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instructive as to the variations of this poet's popularity during the three centuries that have elapsed since his death.—R. H.

MARPURG, Friedrich Wilhelm, a voluminous writer on the theory of music, was born in 1718 at Seehausen, in the Old Mark of Brandenburg. He was well educated in the ancient and modern languages, and also in music and mathematics. In 1746 he visited Paris, where he became acquainted with Rameau, and studied his celebrated system of the fundamental bass. Returning to Berlin he was appointed secretary to one of the ministers of the court. He next visited Hamburg, where he stayed some time in an official capacity, and then returned to Berlin. His new appointment at this city was director of the lotteries, to which was shortly afterwards added that of councillor to the king. For forty years Marpurg retained these offices, devoting all his leisure time to the composition of his numerous works on the theory of music. Gerber, in his account of this eminent man, says, "It was in November, 1793, when I passed five weeks at Berlin, that I was received in Marpurg's house almost daily, with the most friendly and hospitable attention. He then still showed the lively, jovial, and witty temper of youth. Marpurg died at Berlin, May 22, 1795. An accurate list of his works is given by Fetis.—E. F. R.

MARRACCI, Luigi, born at Lucca in 1612, devoted himself to the study of the eastern languages, and acquired distinction especially by his knowledge of Arabic, of which he was made professor in the college della Sapienza. The Arabic Bible published at Rome in 1671 was partly edited by him, and in 1698 he published the Alcoran in two folio volumes, accompanied with a Latin translation and notes, and a life of Mahomet. Marracci died in 1700.—J. D.

MARRAST, Armand, was born in 1802, and came to Paris in 1827. Devoting himself to journalism, he soon attained distinction by the vigour and pungency of his attacks upon the government. In 1830 he established the Tribune, which soon stood at the head of the ultra-liberal press, but was ultimately crushed by the governmental prosecutions which it provoked. Marrast was imprisoned; but on his release he published a pamphlet, "Vingt Jours de Secret;" and was then compelled to take refuge in England. During his exile he married an English lady. In 1834 he became sub-editor of the National under Armand Carrel; and on the violent death of his gifted and illustrious chief in 1836, Marrast succeeded to his post. After the revolution of February, 1848, he became secretary to the provisional government; then maire of Paris; and finally president of the assembly, to which latter office he was frequently re-elected. He became, however, unpopular with the more advanced republicans, and after the fall of Lamartine retired into private life. He died 10th March, 1852.—W. J. P.

MARRYATT, Frederick, Captain, R.N., the most popular of English naval novelists, was born in London in 1792. He was descended from a French protestant refugee who, escaping from the massacre of St. Bartholomew, settled in this country. His father, a West Indian merchant, was chairman of Lloyd's, and represented Sandwich in the house of commons. Captain Marryatt entered the navy in 1806, and a detailed account of his career afloat will be found in O'Byrne's Naval Biography. His first captain when he entered the Impérieuse as a midshipman, was Lord Cochrane, afterwards earl of Dundonald, and under that famous commander he served for three years in the Mediterranean, taking part in more than fifty actions, and displaying great gallantry and daring. During his career afloat, he saved no fewer than five lives by leaping overboard and rescuing drowning men, for this receiving in 1825 the gold medal of the Humane Society. A lieutenant in 1812, he was despatched to the American coast, and commanded a successful expedition which cut out four vessels from New Orleans. A commander in 1815, he was requested about this time by Lloyd's to draw up a code of signals for the merchant service, which was afterwards adopted by both the English and French governments, published in 1837, and translated into French. In 1822 he published "Suggestions for the abolition of the present system of impressment in the Naval Service," recommending that all merchant vessels should be obliged to carry apprentices. Meanwhile, he had served off St. Helena during Napoleon's captivity, and after the death of the emperor, was employed in the preventive service, effecting a number of seizures. In 1823, he was sent to the East Indies in command of the Larne; in the war with Burmah he led the naval attack upon Rangoon, did good service in Sir Robert Sale's expedition up the Bassein river, and was made a C.B. in 1825. From November, 1828, to November, 1830, he commanded the Ariadne, cruizing in the Atlantic, and doing diplomatic service at Madeira. It was with a mind enriched by this varied experience in both hemispheres, that in 1829 he published the earliest of his novels, "The Naval Officer, or scenes and adventures in the life of Frank Mildmay." With its success, he may be said to have embraced literature as a profession. Novel after novel poured in rapid succession from his pen, some of them contributed originally to the Metropolitan Magazine, which he edited for several years. The following are the titles and dates of publication of the chief of Captain Marryatt's fictions, most, though not all of which, are stories of sea-life—"Frank Mildmay," 1829; "King's own," 1830; "Newton Forster," 1832; "Peter Simple," 1834; "Jacob Faithful," 1834; "The Pacha of many Tales," 1835; "Japhet in search of a father," 1836; "Mr. Midshipman Easy," 1836; "The Pirate and the three Cutters," 1836; "Snarly-yow," 1837; the "Phantom Ship," 1839; "Poor Jack," 1840; "Masterman Ready," 1841; "Perceval Keene," 1842; "Narrative of the Travels and Adventures of Monsieur Violet in California, Senara, and Western Texas," 1842; "The Settlers in Canada," 1843; "The Mission, or scenes in Africa," 1845; and "Valerie," an autobiography, 1849. The best of these works is "Peter Simple," with which William IV. was so pleased that he admitted its author to an interview. When applications were made, however, for Captain Marryatt's promotion, the king, it is said, refused to entertain them on the ground that he had written a work on impressment, and even rejected his request to be allowed to wear the cross of the legion of honour given him by Louis Philippe, as a reward for his code of signals. Captain Marryatt was a keen conservative, and unsuccessfully contested the representation of the Tower Hamlets. In his "Diary in America," published in 1839, he took a view of American politics and manners as unfavourable as that of Miss Martineau was favourable. He died on the 2d of August, 1848.—F. E.

MARS, Anne Françoise Hyppolite Boulet, was born in Paris, 9th February, 1778. Daughter of an actor and an actress, she trode the stage before she was ten years old. It was not until 1803 that her success was really brilliant; but from that time it was supreme. For thirty years Mademoiselle Mars was the queen of the French stage. She excelled in genteel comedy, and more especially in the plays of Molière. She took her farewell benefit in March, 1841, and died in March, 1847, leaving behind her a fortune of eight hundred thousand francs.—W. J. P.

MARSAIS. See Dumarsais.

* MARSCHALL VON BIEBERSTEIN, Friedrich August, Freiherr von, an eminent Russian botanist, has travelled much in the southern and eastern parts of that country, and has published many valuable works. Among them may be noticed, "Tableau des provinces situées sur la côte Occidentale de la mer Caspienne," and "Centuria Plantarum Rariorum Rossiæ Meridionalis."—J. H. B.

MARSCHNER, Heinrich, a musician, was born at Zittau in Upper Lusatia, 16th August, 1795, and died at Hanover, 14th December, 1861. His musical precocity was shown in his rapid progress, when in 1801 he first received lessons on the pianoforte. This led to his being placed in the choir of the gymnasium of his native town, then under the direction of F. Schneider, where he was soon distinguished for his voice and talent; and he afterwards sang in the choir of Bautzen. After writing several motets and other pieces which did not come before the world, his first public essay as a composer was in the music of a ballet written for a company of dancers who went to Zittau; and his excitement at witnessing the rehearsals of this was so great as to throw him into a serious illness. He spent some time at Prague, where he made the friendship of C. M. von Weber; but the armistice of 1813 compelled him, as a Saxon subject, to leave this city. His parents now required him to give up music for jurisprudence; to study which they sent him to Leipsic university. The masterpieces of the great orchestral composers which he there heard for the first time, stimulated anew his love for music; and he accordingly cultivated his ability with greater ardour than ever, to the neglect of the pursuit to which his father had destined him. He obtained some skill as a violinist, and more as a pianist, and he began now seriously to study composition, in which as yet he had received small instruction. In 1815 he appeared as a pianist