William Fraser Rae, Dictionary of National Biography… (1900)
“ His reputation had led to the offer in 1759 of the professorship of English in the Hibernian Academy; but, thinking that Thomas Sheridan had been unfairly overlooked, he declined it. His custom was to make his pupils represent a play at the annual examination, and some became actors in consequence. Being blamed for this, he wrote in self-defence a didactic poem, ‘The Theatre,’ which was published in 1790. Whyte's son, Edward Athenry, who had become his partner, collected his works in 1792, of which four editions were printed. ”
