author
Mark Pattison
1813–1884
An Oxford scholar, clergyman, and essayist, he became one of the best-known intellectual figures of Victorian university life. His writing is remembered for its seriousness, self-scrutiny, and sharp view of scholarship, religion, and academic culture.
1 Audiobook
Milton
by Mark Pattison
About the author
Born in Yorkshire in 1813, he was educated largely by his father before going up to Oriel College, Oxford. He later became a fellow of Lincoln College and, from 1861 until his death in 1884, served as Rector of Lincoln College. Early in life he was influenced by John Henry Newman and the Oxford Movement, though his religious outlook changed over time.
He wrote on literary history, theology, and scholarship, and contributed to Essays and Reviews, a volume that stirred major debate in Victorian England. He also produced studies of figures such as Isaac Casaubon, and his posthumously published Memoirs helped shape his lasting reputation as a deeply reflective, often severe observer of academic life.
Today he is often remembered as much for his personality and intellectual example as for any single book: a serious scholar who thought hard about learning, ambition, faith, and the purpose of a university life.