Page:Imperialdictiona03eadi Brandeis Vol3a.pdf/366

MAR St. John's college, Cambridge, in 1797, and prosecuted his studies with such ardour and success, that he gained the highest academical honours, and was declared senior wrangler in 1801, before he had completed his twentieth year. In the following year he was chosen a fellow of his college, and gained the highest university prize for Latin composition. In the midst of this brilliant career, the mind of Martyn was brought under strong religious impressions, produced to some extent by the death of his father, and deepened and fostered by the intimacy which he had formed with the celebrated Charles Simeon. Sir James Stephen speaks in glowing terms of "the young and successful competitor for academical honours," at this period, as "a man born to love with ardour, and to hate with vehemence; amorous, irascible, ambitious, and vain; without one torpid nerve about him; aiming at universal excellence in science, in literature, in conversation, in horsemanship, and even in dress; not without some gay fancies, but more prone to austere and melancholy thoughts; patient of the most toilsome inquiries, though not wooing philosophy for her own sake; animated by the poetical temperament, though unvisited by any poetical inspiration; eager for enterprise, though thinking meanly of the reward to which the adventurous aspire; uniting in himself, though as yet unable to concentrate or to harmonize them, many keen desires, many high powers, and much constitutional dejection—the chaotic materials of a great character." His adoption, at this critical period of his career, of evangelical opinions was the event which mainly harmonized these somewhat discordant elements, and turned the whole energies of his mind into one channel. He now resolved to devote his life to the work of a christian missionary, and offered his services to the Church Missionary Society. He was obliged, however, to relinquish this part of his plan; and his friends having obtained for him a chaplaincy in the East India Company's service, he quitted England in 1805 for the shores of India. He was appointed to officiate as chaplain to the troops at Dinapore; but not satisfied with discharging this duty, he frequently preached to the natives in their own vernacular language, established and superintended five schools for their instruction, visited hospitals, revised his own Hindostanee version of the New Testament, and superintended the Persian translation which had been executed by Nathaniel Sabat, a converted Arab, and an Italian priest named Sebastiani, who had resided many years at the Persian court. In the spring of 1809 he removed to Cawnpore, where his health suffered severely from exposure to the great heat, as he had to preach in the open air, owing to the want of a place of worship. Martyn, nevertheless, zealously prosecuted his labours among the heathen, and preached to five or six hundred beggars, who assembled at stated times to receive alms. Having now become a proficient in the Persian language, he resolved to extend his missionary labours to Persia, and accordingly proceeded to Shiraz, where he occupied himself in religious discussions with the Mahommedan doctors, and in revising, with the aid of some learned natives, his Persian and Arabic translations of the New Testament. During his residence in this place, he completed also a Persian translation of the Psalms—"a sweet employment," he said, "which caused six weary moons, that waxed and waned since its commencement, to pass unnoticed." Having gone to Tabriz for the purpose of presenting the shah with his translation (a design which was frustrated by the absence of the British ambassador) he was there seized with fever, which so completely prostrated his strength, that as soon as he was able to travel, he was compelled to seek change of climate. He accordingly set out for Constantinople; and, by rapid stages amid great suffering, he proceeded as far as Tokat in Asia Minor, where he died on the 16th of October, 1812, in his thirty-second year. The tidings of the death of Henry Martyn created deep and general regret in England. His translation of the New Testament was highly commended at the time by the shah for the simplicity and accuracy of its style; and not a few influential Hindoos and Mahommedans were induced, by his persuasive arguments and his blameless life, to profess their adherence to the christian faith. His learning, piety, zeal, and devotedness, have earned for him a place in the foremost rank of christian missionaries.—(See Memoir of the Rev. Henry Martyn, by the Rev. John Sargent, London, 1819.)—J. T.  MARTYN,, an English botanist, was born at London, 12th September, 1699, and died at Chelsea, 29th January, 1768. He was originally intended for the mercantile profession; but under the guidance of Wilmer, who was demonstrator in the Chelsea garden, he turned his attention to plants, and was encouraged in his botanical studies by Blair and Sherard. He soon acquired eminence, and about the year 1721 he instituted, with Dillenius, Dale, Miller, and others, a botanical society in London. He entered the Royal Society, and on the recommendation of Sir Hans Sloane was chosen in 1727 to teach botany at Cambridge. On the death of Bradley in 1733, he was elected professor of botany, and he held the chair till 1761, when he resigned in favour of his son Thomas. A genus of plants is called Martynia after him. Among his works are—"Tabulæ synopticæ plantarum officinalium;" "Methodus plantarum circa Cantabrigiam nascentium;" "Historia plantarum rariorum;" "Introductory Lecture on Botany;" "Explanation of Botanical Terms;" and "Translation of Tournefort's Plants of Paris." He also wrote papers on medical subjects.—J. H. B.  MARTYN,, an English botanist, son of John Martyn, was born at Chelsea in 1735, and died at Patenhall, Bedfordshire, on the 3d of June, 1825. He took his degree at Cambridge, and succeeded his father as professor of botany there in 1761. He held also some ecclesiastical appointments. He travelled in France, Italy, and Switzerland. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society; and he published many works in natural history and literature. Among his publications are the following—"Plantæ Cantabrigienses;" "Catalogus Horti Botanici Cantabrigiensis;" translation of Rousseau's Elements of Botany; thirty-eight plants illustrating the Linnaean system; "Flora Rustica;" "The Language of Botany;" "The Antiquities of Herculaneum;" "Elements of Natural History;" a universal Conchology; "Tour through France, Switzerland, and Italy;" "The English Entomologist;" "Natural History of Spiders;" and account of some Lepidoptera.—J. H. B.  MARTYR,. See.  MARTYR,. See.  MARVELL,, a celebrated English patriot, and an acute, learned, and witty satirist, was born in 1620. His father—a learned and pious clergyman—was master of the grammar-school, and lecturer of Trinity Church, Hull. At fifteen young Marvell was sent to Trinity college, Cambridge, and made rapid progress in his studies. He was marked as a tempting prize by the jesuits, who had stolen into the universities at this time, and was seduced by them to abandon college and go to London. But his father sought him out, and by his earnest remonstrances, induced him to return to his studies. The death of his father, in 1640, again interrupted his academical course. According to tradition the elder Marvell lost his life in crossing the Humber with a young lady who had been on a visit to his family, and in fulfilment of a promise made to her mother, insisted on returning home in spite of the stormy weather. He resolved to share her danger, and along with her perished in the waters. According to another account he was drowned in company with a marriage party. The mother of the young lady adopted young Marvell as her son, and at her decease bequeathed him her whole property. Shortly after the death of his father he quitted college and went to the continent, where he spent four years in Holland, France, Italy, and Spain. After his return to his native country, probably about 1642 or 1643, he was employed in giving instructions in the languages to a daughter of Lord Fairfax. He was also engaged by Cromwell to superintend the education at Eton of a young gentleman of the name of Dutton. In 1657 he was associated with Milton in the office of Latin secretary to the Protector, with a salary to each of £200 per annum. He was chosen by the citizens of his native town to represent them in the convention, or "healing" parliament of 1660; but how far he approved of its proceedings in restoring Charles II., without any security against arbitrary and unconstitutional policy, cannot now be ascertained. We learn, however, that at this time he generously interposed on behalf of Milton, who had been committed to the custody of the sergeant-at-arms. On a subsequent occasion, when the poet was scurrilously assailed by an anonymous slanderer, Marvell zealously vindicated the character of his friend, though he did not approve of his republican principles; and when Paradise Lost was published, he had the courage to greet the immortal epic with a copy of eulogistic verses. Marvell continued to represent Hull as long as he lived. He wrote daily to his constituents during the sitting of parliament, and frequently at other times communicated full information respecting public affairs. Even after the most fatiguing debates, it was 