Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/215

* MATHEWS. 187 MATILDA. MATHEWS, miith'uz. Charles (177C-1835). An Knglish comedian, born in London on June 28, 1771). He was the son of a bookseller, who intended his son to follow the same vocation; but his early inclination for the stage overcame parental counsel, and he made his appearance as an amateur, in the part of ]{ichard III., at the Kiihmond Theatre in 1793. As a professional comedian he a])])eared in the Theatre Koyal, Dublin, the following year. His first engagement in London was at the Haymarket. in 1803; later he transferred his services to Drurj' Lane. In 181S he first introduced in London one of his entertainments, known as 'At Homes,' such as he repeated for a number of sidjsequent seasons with immense success. In the course of his career he twice visited America, in 1822 and 1834, and his last appearance upon the stage was made at Xew York in February, 1835. He had licen since 1828 a joint proprietor of the Adelphi Theatre of London. His death occurred at Plymouth on June 28, 1835. Mathews was a wonderful master of im- personation and mimicry. The variety of his facial expression was so extraordinary that he could alter liis curious features in an instant and deceive even his friends as to his identity, a peculiarity of which many quaint stories are told. He was extremely sensitive, and the fine- ness of his taste and character, as well as his ■wit, made him a welcome companion of the most distinguished people. Consult the Memoirs of Charles ilatheirs. Comedian, by Mrs. Math- ews (London, 1838-39) ; Anecdotes of Actors, by the same (London, 1844) ; Matthews and Hutton, Actors and Actresses of Great Britain and the United States, vol. li. (New York, 1880): Baker, Our Old Actors (London, 1881). MATHEWS, Chables James (1803-78). An English actor and playwright, son of Charles Mathews, born in Liverpool, December 20, 1803. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, and at a school at Clapham, kept by Richardson the lexicographer. In 1S19 he began study with Pugin. the architect. With Pugin he went to Paris, whcse comedians increased a lurking dis- position of his to appear on the stage. He did so as an amateur in April. 1S22, playing the part of Dorival in Lr roniedirn d'hjtaini>es, at the Lyceum Theatre. He afterward designed and sujierintended the building of cottages, inns, and bridges. In 1835 he gave up his profession and turned to the stage. Though a brilliant actor in light ])ieces, he met with many reverses as manager. During his long career on the stage he played more than two hundred roles in dramas written by himself and others. Among his most famous parts were Charles Coldstream in t'sed I'ji, Lavater in Cool as a Cnriiniljrr. and Puff in the Critic. Besides performing at the principal London theatres, Mathews made tours through Canada, the L^nited States, and Aus- tralia. He died at ifanchester, England. .Tune 24. 1878. For his Life, with selections from his correspondence, consult Charles Dickens (Lon- don, IS79). MATHEWS, LrciA Elizabeth. See Vestris, Mahamk. MATHEWS, William (1818—). An Ameri- can niithor. born at Waterville, Me. He grad- uated at Waterville College (Colby University) j in 1835, studied law at Harvard and was ad- VOL. xui.— 13. mitted to the bar. In 1841 he established The M'atervillonian, afterwards called The Yankee Blade, w'hich united with the Boston Portfolio in 1850. He was also in newspajier work in Chicago from 1859 until 1802, when he was appointed professor of rhetoric and English in the L'niversity of Chicago, a position he resigned in 1875. His publications include: (letting On in the World (1872); The Crcut Conversrrs, and Other Essays (1874); Words — Their Vse and Abuse (1870) ; and Hours with Men and Books ' (1877). MATHEWS,. William Smytiie Babcock (1837 — ). An American musician and writer on music. He was born in Loudon. JN". H., and was educated entirely under native teachers. He began his professional career at Macon, Ga., where he was engaged in teaching from '1800 to 1803. Later he took up similar work in Xorth Carolina, and at JIarion. Ala. His first po- sition in Chicago, with which city he became most particularly identified, was as organist of Centenary JI. E. Church, which ajjpointment he held from 1807 to 1893, meanwhile acting as correspondent for Dtcight's Journal of Music (1800-72), and as editor of the Musical Inde- pendent from 1808 to 1872. He first became an influence in the musical life of Chicago through his musical criticisms in the daily press. In 1891 he founded Music, which ho ])urposed to be exclusively devoted to students of music. His publications include his Popular Histvrit of Music (1889) ; Outlines of Musical Form (1807) ; Hoio to Understand Music (2 vols., 1880 and 1888, respectively) ; One Hundred Years of Music in America (1889) ; Music, Its Ideals< and Meth- ods (1897) ; in collaboration with L. 0. Emerson, the Emerson Organ Method (1870): and with William ila'son. Pianoforte Technics (1870); with Emil Liebling, a Pronouncing Dictionary of Musical Tcrntif (1890). MATHIAS, ma-thl'os, Thomas James (c. 1754-1835). An English author. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, of which he became a fellcw, and was appointed treasurer of the household" to Queen Charlotte. This office he resigned in 1818 and passed the later part of his life at Naples. During his long resi- dence in Italy he became thonnighly acquainted with its language and literature, and Avrote Ital- ian verses with considerable fluency. But his principal service to Italian literature was his edition of Tiraboschi's standard work. The Uis- torg of Italian Poetrg (1805). His best work is The Pursuits' of Literature, a poem which was published anonymously between 1794 and 1797. The chief interest of the Pursuits lies in its satirical critical notes, which made a sensation at the time. MATICO, ma-te'ko ■^P- from South .meri- can name). Piper angustifolium or .-irlanthe elongata. A shrub of the natural order Pipera- ceae. a native of Peru, where it is known as soldiers' herb, because its hairy leaves are used as a styptic. The name is also applied to a species of Eupatorium (q.v.). MATICO. A South American armadillo (q.v.) (Tnlgpeutes convrus), allied (o the apar. MATIL'DA (1102-07). Daughter of Henry L. King of England, and wife of the Emperor Henry V.. often known as the Empress Maud.