WHATELY, hwfit'li. RICHARD (1737-13631. An English prelate and scholar. He was born in London, and after some years at a private school, educated at Oriel College, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1808. He took the English essay prize in 1810. and a year later won the blue ribbon of Oxford scholarship of that period, be ing elected a fellow of Oriel, a member of the brilliant society adorned by Arnold, Pusey, Keble, and John Henry Newman. In 1819 he pub lished his first book, Historic Doubts About Na poleon Buonaparte, in which he endeavored, with a success popular rather than scientific, to show that Ilume's doubts in regard to miracles had equal force with reference to the existence of Napoleon. In 1S22 he took the living of Hales worth, in Suffolk, and delivered the Hampton lec tures at Oxford, on "The Use and Abuse of Party Feeling in Religion." He was appointed princi pal of Saint Alban Hall, Oxford, in 1325. About this time he wrote for the Encyclopedia Metro politan(' articles on logic and rhetoric, which were also published in separate form, Elements of Logic (1326), and Elements of Rhetoric (182s I.
He became professor of political economy in 1829, hut in 1831 left Oxford for good with his elevation to the Archbishopric of Dublin. In this post he was active in all matters of ecclesiastical and social importance, and showed a deep inter est in every question affecting the welfare of Ireland. The success of the national system of education there was in large measure due to him, lle belonged to the liberal school both in religion and in politics: but his ability and eon scientionsness were admitted even by those who differed most widely from him on such burnitcz questions as catholic emaneipation or the do l • trine of the atonement. 111 addition to the works named above, mention should be made of Lee tures on Political Economy (13311 ERsaY8 on some of the Peruliarith 8 of the Christian Re. liyimr The (reel( .I fter Infallibility (1847) : and The Kingdom of Christ Delineated (18411. Consult his Life and 'arm spondenee. by his daughter (London, I$66) ; Fitzpatrick, .1 nredofa/ Memoirs of Richard Whately PL. ls64).