sity College, London. He further accepted, in February 1848, the principalship of University Hall (an institution founded by unitarians in Gordon Square), and delivered (20 July) an address on occasion of the laying the foundation stone, but resigned the principalship in November, through dissatisfaction with structural arrangements of the building. As professor of Latin literature his methods were in marked contrast to those of Henry Malden [q. v.], the professor of Greek; he succeeded in awaking interest in his subject rather than in promoting depth of study; his prelections, always without notes, were bright and vivid. He introduced the Italian mode of pronouncing Latin. Two of his favourite books for class translation were turned into Latin by himself,' Hiawatha' (1862, 12mo) and 'Robinson Crusoe' ('Rebilius Cruso,' 1884, 8vo). He had earlier published English versions of Horace's Odes in unrhymed metres (1853, 12mo; 1876, 8vo), and of Homer's Iliad (1856, 8vo; 1871, 8vo); the latter, specially intended to be read by working men, was severely criticised by Matthew Arnold, who, admitting Newman's 'great ability and genuine learning,' thought he had 'failed more conspicuously than any' of his predecessors, 'for want of appreciating' the 'nobleness' of Homer (Arnold, On Translating Homer, 1861, 16mo; Newman published A Reply, 1861, 16mo). Later, his philological publications extended to Arabic and to African dialects. He held the Latin chair till 1869, when he became emeritus professor.
Meantime he had acquired a special repute by his writings on subjects of religion, of which the most important were his 'History of the Hebrew Monarchy' (1847, 8vo; 1853, 12mo), a study rendered obsolete by more recent research; his pietistic treatise on 'The Soul' (1849, 12mo; 3rd edit, 1852, 12mo), perhaps the most influential of his works; his 'Phases of Faith' (1850, 12mo; 1852, 12mo), an autobiographical account of his religious changes, which excited much controversy, producing 'The Eclipse of Faith' (1852, 8vo), by Henry Rogers (1806-1877) [q. v.], with Newman's 'Reply' (1853, 8vo), and Rogers's 'Defence' (1854, 8vo); and his 'Theism, Doctrinal and Practical,' 1858, 4to. The working of his mind, which had gradually led him to the rejection of historical Christianity, left his theistic attitude unshaken, though of immortality he could not speak with certain voice. He occasionally conducted the service at South Place Chapel, Finsbury, and perhaps elsewhere. In 1876 he joined the British and Foreign Unitarian Association, and was made a vice-president in 1879.
In political questions, especially those bearing on social problems, he took a keen interest. He was the friend of Mazzini and Kossuth, and published 'Reminiscences of Kossuth and Pulszky' (1888, 8vo). Women's suffrage he warmly espoused; provincial councils he regarded as 'the restoration of the heptarchy.' To vaccination he was as keenly opposed as to vivisection, while he became a strong advocate of a vegetarian diet. On these, as on religious topics, he wrote much in later life. Some of his controversial pamphlets were produced under the auspices of Thomas Scott (1808-1878) [q. v.] With his eldest brother there was latterly no close intimacy, but no breach of friendly feeling; from 1852 they united in supporting their 'very eccentric' brother, Charles Robert Newman (d. 1884). In 1877 John Henry Newman wrote, 'Much as we love each other, neither would like to be mistaken for the other' (Oldcastle, Cardinal Newman, 1890, p. 5). He published, after the cardinal's death, 'Contributions chiefly to the Early History of the late Cardinal Newman' (1891, 8vo, two editions), important for the biographies of both men, though it bears marks of defective memory, and some of its criticisms are more trenchant than just.
He died at 15 Arundel Terrace, Weston-super-Mare, on 4 Oct. 1897, and was buried in the cemetery there on 9 Oct. In the funeral address the Rev. John Temperley Grey, congregationalist, affirms that 'of late his attitude to Christ had undergone a great change,' an impression which seems at variance with the tenor of his last publication (1897). His slender form and acute physiognomy were often made more striking by peculiarities of dress. His habits were very simple; he regularly conducted family prayers after breakfast. He was twice married, but had no issue; his first wife being a daughter of Sir John Kennaway, British resident at Hyderabad.
Besides the works mentioned above, he published the following:
I. Linguistic:
- 'A Collection of Poetry for … Elocution,' 1850, 8vo.
- 'Homeric Translation in Theory and Practice,' 1861, 8vo (reply to Matthew Arnold).
- 'The Text of the Iguvine Inscriptions,' 1864, 8vo.
- 'A Handbook of Modern Arabic,' 1866, 8vo.
- 'Translations of English Poetry into Latin Verse,' 1868, 8vo.
- 'Orthoëpy … Mode of Accenting English,' 1869, 8vo.
- 'Dictionary of Modern Arabic,' 1871, 8vo, 2 vols.
- 'Libyan Vocabulary,' 1882,
