MATURIN

maturin, charles robert (1782-1824), irish novelist and dramatist, was born in dublin in 1782. his grandfather, gabriel jasper maturin, had been swift's successor in the deanery of st patrick. charles maturin was educated at trinity college, dublin, and became curate of loughrea and then of st peter's, dublin. his first novels, _the fatal revenge; or, the family of montorio_ (1807), _the wild irish boy_ (1808), _the milesian chief_ (1812), were issued under the pseudonym of "dennis jasper murphy." all these were mercilessly ridiculed, but the irregular power displayed in them attracted the notice of sir walter scott, who recommended the author to byron. through their influence maturin's tragedy of _bertram_ was produced at drury lane in 1816, with kean and miss kelly in the leading parts. a french version by charles nodier and baron taylor was produced in paris at the theatre favart. two more tragedies, _manuel_ (1817) and _fredolfo_ (1819), were failures, and his poem _the universe_ (1821) fell flat. he wrote three more novels, _women_ (1818), _melmoth, the wanderer_ (1820), and _the albigenses_ (1824). _melmoth_, which forms its author's title to remembrance, is the best of them, and has for hero a kind of "wandering jew." honore de balzac wrote a sequel to it under the title of _melmoth reconcilie a l'eglise_ (1835). maturin died in dublin on the 30th of october 1824.