A Life of Theology and Letters

Julius Hare was an English theological writer, born in Valdagno, near Vicenza, Italy. The son of Francis Hare-Naylor and the painter Georgiana Shipley, he spent a winter in Weimar, Germany, where he encountered Goethe and Schiller. This early exposure to German literature influenced his later career. After attending Tonbridge School, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, where he became a fellow in 1818. Although he initially studied law in London, he eventually turned toward divinity, taking holy orders in 1826.

As the successor to the living of Herstmonceux in Sussex, Hare amassed a library containing approximately 12,000 volumes. His professional roles included serving as an assistant tutor at Trinity College, the archdeacon of Lewes, and one of Queen Victoria's chaplains.

Literary and Theological Contributions

Hare’s writings were primarily theological and controversial in nature. His works include:

• Guesses at Truth by Two Brothers, published with his brother.
• Sermons such as The Victory of Faith and The Mission of the Comforter.
• Translations of Niebuhr's History of Rome and tales by Ludwig Tieck.
• The editing of the Remains of John Sterling.

Belonging to the "Broad Church party," Hare was among the first Britons to be influenced by German thought. His prose was noted for a structure influenced by German sentence patterns.