goodness. Yet the story of his life is worth them (See the lines of his son, :Matthew Arnold: in Rugby Chapel).
Consult: A. P. Stanley, The Life and Corre spondence of Thomas Arnold, D.D. (Boston, 1860), the authoritative work on Arnold, and one of the classics of English biography; 7'ont Broora's School Days (London, 1857) Wor Luise, /.ifc of Dr. Thomas .1r-wild (London, 1859) ; Fitch, Thomas and Matthew Arnold and. Their Influence on. English Education, "Great Educators Series" (New York, 1807) ; also, in German, Zinzow (Stettin, 1860) and Wittig (Hanover, 1884).