Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 3.djvu/219

 to 'Mind,' the 'Philosophical Review,' the 'International Journal of Ethics,' and kindred periodicals. After his death a collection of 'Philosophical Studies' was issued in 1905, edited with a memoir by Prof. Robert Latta of Glasgow.

Of an absolutely simple and unaffected nature, Ritchie pursued the truth he set himself to seek with an entire devotion. Despite his retiring manner, he had many friends. He held strongly that questions of ethics and politics must be regarded from the metaphysical point of view. For him the foundation of ethics necessarily rested on the ideal end of social well-being, and keeping this end in view, he proceeded to trace its history at different times, the manner in which it shapes itself in the mind of each individual, and the way in which it can be developed and realised. Ritchie was an advanced liberal with socialistic leanings. He considered that the ultimate value of religion depended on the ideal it set before mankind when represented in its highest form.



ROBERTS, ALEXANDER (1826–1901), classical and biblical scholar, born at Marykirk, Kincardineshire, on 12 May 1826, was son of Alexander Roberts, a flax-spinner. He was educated at the grammar school and King's College, Old Aberdeen, where he graduated M.A. in March 1847, being the Simpson Greek prizeman. He was presbyterian minister (1852–71) in Scotland and London. In 1864, being then minister at Carlton Hill, London, he was made D.D. of Edinburgh. He was also minister at St. John's Wood, and was a member of the New Testament revision company (1870–84). In 1872 he succeeded [q. v.] in the chair of humanity at St. Andrews; he was made emeritus professor in 1899. He died at St. Andrews, Mitcham Park, Surrey, on 8 March 1901. He married on 2 Dec. 1852 Mary Anne Speid (d. 18 Jan, 1911), and had fourteen children, of whom four sons and eight daughters survived him.

Roberts co-operated with Sir James Donaldson as editor and part translator of the English versions of ecclesiastical writers published as the 'Ante-Nicene Christian Library' (1867–72, 24 vols.); he translated also the 'Works of Sulpitius Severus' (1895) in the 'Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers.' He is best known for the series of works in which he maintains that Greek was the habitual speech of our Lord, a conclusion which has not met with general favour, despite the ability with which Roberts managed his case.

He published:
 * 1) 'The Threefold Life,' 1858, 12mo.
 * 2) 'Inquiry into the Original Language of St. Matthew's Gospel,' 1859.
 * 3) 'Discussions on the Gospels,' 2 pts. 1862; 2nd edit. 1864.
 * 4) 'The Life and Work of St. Paul practically considered,' 1867.
 * 5) 'The Words of the New Testament,' Edinburgh, 1873 (in conjunction with  [q. v. Suppl. I], a work of textual criticism).
 * 6) 'Hints to Beginners in Latin Composition,' Edinburgh, 1873.
 * 7) 'The Bible of Christ and His Apostles,' 1879.
 * 8) 'Companion to the Revised Version of the English New Testament,' 1881; 3rd edit. 1885 (reprinted. New York, 1881, with supplement by an American reviser).
 * 9) 'Old Testament Revision,' 1883.
 * 10) 'Greek the Language of Christ and His Apostles,' 1888.
 * 11) 'A Short Proof that Greek was the Language of Christ,' Paisley, 1893.



ROBERTS, ISAAC (1829–1904), amateur astronomer, son of William Roberts, a farmer of Groes, near Denbigh, North Wales, was born at that place on 27 Jan. 1829; though in childhood he left Wales with his family for Liverpool, he retained a knowledge of Welsh through life. In 1844 he was apprenticed for seven years to the firm of John Johnson & Son, afterwards Johnson & Robinson, builders and lime burners, of Liverpool. One of the partners, Robinson, died in 1855, and Roberts was made manager. In the next year the surviving partner died. Roberts, after winding up the concern, began business for himself in 1859 as a builder in Liverpool, and being joined in 1862 by Mr. J. J. Robinson, son of his former master, the firm traded for a quarter of a century under the name of Roberts & Robinson, undertaking many large and important contracts in Liverpool and its neighbourhood. In 1888 Roberts retired with means sufficient to allow him to devote himself to scientific research. Whilst still occupied in business, very many branches of science had