MARMION, SHACKERLEY (1603-1639).—Dramatist,s.of a country gentleman of Northamptonshire, wased.at Oxford. After a youth of extravagance, he fought in the Low Countries. His writings consist of an epic,Cupid and Psyche, and three comedies,Holland's Leaguer,A Fair Companion, andThe Antiquary. His plays show some power of satire, and were popular, but he had little of the dramatist.
MARRYAT, FREDERICK (1792-1848).—Novelist,s.of a West India merchant, wasb.in London. In 1806 he entered the navy as a midshipman under Lord Cochrane (afterwards Earl of Dundonald), and saw much service in the Mediterranean, at Walcheren, and in the Burmese War of 1824. He returned in 1830 as aCaptain and C.B. The scenes and experiences through which he had passed were the preparation for and the foundation of his numerous novels, of which the first,Frank Mildmay, waspub.in 1829. It was followed by over 30 others, of which perhaps the best arePeter Simple,Jacob Faithful(1834),Mr. Midshipman Easy(1836),The Dog Fiend(1837), andThe Phantom Ship(1839). M. is the prince of sea story-tellers; his knowledge of the sea, vigorous definition of character, and hearty and honest, if somewhat broad, humour never failing to please.
MARSH, HERBERT (1757-1839).—Theologian and controversialist,s.of a clergyman,ed.at Canterbury, Cambridge, and Leipsic, was the first to introduce the German methods of Biblical criticism into England, and gave lectures on the subject at Camb., which excited great interest and controversy. In 1816 he was made Bishop of Llandaff, and was translated to Peterborough in 1819. His critical views and his opposition to the evangelical party in the Church, to the Bible Society, to hymns in Divine service, and to Catholic emancipation, involved him in controversy with high, low, and broad churchmen alike. He was the author of aHistory of the Politics of Great Britain and France(1799),Comparative View of the Churches of England and Rome, andHoræ Pelasgicæ.
MARSTON, JOHN (1575?-1634).—Dramatist and satirist,b.at Coventry, wased.at Oxf. In later life he gave up writing for the stage, took orders, and was incumbent of Christchurch, Hants, 1616-31. He began his literary career in 1598 with satire,The Scourge of VillanieandThe Metamorphosis of Pygmalion's Image(1598), the latter of which was burned by order of Archbishop Whitgift. In 1602 appearedThe History of Antonio and Mellida, and its sequel,Antonio's Revenge, ridiculed by Ben Jonson. In repayment of this M. co-operated with Dekker in attacking Jonson inSatiromastix(a Whip for the Satirist). A reconciliation, however, took place, and his comedy,The Malcontent(1604), was dedicated to J., another,Eastward Ho(1605), was written in collaboration with him and Chapman. Other plays of his areSophonisba,What You Will(1607), and possiblyThe Insatiate Countess(1613). Amid much bombast and verbiage there are many fine passages in M.'s dramas, especially where scorn and indignation are the motives. Sombre and caustic, he has been called "a screech-owl among the singing birds."
MARSTON, PHILIP BOURKE (1850-1887).—Poet, wasb.in London, and lost his sight at the age of 3. His poems,Song-tide,All in All, andWind Voicesbear, in their sadness, the impress of this affliction, and of a long series of bereavements. He was the friend of Rossetti and of Swinburne, the latter of whom has written a sonnet to his memory.
MARTIN, SIR THEODORE (1816-1909).—Poet, biographer, and translator,s.of James M., solicitor in Edin., where he wasb.anded.at the High School and Univ. He practised as a solicitor in Edin. 1840-45, after which he went to London and became head of the firm of Martin and Leslie, parliamentary agents. His first contribution to literature wasThe Bon Gaultier Ballads, written along withW.E. Aytoun(q.v.), full of wit and humour, which still retaintheir popularity; originally contributed to a magazine, they appeared in book form in 1855. His translations includeDante's Vila Nuova, Œhlenschläger'sCorreggioandAladdin, Heine'sPoems and Ballads, Schiller'sSong of the Bell, and Hertz'sKing René's Daughter. He alsopub.a complete translation of Horace with a Life, and one of Catullus. He is, however, perhaps best known for hisLife of the Prince Consort(1874-80), the writing of which was committed to him by Queen Victoria, a work which he executed with such ability and tact as to win for him her lifelong friendship. He also wrote Lives of Prof. Aytoun and Lord Lyndhurst. Hem.in 1851 Miss Helen Faucit (d.1898), the well-known actress, and authoress of studies onShakespeare's Female Characters, whose Life hepub.in 1901. M. kept up his intellectual activity into old age,pub.in 1905 a translation of Leopardi's poems, andMonographs(1906). He was Lord Rector of St. Andrews 1881, LL.D. of Edin. 1875, and K.C.B. 1880.
MARTINEAU, HARRIET (1802-1876).—Novelist and economist,b.at Norwich, where herf., descended from a French family, was a manufacturer. From her earliest years she was delicate and very deaf, and took to literary pursuits as an amusement. Afterwards, when herf.had fallen into difficulties, they became her means of support. Her first publication wasDevotional Exercises for Young Persons(1823). Becoming interested in political economy, she endeavoured to illustrate the subject by tales, of which two wereThe RiotersandThe Turn-out. Later shepub.a more serious treatment of it inIllustrations of Political Economy(1832-4),Poor Law and Paupers(1833), andIllustrations of Taxation(1834). About this time she went to London, and was regarded as an authority on economic questions, being occasionally consulted by Cabinet Ministers. Among her books of travel areSociety in America(1837), andEastern Life, Present and Past(1848), which she considered her best book: in it she declared herself no longer a believer in revelation. She also wrote two novels,Deerbrook(1839), andThe Hour and the Man(1840), also a number of books for children. Perhaps her most important work is herHistory of England during the Thirty Years' Peace, 1816-46, which appeared in 1849. She translated Comte'sPhilosophy(1853), andpub.a collection of letters between herself and Mr. H.G. AtkinsonOn the Laws of Man's Nature and Development, which encountered severe criticism. In addition to her separate publications she wrote innumerable articles for newspapers, specially theDaily News, and for periodicals. In 1845 she settled in the Lake District, where she died.
MARTINEAU, JAMES (1805-1900).—Unitarian theologian, younger brother of the above, wasb.at Norwich. Possessed of considerable inventive and mathematical talents, he was originally intended for engineering, but studied for the Unitarian ministry, to which he was ordained in 1828. After serving as pastor in various places he became in 1840 Prof. of Mental and Moral Philosophy in the Manchester New Coll. (subsequently removed to London), and Principal 1869-85. Among his writings, which were very influential, areRationale of Religious Inquiry(1836),Ideal Substitutes for God(1879),Study of Spinoza(1882),Types of Ethical Theory(1885),Study of Religion(1888),Seat of Authority in Religion(1890), and religiouspoems and hymns. M. was a man of very elevated character and powerful intellect; of great acuteness, candour, and openness to new ideas. He was D.D. of Edin. 1884, and D.C.L. of Oxf. 1888.
MARVELL, ANDREW (1621-1678).—Poet and satirist,s.of the Rector of Winestead, Yorkshire, where he wasb.,ed.Camb., and thereafter travelled in various Continental countries. He sat in Parliament for Hull, proving himself an assiduous and incorruptible member, with strong republican leanings. In spite of this he was a favourite of Charles II., who took pleasure in his society, and offered him a place at Court, and a present of £1000, which were both declined. In his own day he was best known as a powerful and fearless political writer, and for some time from 1657 was assistant to Milton as Latin Sec. After the Restoration he wrote against the Government, his chief work in this kind being on theGrowth of Popery and Arbitrary Government in England(1677). He was also the author of anHistorical Essay regarding General Councils. His controversial style was lively and vigorous, but sometimes coarse and vituperative. His fame now rests on his poems which, though few, have many of the highest poetical qualities. Among the best known areThe Emigrants in the Bermudas,The Nymph complaining for the Death of her Fawn, andThoughts in a Garden. Of the last Palgrave says that "it may be regarded as a test of any reader's insight into the most poetical aspects of poetry," and hisHoratian Ode on Cromwell's Return from Ireland. The town of Hull voted him a monument, which was, however, forbidden by the Court. His appearance is thus described, "He was of middling stature, pretty strong-set, roundish-faced, cherry-cheeked, hazel-eyed, brown-haired."
Life and Worksby Cooke, 1726, reprinted 1772; Thomson, 1726; Dove, 1832; and specially Grosart (4 vols., 1872-74).
MASON, WILLIAM (1724-1797).—Poet,s.of a clergyman, wasb.at Hull, anded.at Camb. He took orders and rose to be a Canon of York. His first poem wasMusæus, a monody on the death of Pope, and his other works includeElfrida(1752), andCaractacus(1759), dramas—anHeroic Epistleto Sir William Chambers, the architect, in which he satirised some modern fashions in gardening,The English Garden, his largest work, and some odes. He was a close friend of Gray, whose Life he wrote. His language was too magnificent for his powers of thought, but he has passages where the rich diction has a pleasing effect.
MASSEY, GERALD (1828-1907).—Poet,b.near Tring, Herts. As a boy he worked in a silk-factory, and as a straw-plaiter and errand boy. When he was 15 he came to London, where he was taken up by Maurice and Kingsley. His first book waspub.in 1851, but he first attracted attention byBabe Christabel(1854). This was followed byWar Waits,Craigcrook Castle, andHavelock's March. A selection from these waspub.1889, under the title ofMy Lyrical Life. Later he wrote and lectured on spiritualism, and produced prose works on the origin of myths and mysteries inThe Book of Beginnings(1881),The Natural Genesis(1883), andAncient Egypt: the Light of the World(1907). He also wrote a book on the sonnets of Shakespeare. M. had a true lyrical vein, but though often musical,he was at times harsh and rugged, and did not give sufficient attention to form and finish.
MASSINGER, PHILIP (1583-1640).—Dramatist, was probablyb.at Salisbury. Hisf.appears to have been a retainer of the Earl of Pembroke, by whom and by Queen Elizabeth he was employed in a confidential capacity. M. was at Oxf., but quitted the Univ. suddenly without graduating. He is next found in London writing for the stage, frequently in collaboration with others. Few details of his life have come down, but it seems that he was on the whole unfortunate. He was found dead in bed on March 16, 1640, and was buried in St. Saviour's, Southwark, by some of the actors. The burial register has the entry, "buried Philip Massinger, a stranger." Of the many plays which he wrote or had a hand in, 15 believed to be entirely his are extant, other 8 were burned by a servant in the 18th century. He, however, collaborated so much with others—Fletcher, Dekker, etc., that much fine work probably his can only be identified by internal evidence. Among his plays may be mentionedThe Unnatural Combat(pr.1639),The Virgin Martyr(1622) (partly by Dekker), which contains perhaps his finest writing. His best plays on the whole, however, areThe City Madam(1632), andA New Way to pay Old Debts(pr.1633), which latter kept the stage until the 19th century. He is believed to have joined with Fletcher and Shakespeare inHenry VIII.andThe Two Noble Kinsmen. Other plays which he wrote or had a hand in areThe Duke of Milan,The Bondman,The Renegado,The Roman Actor,The Great Duke of Florence,The Maid of Honour,The Picture, andThe Fatal Dowry. His verse is fluent and sweet, and in his grave and reflective passages he rises to a rich and stately music. He often repeats himself, has little humour, and is not seldom coarse. He has, however, much skill in the construction and working out of a story.
MASSON, DAVID (1822-1907).—Biographer and historian,b.at Aberdeen, anded.at Marischal Coll. there and at Edin., where he studied theology under Chalmers. He did not, however, enter the Church, but began a literary career by ed. a newspaper in Aberdeen. He then returned to Edin., where he worked for the brothers Chambers, the eminent publishers, and where he became acquainted with Wilson, Sir William Hamilton, and Chalmers, for the last of whom he cherished an extraordinary veneration. Going to London in 1847 he wrote extensively in reviews, magazines, and encyclopædias. In 1852 he became Prof. of English Literature in Univ. Coll., and in 1858 ed. ofMacmillan's Magazine. He was appointed in 1865 Prof. of English Literature in Edin., where he exercised a profound influence on his students, many of whom have risen to high positions in literature. Though a most laborious student and man of letters, M. took a warm interest in various public questions, including Italian emancipation, and the higher education of women. He was the author of many important works, includingEssays Biographical and Critical(1856),British Novelists(1859), andRecent British Philosophy(1865). Hismagnum opusis his monumentalLife of John Milton(6 vols., 1859-80) the most complete biography of any Englishman, dealing as it does not only with the personal life of the poet, but with the history, political, social, and religious of histime. Other books areDrummond of Hawthornden(1873),De Quincey(in English Men of Letters Series) (1878),Edinburgh Sketches and Memories(1892), andCarlyle Personally and in his Writings. He also ed. the standard ed. of De Quincey's works, and the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, his introductions in connection with which are of great historical value. He was appointed Historiographer for Scotland in 1893. M. was full of learning guided by sagacity, genial, broad-minded, and sane in his judgments of men and things, and thoroughly honest and sincere.
MATHER, COTTON (1663-1728).—Divine,s.of Increase M., a leading American divine, wased.at Harvard, became a minister, and was colleague to hisf.He was laborious, able, and learned, but extremely bigoted and self-sufficient. He carried on a persecution of so-called "witches," which led to the shedding of much innocent blood; on the other hand he was so much of a reformer as to advocate inoculation for small-pox. He was a copious author, his chief work beingMagnalia Christi Americana(1702), an ecclesiastical history of New England. Others wereLate Memorable Providences relating to Witchcraft and Possession(1689), andThe Wonders of the Invisible World(1693). In his later years he admitted that "he had gone too far" in his crusade against witches.
MATHIAS, THOMAS JAMES (1754?-1835).—Satirist,ed.at Camb., and held some minor appointments in the Royal household. He was an accomplished Italian scholar, and made various translations from the English into Italian, andvice versâ. He also produced a fine ed. of Gray, on which he lost heavily. His chief work, however, wasThe Pursuits of Literature(1794), an undiscriminating satire on his literary contemporaries which went through 16 ed., but is now almost forgotten.
MATURIN, CHARLES ROBERT (1782-1824).—Novelist,b.in Dublin of Huguenot ancestry, wased.at Trinity Coll. there, and taking orders held various benefices. He was the author of a few dramas, one of which,Bertram, had some success. He is, perhaps, better known for his romances in the style of Mrs. Radcliffe and "Monk" Lewis. The first of these,The Fatal Revengeappeared in 1807, and was followed by, among others,The Milesian Chief(1812),Women, which was the most successful, and lastly byMelmoth, in which he outdoes his models in the mysterious, the horrible, and indeed the revolting, without, except very occasionally, reaching their power. His last work,The Albigenses, in a somewhat different style, waspub.in the year of his death.
MAURICE, FREDERICK DENISON (1805-1872).—Divine,s.of a Unitarian minister, wasb.at Normanston, near Lowestoft, and studied at Camb., but being then a Dissenter, could not graduate. He went to London, and engaged in literary work, writing for theWestminster Reviewand other periodicals, and for a short time ed. theAthenæum. His theological views having changed, he joined the Church of England, went to Oxf., graduated, and was ordained 1834. He became Chaplain to Guy's Hospital, and held other clerical positions in London. In 1840 he was appointed Prof. ofEnglish Literature and History at King's Coll., and subsequently Prof. of Theology. He became a leader among the Christian socialists, and for a short time ed. their paper. On the publication of hisTheological Essaysin 1853 he was asked to resign his professorship at King's Coll. In 1854 he was one of the founders of the Working Men's Coll., of which he became Principal, and in 1866 he was made Prof. of Moral Philosophy at Camb. Among his writings areThe Religions of the World and their Relation to Christianity,Moral and Metaphysical Philosophy,The Prophets and Kings of the Old Testament(1853),The Doctrine of Sacrifice, andTheological Essays. M.'s style was copious, and was often blamed as obscure; nevertheless, he exercised an extraordinary influence over some of the best minds of his time by the originality of his views, and the purity and elevation of his character.
MAXWELL, WILLIAM HAMILTON (1792-1850).—Novelist, a Scoto-Irishman,b.at Newry, anded.at Trinity Coll., Dublin, entered the army, and saw service in the Peninsula, and at Waterloo. Afterwards he took orders, but was deprived of his living for non-residence. His novels,O'Hara, andStories from Waterloo, started the school of rollicking military fiction, which culminated in the novels of Lever. M. also wrote a Life of the Duke of Wellington, and aHistory of the Irish Rebellion.
MAX-MÜLLER, FRIEDRICH (1823-1900).—Philologist,s.of the German poet, Wilhelm M., wasb.at Dessau, anded.at Leipzig, Berlin, and Paris. In 1846 he was requested by the East India Company to ed. theRig Veda. He settled at Oxf. in 1848, and in 1850 was appointed deputy Taylorian Prof. of Modern European languages, becoming Prof. 4 years later, and Curator of the Bodleian Library in 1856. In 1868 he was elected first Prof. of Comparative Philology. He ed.Sacred Books of the East, and wrote in EnglishChips from a German Workshop(1867-75). He did much to stimulate the study of comparative religion and philology. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1896.
MAY, THOMAS (1595-1650).—Poet and historian,b.in Sussex,s.of Sir Thomas M., of Mayfield, went to Camb., and thence to Gray's Inn, but discarded law for literature. In 1622 he produced his first comedy,The Heir, and also a translation of Virgil'sGeorgics. Six years later, 1627, appeared his translation ofLucan, which gained him the favour of Charles I. at whose command he wrote two poems,The Reigne of King Henry II., andThe Victorious Reigne of King Edward III., each in 7 books. When the Civil War broke out M., to the disappointment of his friends, took the side of the Parliament, and was made Sec. to the Long Parliament, the historian of which he became,pub.1647,The History of the Parliament of England, which began Nov. 3, 1640. This work he prefaced with a short review of the preceding reigns from that of Elizabeth. The narrative closes with the Battle of Newbury, 1643, and is characterised by fulness of information and candour. M. was also the author of several tragedies, includingAntigone, of no great merit.
MAY, SIR THOMAS ERSKINE, 1ST BARON FARNBOROUGH (1815-1886).—Jurist and historian,ed.at Bedford School, and afterholding various minor offices became in 1871 clerk to the House of Commons, retiring in 1886, when he was raised to the peerage. He had previously, 1866, been made K.C.B. He was the author of a treatise on the laws, privileges, etc., of Parliament, which, firstpub.in 1844, reached in 1901 its tenth ed., and was translated into various languages. HisConstitutional History of England, 1760-1860 is practically a continuation of Hallam's great work. He also wroteDemocracy in Europe. As an historical writer M. was learned, painstaking, and impartial.
MAYNE, JASPER (1604-1672).—Dramatist, was at Oxf., entered the Church, and became Archdeacon of Chichester. He wrote two dramas,The City Match(1639), andThe Amorous War(1648), in neither of which did he sustain the clerical character. He had, however, some humour.
MAYNE, JOHN (1759-1836).—Poet, wasb.in Dumfries. In 1780 hepub.theSiller Gunin its original form inRuddiman's Magazine. It is a humorous poem descriptive of an ancient custom in Dumfries of shooting for the "Siller Gun." He was continually adding to it, until it grew to 5 cantos. He also wrote a poem onHallowe'en, and a version of the ballad,Helen of Kirkconnel. His verses were admired by Scott.
MELVILLE, HERMAN (1819-1891).—Novelist,b.in New York, and took to the sea, which led to strange adventures, including an imprisonment of some months in the hands of cannibals in the Marquesas Islands. His first novel,Typee(1846), is based upon this experience.Omoofollowed in 1847,Moby Dick, or the White Whale, a powerful sea story, in 1852, andIsrael Potterin 1855. He was a very unequal writer, but occasionally showed considerable power and originality.
MELVILLE, JAMES (1556-1614).—Scottish divine and reformer,s.of the laird of Baldovie, in Forfarshire, and nephew of the great reformer and scholar, Andrew M., by whom, when Principal of the Univ. of Glasgow, he was chosen to assist him as a regent or professor. When, in 1580, Andrew became Principal of St. Mary's Coll., St. Andrews, James accompanied him, and acted as Prof. of Hebrew and Oriental Languages. He wrote many poems, but his chief work was hisDiary, an original authority for the period, written with much naïveté, and revealing a singularly attractive personality. M., who for his part in Church matters, had been banished to England,d.at Berwick on his way back to Scotland.
MELVILLE, SIR JAMES (1535-1617).—Historian,s.of Sir John M., of Hallhill, was a page to Mary Queen of Scots at the French Court, and afterwards one of her Privy Council. He also acted as her envoy to Queen Elizabeth and the Elector Palatine. He was the author of an autobiography which is one of the original authorities for the period. The MS., which lay for long hidden in Edin. Castle, was discovered in 1660, andpub.1683. A later ed. was brought out in 1827 by the Bannatyne Club. The work iswritten in a lively style, but is not always to be implicitly relied upon in regard either to facts or the characters attributed to individuals.
MEREDITH, GEORGE (1828-1909).—Novelist and poet,b.at Portsmouth,s.of Augustus M., a naval outfitter, who afterwards went to Cape Town, anded.at Portsmouth and Neuwied in Germany. Owing to the neglect of a trustee, what means he had inherited were lost, and he was in his early days very poor. Articled to a lawyer in London, he had no taste for law, which he soon exchanged for journalism, and at 21 he was writing poetry for magazines, his first printed work, a poem on the Battle of Chillianwallah, appearing inChambers's Journal. Two years later hepub.Poems(1851), containingLove in the Valley. Meantime he had been ed. a small provincial newspaper, and in 1866 he was war correspondent in Italy for theMorning Post, and he also acted for many years as literary adviser to Chapman and Hall. By this time, however, he had produced several of his novels.The Shaving of Shagpathad appeared in 1856,Farinain 1857,The Ordeal of Richard Feverelin 1859,Evan Harringtonin 1861,Emilia in England(also known asSandra Belloni) in 1864, its sequel,Vittoria, in 1866, andRhoda Flemingin 1865. In poetry he had producedModern Love and Poems of the English Roadside(1862), generally regarded as his best poetical work. These were followed byThe Adventures of Harry Richmond(1871),Beauchamp's Career(1875), said to be the author's favourite,The Egoist(1879), which marks the beginning of a change in style characterised by an even greater fastidiousness in the choice of words, phrases, and condensation of thought than its predecessors,The Tragic Comedians(1880), andDiana of the Crossways, the first of the author's novels to attain anything approaching general popularity. The same period yielded in poetry,Poems and Lyrics of the Joy of Earth(1883),Ballads and Poems of Tragic Life(1887), andA Reading of Earth(1888). His later novels,One of our Conquerors(1891),Lord Ormont and his Aminta(1894), andThe Amazing Marriage(1895), exhibit a tendency to accentuate those qualities of style which denied general popularity to all of M.'s works, and they did little to add to his reputation. The contemporary poems includeThe Empty PurseandJump to Glory Jane(1892). In 1905 he received the Order of Merit, and hed.on May 19, 1909. He was twicem., his first wife, whod.1860, being adau.ofThomas Love Peacock(q.v.). This union did not prove in all respects happy. His second wife was Miss Vulliamy, whod.1885. In his earlier life he was vigorous and athletic, and a great walker; latterly he lost all power of locomotion.
Though the writings of M. never were and probably never will be generally popular, his genius was, from the very first, recognised by the best judges. All through he wrote for the reader who brought something of mind, thought, and attention, not for him who read merely to be amused without trouble; and it is therefore futile to attribute failure to him because he did not achieve what he did not aim at. Nevertheless, the long delay in receiving even the kind of recognition which he sought was a disappointment to him. Few writers have striven to charge sentences and even words so heavily with meaning, or to attain so great a degree of condensation, withthe result that links in the chain of thought are not seldom omitted and left for the careful reader to supply. There is also a tendency to adopt unusual words and forms of expression where plainness and simplicity would have served as well, and these features taken together give reason for the charges of obscurity and affectation so often made. Moreover, the discussion of motive and feeling is often out of proportion to the narrative of the events and circumstances to which they stand related. But to compensate us for these defects he offers humour, often, indeed, whimsical, but keen and sparkling, close observation of and exquisite feeling for nature, a marvellous power of word-painting, the most delicate and penetrating analysis of character, and an invincible optimism which, while not blind to the darker aspects of life, triumphs over the depression which they might induce in a weaker nature. In matters of faith and dogma his standpoint was distinctly negative.
MERES, FRANCIS (1565-1647).—Miscellaneous author, was of a Lincolnshire family, studied at Camb. and Oxf., and became Rector of Wing in Rutland. Hepub.in 1598Palladis Tamia: Wit's Treasury, containing a comparison of English poets with Greek, Latin, and Italian.
MERIVALE, CHARLES (1808-1893).—Historian,s.of John Herman M., a translator and minor poet,b.in London,ed.at Harrow, Haileybury, and Camb., he took orders, and among other preferments held those of chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, 1863-69, and Dean of Ely. From his college days he was a keen student of Roman history, and between 1850 and 1864 hepub.hisHistory of the Romans under the Empire, an able and scholarly work, though considered by some critics to be too favourable to the Emperors, and the imperial idea. An earlier work wasThe Fall of the Roman Republic(1853).
MERRIMAN, H. SETON, (seeSCOTT, H.S.).
MESTON, WILLIAM (1688?-1745).—S.of a blacksmith, wased.at Marischal Coll., Aberdeen, took part in the '15, and had to go into hiding. HisKnight of the Kirk(1723) is an imitation ofHudibras. It has little merit.
MICKLE, WILLIAM JULIUS (1735-1788).—Poet,s.of the minister of Langholm, Dumfriesshire, was for some time a brewer in Edin., but failed. He went to Oxf., where he was corrector for the Clarendon Press. After various literary failures and minor successes he produced his translation of theLusiad, from the Portuguese of Camoens, which brought him both fame and money. In 1777 he went to Portugal, where he was received with distinction. In 1784 hepub.the ballad ofCumnor Hall, which suggested to Scott the writing ofKenilworth. He is perhaps best remembered, however, by the beautiful lyric,There's nae luck aboot the Hoose, which, although claimed by others, is almost certainly his.
MIDDLETON, CONYERS (1683-1750).—Divine and scholar,b.at Richmond, Yorkshire, anded.at Camb. He was the author of several latitudinarian treatises on miracles, etc., which brought him into controversy withWaterland(q.v.) and others, and of aLife ofCicero(1741), largely plagiarised from William Bellenden, a Scottish writer of the 17th century. Another of his controversies was with Bentley on college administration. He was master of a very fine literary style.
MIDDLETON, THOMAS (1570-1627).—Dramatist, was a Londoner and city chronologer, in which capacity he composed a chronicle of the city, now lost. He wrote over 20 plays, chiefly comedies, besides masques and pageants, and collaborated with Dekker, Webster, and other playwrights. His best plays areThe Changeling,The Spanish Gipsy(both with Rowley), andWomen beware Women. Another,The Game of Chess(1624), got the author and the players alike into trouble on account of its having brought the King of Spain and other public characters upon the stage. They, however, got off with a severe reprimand. M. was a keen observer of London life, and shone most in scenes of strong passion. He is, however, unequal and repeats himself. Other plays are:The Phœnix,Michaelmas Term(1607),A Trick to Catch the old One(1608),The Familie of Love(1608),A Mad World, My Masters(1608),The Roaring Girl(1611) (with Dekker),The Old Law(1656) (with Massinger and Rowley),A Faire Quarrel(1617); and among his pageants and masques areThe Triumphs of Truth(1613),The Triumphs of Honour and Industry(1617),The Inner Temple Masque(1619), etc.
MILL, JAMES (1773-1836).—Philosopher and historian,s.of a shoemaker, wasb.at Montrose, and showing signs of superior ability, was sent to the Univ. of Edin. with a view to the ministry. He was licensed as a preacher in 1798, but gave up the idea of the Church, and going to London in 1802 engaged in literary work, ed. theSt. James's Chronicle, and wrote for theEdinburgh Review. In 1806 he began hisHistory of British India(1817-18), and in 1819 received the appointment of Assistant Examiner to the India Office, and in 1834 became head of the department. M. had meanwhile become the intimate friend of Jeremy Bentham, was perhaps the chief exponent of the utilitarian philosophy, and was also one of the founders of the London Univ. His philosophical writings includeElements of Political Economy(1821), andAnalysis of the Human Mind(1824). M.'s intellect was powerful, though rigid and somewhat narrow; his style was clear and precise, and his conversational powers very remarkable, and influential in moulding the opinions of those who came into contact with him, especially his distinguished son,John Stuart(q.v.).
MILL, JOHN STUART (1806-1873).—Philosopher,s.of the above,b.in London, wased.by hisf.with the view of making him the successor of Bentham and himself, as the exponent of the Utilitarian philosophy. In all respects he proved an apt pupil, and by his 15th year had studied classical literature, logic, political economy, and mathematics. In that year he went to France, where he was under the charge of Sir S. Bentham, a brother of Jeremy. His studies had led him to the adoption of the utilitarian philosophy, and after his return he became acquainted with Grote, the Austins, and other Benthamites. In 1823 he entered the India House as a clerk, and, like hisf., rose to be examiner of Indian correspondence; and,on the dissolution of the Company, retired on a liberal pension. In 1825 he ed. Bentham'sRationale of Judicial Evidence. During the following years he was a frequent contributor to Radical journals, and ed. theLondon Review. HisLogicappeared in 1843, and produced a profound impression; and in 1848 hepub.Principles of Political Economy. The years between 1858 and 1865 were very productive, his treatises onLiberty,Utilitarianism,Representative Government, and hisExamination of Sir W. Hamilton's Philosophybeingpub.during this period. In 1865 he entered the House of Commons as one of the members for Westminster, where, though highly respected, he made no great mark. After this political parenthesis he returned to his literary pursuits, and wroteThe Subjection of Women(1869),The Irish Land Question(1870), and anAutobiography. M. hadm.in 1851 Mrs. Taylor, for whom he showed an extraordinary devotion, and whom he survived for 15 years. Hed.at Avignon. HisAutobiographygives a singular, and in some respects painful account of the methods and views of hisf.in his education. Though remaining all his life an adherent of the utilitarian philosophy, M. did not transmit it to his disciples altogether unmodified, but, finding it too narrow and rigid for his own intellectual and moral requirements, devoted himself to widening it, and infusing into it a certain element of idealism.
Bain'sCriticism with Personal Recollections(1882), L. Courtney'sJohn Stuart Mill(1889),Autobiography, Stephens'sUtilitarians, J. Grote'sExamination of the Utilitarian Philosophy of Mill, etc.
MILLER, HUGH (1802-1856).—Geologist, and man of letters,b.at Cromarty, had the ordinary parish school education, and early showed a remarkable love of reading and power of story-telling. At 17 he was apprenticed to a stonemason, and his work in quarries, together with rambles among the rocks of his native shore, led him to the study of geology. In 1829 hepub.a vol. of poems, and soon afterwards threw himself as an ardent and effective combatant into the controversies, first of the Reform Bill, and thereafter of the Scottish Church question. In 1834 he became accountant in one of the local banks, and in the next year brought out hisScenes and Legends in the North of Scotland. In 1840 the popular party in the Church, with which he had been associated, started a newspaper,The Witness, and M. was called to be ed., a position which he retained till the end of his life, and in which he showed conspicuous ability. Among his geological works areThe Old Red Sandstone(1841),Footprints of the Creator(1850),The Testimony of the Rocks(1856), andSketch-book of Popular Geology. Other books are:My Schools and Schoolmasters, an autobiography of remarkable interest,First Impressions of England and its People(1847), andThe Cruise of the Betsy. Of the geological books, perhaps that on the old red sandstone, a department in which M. was a discoverer, is the best: but all his writings are distinguished by great literary excellence, and especially by a marvellous power of vivid description. The end of his life was most tragic. He had for long been overworking his brain, which at last gave way, and in a temporary loss of reason, he shot himself during the night.
Life and Letters, P. Bayne (1871), etc.
MILLER, THOMAS (1807-1874).—Poet and novelist, of humble parentage, worked in early life as a basket-maker. Hepub.Songs of the Sea Nymphs(1832). Going to London he was befriended byLady Blessington(q.v.) andS. Rogers(q.v.), and for a time engaged in business as a bookseller, but was unsuccessful and devoted himself exclusively to literature, producing over 40 vols., including several novels,e.g.,Royston Gower(1838),Gideon Giles the Roper, andRural Sketches. In his stories he successfully delineated rural characters and scenes.
MILMAN, HENRY HART (1791-1868).—Poet and historian,s.of Sir Francis M., a distinguished physician,ed.at Eton and Oxf. Taking orders he became in 1835 Rector of St. Margaret's, Westminster, and in 1849 Dean of St. Paul's. He also held the professorship of Poetry at Oxf. 1821-31. Among his poetical works may be mentionedFazio(drama) (1815),Samor(epic) (1818),The Fall of Jerusalem(1820),The Martyr of Antioch(1822), andAnne Boleyn(1826). It is, however, on his work as an historian that his literary fame chiefly rests, his chief works in this department being hisHistory of the Jews(1830),History of Christianity(1840), and especiallyThe History of Latin Christianity(6 vols. 1854-56), which is one of the most important historical works of the century, characterised alike by literary distinction and by learning and research. M. also brought out a valuable ed. of Gibbon'sDecline and Fall, and wrote aHistory of St. Paul's Cathedral.
MILNES, R. MONCKTON, (seeHOUGHTON).