Page:Cousins's Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature.djvu/286

 274 Dictionary of English Literature

Patteson (1880), Garnett (1889). Ed. of Works by Boydell, Sir E. Brydges, and Prof. Masson.

MINOT, LAURENCE (1300 P-I352?). Poet. Nothing is

certainly known of him. He may have been a soldier. He cele brates in northern English and with a somewhat ferocious patriotism the victories of Edward III. over the Scots and the French.

MINTO, WILLIAM (1845-1893). Critic and biographer, &. at Alford, Aberdeenshire, and ed. at Aberdeen and Oxf., went to London, and became ed. of the Examiner, and also wrote for the Daily News and the Pall Mall Gazette. In 1880 he was appointed Prof, of Logic and Literature at Aberdeen. He wrote a Manual of English Prose Literature (1873), Characteristics of the English Poets (1874), and a Life of Defoe for the Men of Letters Series.

MITCHELL, JOHN (1815-1875). Journalist and political

writer, s. of a Presbyterian minister, was b. in Ulster. For some 1 time he practised as a solicitor, but becoming acquainted with Thomas Davis (q.v.), he associated himself with the Young Ireland party, and was a leading contributor to the Nation newspaper. His political sympathies and acts were carried so far as to bring about in 1848 his trial for treason-felony, and his transportation for 14 years. After his release he resided chiefly at New York, and ed. various papers, and opposed the abolition of slavery; but in 1874, he was elected M.P. for Tipperary, for which, however, he was de clared incapable of sitting. On a new election he was again returned, but d. before the resulting petition could be heard. He wrote a Jail\ Journal, a work of great power, The Last Conquest of Ireland (perhaps) (1860), and a History of Ireland of little value.

MITFORD, MARY RUSSELL (1787-1855). Poetess and]

novelist, b. at Alresford, Hants, dau. of a physician, without practice,! selfish and extravagant, who ran through three fortunes, his own, his wife's, and his daughter's, and then lived on the industry of thtt last. After a vol. of poems which attracted little notice, she pro-i duced her powerful tragedy, Julian. In 1812, what ultimately became the first vol. of Our Village appeared in the Lady's Magazines To this four additional vols. were added, the last in 1832. In this work Miss M. may be said to have created a new branch of litera ture. Her novel, Belford Regis (1835), is somewhat on the same lines. She added two dramas, Rienzi (1828), and Foscari, Atherton and other Tales (1852), and Recollections of a Literary Life, and d. at. her cottage at Swallowfield, much beloved for her benevolent and simple character, as well as valued for her intellectual powers.

MITFORD, WILLIAM (1744-1827). Historian, e.s. of Johnj

M. of Exbury, Hants, descended from an old Northumbrian family, j was b. in London, and ed. at Cheam School and Oxf. He studied] law, but on succeeding to the family estates devoted himself to) study and literature, and to his duties as an officer of the militia.) His first pub. was an Essay on the Harmony of Language (1774).] His great work, The History of Greece, is said to have beenj undertaken at the suggestion of Gibbon, who was a fellow-officer, in the South Hants Militia. This work, the successive vols. of.