Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 37.djvu/88

 opera, Mrs. Mattocks rose to the front rank in comedy. In light and genteel comedy she obtained a distinct success, but her triumph was in chambermaids. Her best parts were Betty Hint in the ‘Man of the World,’ Mrs. Racket, Mrs. Brittle, Betty Blackberry, Camilla in ‘Rugantino,’ Mrs. Placid, Mrs. Cockletop in ‘Modern Antiques,’ and Lucretia MacTab. The ‘Theatrical Biography’ of 1772 credits her with ability to realise her parts, with sensibility, a pleasing person, and an agreeable voice. It says that she eloped to France to marry her husband, who was more of a singer than an actor, more than hints that the marriage was unhappy, and states that Mrs. Mattocks was closely intimate with [q. v.] O'Keeffe says that her talents were of the first order, and associates her Betty Blackberry with Edwin's Jemmy Jumps as a treat of the highest order. He speaks also of Mattocks as a gentleman, and point-device beloved and respected. Boaden declares that Mrs. Mattocks left no successor on the English stage, and the ‘Monthly Mirror’ speaks of Mrs. Davenport as vastly her inferior. With Quick and Lewis she formed an irresistible trio. She was a good hand at reciting the prologues of Miles, Peter Andrews, and others, and Anthony Pasquin, after some severe strictures, says in his ‘Children of Thespis:’

Portraits of her by De Wilde as Lady Restless in ‘All in the Wrong’ and by Dupont as Louisa in the ‘Duenna’ are in the Garrick Club.



MATURIN, CHARLES ROBERT (1782–1824), novelist and dramatist, was born in Dublin in 1782. His family, of French extraction, had settled in Ireland on the revocation of the edict of Nantes; his great-grandfather, Peter, was dean of Killala from 1724 to 1741. His grandfather, Gabriel James Maturin, who became archdeacon of Tuam in 1733, succeeded Swift in the deanery of St. Patrick's in 1745, and dying 9 Nov. 1746 was buried in St. Patrick's Cathedral (, Fasti Eccl. Hib. ii. 105). His father held an important post under government. From a child Maturin was remarkable for a taste for theatricals and a general love of dress and display. He distinguished himself at Trinity College, where he obtained a scholarship in 1798, and graduated B.A. in 1800, but discontinued his university career on marrying, at the age of twenty, Henrietta, daughter of Thomas Kingsbury, afterwards archdeacon of Killala. Entering the church, he became curate, first of Loughrea, and afterwards of St. Peter's, Dublin. His stipend was slender, and he was partly supported by his father until the latter's sudden dismissal from office on a charge of malversation. His innocence was eventually established, and he obtained another appointment, but in the meanwhile the family were reduced to great embarrassment. Maturin set up a school in addition to his curacy, and also betook himself to literature, successively producing three romances: ‘The Fatal Revenge, or the Family of Montorio,’ 1807; ‘The Wild Irish Boy,’ 1808; and ‘The Milesian Chief,’ 1812. These works, which appeared under the pseudonym of Dennis Jasper Murphy, attracted considerable attention, though none reached a second edition at the time, and Maturin was unable to dispose of the copyright of any of them except ‘The Milesian Chief,’ which Colburn bought for 80l. Scott, however, reviewed ‘Montorio’ with appreciation, and paid ‘The Milesian Chief’ the higher compliment of imitating it in ‘The Bride of Lammermoor.’ About 1813 Maturin's imprudence in becoming security for an unfaithful friend compelled him to give up his house, and consequently his school. In these desperate circumstances he had recourse to Scott, sending him the manuscript of ‘Bertram,’ a tragedy which he had already offered unsuccessfully to a Dublin theatre. Scott, some time in 1814, recommended the play to Kemble as ‘one which will either succeed greatly or be damned gloriously.’ Kemble having declined it, Scott next submitted it to Byron, who first imitated Scott's example in sending the author 50l. from his own purse, and then introduced the play to Kean. Kean, after some hesitation, accepted it, and it was produced at Drury Lane on 9 May 1816, and ran for twenty-two nights, bringing Maturin 1,000l., while the printed play sold at the then exorbitant charge of 4s. 6d. a copy, and ran through seven editions within the year (, History of the English Stage, viii. 532–3). The only dissonant note was the hostile criticism of Coleridge, who was mortified that his own