Page:Imperialdictiona03eadi Brandeis Vol3a.pdf/384

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
MAT
350
MAU

an advocate at Lyons. He subsequently resided for a short time in the Netherlands, and ultimately held the office of historiographer of France under Henri IV. and Louis XIII. In addition to a few poems, he wrote a history of the reign of Henri IV., and a separate account of his death; a history of St. Louis; a history of Louis IX.; and a history of France from the time of Francis I. to his own day. He died in 1621.—W. B.

MATTHISSON, Friedrich von, a distinguished German lyric poet, was born at Hohenodeleben, near Magdeburg, 23rd January, 1761. After studying theology at Halle, which however he soon deserted for polite literature, he obtained a mastership in the Dessau philanthropinum. He then lived for some time with his friend Bonstetten at Nyon, and in 1794 became reader and travelling companion to the reigning princess of Anhalt Dessau. After the death of his patroness he was appointed principal librarian at Stuttgart by the king of Wurtemberg, who even conferred a patent of nobility on him. In 1824 he retired into private life at Wörlitz, near Dessau, where he died 12th March, 1831. His poems excel by purity of sentiment and language, by great descriptive power, and a melodious flow of rhythm, but often are artificial and lack energy. He also wrote interesting memoirs, "Erinnerungen," 5 vols. His "Remains" and a selection from his correspondence were edited by Schoch, 4 vols., 1832.—K. E.

MATTIOLI, Luigi, a celebrated Italian engraver, was born in the principality of Masserano in 1662. He studied painting under C. Cignani, but his pictures not succeeding, whilst his pen drawings of landscapes found a ready sale, his thoughts were turned towards engraving, and he took lessons of G. Crespi. As an engraver he was industrious and successful. Nearly two hundred of his plates have been catalogued, but many are very slight. Perhaps the most esteemed is an Annunciation after L. Carracci. Several other of his prints are after the same master, A. Carracci, Guido, Guercino, &c., and many are from his own designs. He died at Bologna in 1747.—J. T—e.

MATTIOLI, Pietro Andrea (called in Latin Matthiolus), a celebrated Italian botanist, was born at Siena on the 23rd March, 1500, and died at Trente in 1577. He acquired the elements of his education at Venice, and was afterwards sent to the university of Padua, in order to study law. Medicine, however, had more attraction for him, and he became a doctor of medicine. He practised in his native city for many years. Having attained a competency, he relinquished practice, went to Rome for some years, and then to the valley of Anania, near Trente, where he remained till 1540. He then established himself at Goritz, when he was called by King Ferdinand to Prague. He acted as first physician to the Emperor Maximilian II., and finally, in 1560, returned to Trente, where he died of cholera at the age of seventy-seven. He had great reputation as a botanist, and published a commentary on the materia medica of Dioscorides, besides various medical and botanical letters and memoirs. A genus Matthiola was named after him.—J. H. B.

MATURIN, Charles R., a novelist and dramatic writer of the present age, was born in Dublin in 1782. His father was descended from one of those French Huguenot refugees who were driven from France by the revocation of the edict of Nantes. The young Maturin was educated at Trinity college, and immediately after completing his course married a Miss Henrietta Kingsburg. He then took orders, and obtained the curacy of St. Peter's church, Dublin. His father's affairs became embarrassed about this time, and Maturin opened a boarding school with the view of assisting his family. The undertaking prospered at first; but having been deceived by a friend for whom he had made himself responsible, he became liable for a heavy debt, and was obliged to sell his interest in the school. Being thus driven to extremities, he resolved to try the experiment of living by his wits. In 1807 he produced "The Fatal Revenge, or the family of Montorio," the first of a series of romances in which he endeavoured to combine Ann Radcliffe's "thrilling effects" with the dark and guilty horrors engendered in the prurient imagination of Monk Lewis. It was followed by "Women, ou pour et contre;" "The Milesian Chief;" "Melmoth the Wanderer;" and "The Albigenses;" which last was published in the last year of his life. In 1816 he made a bold venture for theatrical success. His tragedy of "Bertram," rejected by the Dublin managers, was through the influence of Lord Byron brought out at Drury Lane with complete success. Maturin realized £1000 by this play, and his novels also commanded a considerable sale; but he was vain and extravagant, always outrunning the constable, and dogged by the bailiffs. He had an eccentric custom, while composing in his study, of sticking a wafer on his forehead, as a sign to any member of the family who might come in that he was not to be disturbed. The tragedy of "Manuel," called by Byron "the absurd work of a clever man," was produced in 1817, but proved a failure. Scott had a great kindness for Maturin, and did him many a service. He died in Dublin in 1824.—T. A.

MATY, Matthew, a distinguished litterateur, was born at Montfort, near Utrecht, in 1718; and after a careful education studied medicine, and took his degree at Leyden. Soon after he became a contributor to the celebrated Bibliothèque Britannique, and with his father emigrated to England. Here he was kindly received, and patronized by Lord Chesterfield and other men of rank, and obtained an office in the newly-founded British museum. In 1758 he was elected F.R.S., and in 1765 its perpetual secretary. In order to disarm the opponents of vaccination he inoculated himself with the small-pox without the knowledge of his family, and kept a journal of the sickness occasioned by this procedure. In 1772 he was appointed principal librarian of the British museum, and died in 1776. Besides the Journal Britannique, he published "Essai sur l'usage;" "Essai sur le caractère du grand médicin, Boerhaave;" "Memoirs of Lord Chesterfield" (prefixed to his miscellaneous works); and several contributions to French and English journals.—K. E.

MATY, Paul Henry, only son of the preceding, was born in 1745, and received his early education at Westminster school. He subsequently studied at Cambridge, became a fellow of Trinity college, and after a few years of travel on the continent, was appointed chaplain to the English embassy at Paris. Scruples about some of the articles of the Anglican creed having withdrawn him from the exercise of his clerical office, he devoted himself entirely to literary labours, and succeeded his father in the secretaryship of the Royal Society, being about the same time appointed a sub-librarian of the British museum, in which he afterwards held the office of curator of the antiquities. A translation of Reisbach's Travels, a contribution in French to the Gemmæ Marlburienses, and a posthumous volume of sermons, are his principal works. He died in 1787.—W. B.

MAUBREUIL, Marie Armand Guerri de, a political adventurer, born in Bretagne, 1782. He served in the ranks of the Vendeans, and afterwards under Jerome Napoleon, king of Westphalia. After the entry of the allies into Paris, Maubreuil, by his own account, was urged by them to undertake the assassination of Bonaparte, and the robbery of the ex-queen of Westphalia's jewels—the latter of which tasks he actually performed. Whether this story be true or not, Maubreuil lived in consequence a life of constant persecution in his own and other countries, and died in 1855.—W. J. P.

MAUNDER, Samuel, an English writer and composer of many useful works, was born in 1790. He married a sister of William Pinnock, the well-known author of numerous catechisms and educational works, and devoted himself to the cultivation of the same species of literature. Mr. Maunder died in 1849. He was the author of the "Treasury of Useful Knowledge;" "Treasury of History;" "Treasury of Natural History;" Biographical Treasury;" "Universal Class Book," &c.—J. T.

MAUNDREL, Henry, traveller, was chaplain to the English factory at Aleppo, when, in the early part of 1697, fourteen of his companions conceived the design of passing the coming Easter at Jerusalem. Maundrel joined the party, which set forth on the 26th February, and proceeded by Tripoli and the sea-coast to St. Jean d'Acre, from whence it struck inland to the Holy City. They subsequently explored various parts of Palestine, Syria, and the Lebanon. In 1698 Maundrel published at Oxford an account of the expedition in an octavo volume, with plates. It was translated into French, and from French into German. It is described as being the work of an erudite and intelligent man, who was a close observer and an honest writer; and his description of the Lebanon more particularly has been selected for commendation. A "Journey on the Shores of the Euphrates," which appeared in the same volume, and was ascribed to his pen, is now considered not to be his work. Careless and inexact, it contrasts strongly with the accuracy of those portions of the work of which his authorship is undisputed. The date of his death is unknown.—W. J. P.

MAUPEOU RENÉ, Nicolas Charles Augustin de,