MALLET.

1698 ?-1765.

Born in the Highlands of Scotland-Educated at Edinburgh-Made Tutor to the Sons of the Duke of Montrose-Visits London-Publishes 'William and Margaret,' a Ballad-Changes his name-Publishes the 'Excursion,' a Poem-Courts Pope by a Poem on Verbal Criticism'-Writes for the Stage-Made Under-Secretary to Frederick Prince of Wales-Writes a 'Life of Bacon,' and undertakes a 'Life of the Duke of Marlborough'—Publishes ' Amyntor and Theodora,' a Poem-Seeks to blacken the memory of Pope-Left Bolingbroke's Literary Executor-His Pamphlet against Admiral Byng-Obtains a Pension-Is twice married— Death and Burial-Works and Character,

OF DAVID MALLET having no written memorial, I am able to give no other account than such as is supplied by the unauthorised loquacity of common fame, and a very slight personal knowledge.

He was, by his original, one of the Macgregors, a clan that became, about sixty years ago, under the conduct of Robin Roy, so formidable and so infamous for violence and robbery that the name was annulled by a legal abolition,' and when they were all to denominate themselves anew, the father, I suppose of this author, called himself Malloch."

David Malloch was, by the penury of his patents, compelled to be janitor of the High School at Edinburgh,' a mean office, of which he did not afterwards delight to hear. But he surmounted the disadvantages of his birth and fortune; for when [1723] the Duke of Montrose applied to the College of Edinburgh for a tutor to educate

1 Here is an error: the Clan Macgregor was outlawed long before Rob Roy's day, by an Act of the Privy Council of James I. in 1603. See Scott's Introduction to 'Rob Roy.'

2 The father, James Malloch, kept a small clachan, or publichouse, at Crieff, on the borders of the Highlands, where his son David was born cir. 1698. His mother's maiden name was Beatrix Clark.

3 Johnson's statement is confirmed by subsequent researches (see Stephen's History of the High School of Edinburgh,' p 89). Mallet studied at Aberdeen under Professor Ker; and Ker's kindness is spoken of in after-life with thankfulness by the pupil, in a series of Interesting letters, printed in the 'European Magazine,' when under the direction of Isaac Reed. His first situation after leaving Aberdeen, was that of tutor to the four sons (the eldest under fourteen) of a Mr. Home, near Edinburgh. "He allows me my learning, clothes and diet," be writes to Ker in Oct. 1720, "but no fixed salary."

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or willingly misrepresented; and is little more than an improvement, or rather expansion, of a fragment which Pope printed in a Miscellany long before he engrafted it into a regular poem. There is in this piece more pertness than wit, and more confidence than knowledge. The versification is tolerable, nor can criticism allow it a higher praise.

His first tragedy was 'Eurydice,' acted at Drury Lane in 1731, of which I know not the reception nor the merit, but have heard it mentioned as a mean performance. He was not then too high to accept a prologue and epilogue from Aaron Hill, neither of which can be much commended."

Having cleared his tongue from his native pronunciation so as to be no longer distinguished as a Scot," he seems inclined to disencumber himself from all adherences of his original, and took upon him to change his name from Scotch Malloch to English Mallet,

pondent, Mrs. Newsham; an office of five years' continuance, spent in travelling abroad with profit and without expense.

"To prove to you how little essential to friendship I hold letter-writing, I have not yet written to Mr. Mallet, whom I love and esteem greatly; nay, whom I know to have as tender a heart, and that feels a friendly remembrance as long as any man. Pray send him the enclosed; 'tis all I can say, for (as I told you before) it makes me quite sick to be put upon the pikes, to be saying such things as can only be felt, not said."—POPE to Mrs. Newsham. "May I never hope for the pleasure of hearing from you that you are well, and have not forgot me? By saying just that, and no more, you will give me the most agreeable piece of news I can receive or you yourself send. Believe me, I am in no treaty with Curll to furnish him any letters for his second volume. If he has no more influence with the clerks of the Post Office than with me, yours will come very safe, as it will be most welcome to, "Dear Sir, your most affectionate, faithful servant,

"D. MALLET.

"P.S. Mr. N. is extremely your humble servant; and we beg leave to send by you a thousand good wishes to Mrs. Blount for the continuance of her good humour and good health.”— MALLET to Pope. Gent.'s Mag.' for Oct., 1885.

Eurydice' was published by Millar in the March of the same year, with a dedication to the Duke of Montrose. Of the success of the performance or the publication, I am as ignorant as Johnson. It occasioned, however, a sixpenny pamphlet of criticism, entitled 'Remarks on the Tragedy of Eurydice.'

I have seen a letter from Mallet to Andrew Millar, in which he says (22nd Aug., 1757,) “ If It [Eurydice'] is not now the best play that has ever appeared in my time, the author and it ought to be buried together."

10 Sir, when people watch me narrowly, and I do not watch myself, they will find me out to be of a particular county. In the same manner Dunning may be found out to be a Devonshire man. So most Scotchmen may be found out. But, Sir, little aberrations are of no disadvantage. I never catched Mallet in a Scotch accent; and yet Mallet, I suppose, was past ive-and-twenty before he came to London.-JOHNSON: Bomwell by Croker, p. 283.

without any imaginable reason or preference which the eye or ear can discover." What other proofs he gave of disrespect to his native country, I know not; but it was remarked of him, that he was the only Scot whom Scotchmen did not commend."

About this time, Pope, whom he visited familiarly, published his 'Essay on Man,' but concealed the author; and when Mallet entered one day, Pope asked him slightly what there was new. Mallet told him that the newest piece was something called an Essay on Man,' which he had inspected idly, and seeing the utter inability of the author, who had neither skill in writing nor knowledge of his subject, had tossed it away. Pope, to punish his selfconceit, told him the secret."

A new edition of the works of Bacon being prepared (1740) for the press, Mallet was employed to prefix a Life, which he has written with elegance, perhaps with some affectation; but with so much more knowledge of history than of science, that when he afterwards undertook the Life of Marlborough, Warburton remarked that he might perhaps forget that Marlborough was a general, as he had forgotten that Bacon was a Philosopher.

When [1737] the Prince of Wales was driven from the palace, and setting himself at the head of the Opposition, kept a separate court, he endeavoured to increase his popularity by the patronage of literature, and made [June, 1742] Mallet his under-secretary, with a salary of two hundred pounds a year. Thomson likewise had a pension, and they were associated in the composition of the

11 In the octavo Abridgment of his Dictionary, published in 1756, Johnson has given, under the article Alias, ‘Mallet alias Malloch.' (See' Boswell by Croker,' p. 780.)

The change occurred in 1726; for the verses to Thomson in this year are signed Malloch, while his name is found among the subscribers to Savage's Miscellany of the same year as Mallet. He had thought of this renouncement of name as early as September, 1724. "My cousin Paton," he says to Ker, "would have me write my name Mall-t, for there is not one Englishman that can pronounce it."

Johnson was evidently ignorant of the proper pronunciation. To a Scottish ear there is a considerable difference of name between Mallock and Malloch, and to an English ear, when pronounced by a Scot, a difference in sound.

12 "This volume of Gascoigne's Works was bought for 17. 188. at Mr. Mallet's, alias Mallock's, alias M'Gregor's sale, March 14, 1776. He was the only Scotchman who died in my memory unlamented by an individual of his own nation."-GEO. STEEVENS (Book sold at Heber's sale).

13 This story is first told in Ayre's 'Life of Pope' (2 vols., 12mo. 1745), but without naming Mallet.

masque of Alfred,' which in its original state was played at Clief den in 1740; it was afterwards almost wholly changed by Mallet, and brought upon the stage at Drury Lane in 1751, but with no great success.

Mallet, in a familiar conversation with Garrick, discoursing of the diligence which he was then exerting upon the Life of Marl borough,' let him know that in the series of great men, quickly to be exhibited, he should find a niche for the hero of the theatre. Garrick professed to wonder by what artifice he could be introduced, but Mallet let him know that, by a dexterous anticipation, he should fix him in a conspicuous place. "Mr. Mallet," says Garrick, in his gratitude of exaltation, "have you left off to write for the stage ?" Mallet then confessed that he had a drama in his hands. Garrick promised to act it, and Alfred' was produced.

The long retardation of the Life of the Duke of Marlborough shows with strong conviction, how little confidence can be placed in posthumous renown. When he died, it was soon determined that his story should be delivered to posterity; and the papers supposed to contain the necessary information were delivered to the Lord Molesworth, who had been his favourite in Flanders. When Molesworth died, the same papers were transferred with the same design to Sir Richard Steele, who, in some of his exigencies, put them in pawn. They then remained with the old Duchess, who, in her will, assigned the task to Glover and Mallet, with a reward of a thousand pounds, and a prohibition to insert any verses. Glover rejected, I suppose, with disdain the legacy," and devolved the whole work upon Mallet, who had from the late Duke of Marlboborough [died 1758] a pension to promote his industry, and who talked of the discoveries which he had made, but left not, when he died, any historical labours behind him.

While he was in the Prince's service he published [1739] 'Mustapha,' with a prologue by Thomson, not mean, but far inferior to that which he had received from Mallet for Agamemnon.' The epilogue said to be written by a friend, was composed in haste by

4 Glover, in his 'Memoirs' (p. 57), regrets that the "capricious restrictions of the will compelled him to reject the undertaking." He alludes to the power vested in Lord Chesterfield of revising the whole.

Mallet, in the place of one promised, which was never given. This

d tragedy was dedicated to the Prince his master. It was acted bat Drury Lane in 1739, and was well received, but was never revived.1

the

In 1740, he produced, as has been already mentioned, the masque

of Alfred,' in conjunction with Thomson.

For some time afterwards he lay at rest. After a long interval, his next work was 'Amyntor and Theodora' (1747), a long story in blank verse; in which it cannot be denied that there is copiousness ce and elegance of language, vigor of sentiment, and imagery well

adapted to take possession of the fancy. But it is blank verse. thesar This he sold to Vaillant for one hundred and twenty pounds." The first sale was not great, and it is now lost in forgetfulness."

ed 2

Mallet, by address or accident, perhaps by his dependence on the Prince, found his way to Bolingbroke; a man whose pride and petulance made his kindness difficult to gain, or keep, and whom Mallet was content to court by an act which, I hope, was unwillingly performed. When it was found [1744] that Pope had clandestinely printed an unauthorised pamphlet, called 'The Patriot King,' Bolingbroke, in a fit of useless fury, resolved to blast his memory, and employed Mallet (1749) as the executioner of his vengeance. Mallet had not virtue, or had not spirit, to refuse the office; and was rewarded, not long after [1751], with the legacy of Lord Bolingbroke's works.

16 'Mustapha' was acted fourteen nights, and was attended by the whole of the Opposition. Its success as a party piece was complete.

"The pit [the first night] was before five o'clock filled with gentlemen who made a very polite appearance, and were mostly of the Scots nation. The whole play was acted without one hiss or mark of dislike. The best description and the most moving distress passed in silence, while any casual expression which was capable of being interpreted into a meaning unintended, I believe, by the author met with the loudest applauses "-Scots Magazine for 1789, vol. i p. 88.

16 Amyntor and Theodora, or the Hermit.' A poem in Three Cantos. London: printed for Paul Vaillant in the Strand, 1747, 4to.

It appeared anonymously, with a dedication to the Earl of Chesterfield, who, before Mallet's 'Truth in Rhyme,' affixed the following:

It has no faults, or I no faults can spy;
It has all beauty, or all blindness I.

Imprimatur: Chesterfield.

17 Vaillant advertised it as entered at Stationers' Hall, and added in his advertisement that he would prosecute any one who pirated it. For this poem Mallet received from Vaillant 120 guineas (Warton's 'Pope,' ix. 184). It was published in May, 1747, price 8s. 6d.