Many of the political pleces had been written during the opposition to Walpole, and given to Francklin, as he supposed, in perpetuity. These, among the rest, were claimed by the will. The question was referred to arbitrators; but when they decided against Mallet, he refused to yield to the award, and by the help of Millar, the bookseller, published all that he could find, but with success very much below his expectation." In 1755, his masque of 'Britannia' was acted at Drury Lane, and his tragedy of Elvira' in 1763;" in which year he was appointed keeper of the Book of Entries for ships in the port of London.** In the beginning of the last war," when the nation was exasperated by ill success, he was employed to turn the public vengeance upon Byng, and wrote a letter of accusation under the character of a 'Plain Man.' The paper was with great industry circulated and dispersed; and he, for his seasonable intervention, had a considerable pension bestowed upon him, which he retained to his death."* 18 The day of publication was the day of the death of Mr. Pelham, and occasioned an eplgram by Garrick. Johnson's famous saying about the scoundrel and coward and the beggarly Scotchman is one of the best remembered, as it was certainly the first, in print of his many memorable sayings. (See 'Boswell by Croker,' p. 88, and 'Goldsmith's Works,' by Cunningham, vol. iv. p. 179.) 19 'Elvira' was dedicated to the Earl of Bute, and was attacked by three Scotchmen in an octavo pamphlet, entitled 'Critical Strictures on the New Tragey of "Elvira," written by Mr. David Malloch. London: printed for W. Flexney, near Gray's-Inn, Holborn, 1763,' with this prefatory" Advertisement :”—“We have followed the authority of Sir David Dalrymple and Mr. Samuel Johnson in the orthography of Mr. Malloch's name, as we imagine the Decision of these gentlemen will have more weight in the world of letters than even that of the said Mr. Malloch himself." This pamphlet (it has little wit) was written by the Honourable Andrew Erskine, George Dempster, and James Boswell. (See 'Boswell by Croker,' p. 189.) 20 Worth 4001. a-year. Next Mallet came; Mallet who knows each art The ear to tickle and to soothe the heart; SHAW: The Race, 1766. The Scottish peer was the Earl of Bute. 21 The war of 1756. 29 TO LORD ANSON. Wimpole, Oct. 10th, 1756, MY DEAR LORD,-I have taken the opportunity of the Marquis of Rockingham's doing me the honour of a visit, to return (by his servant) to Mr. Cleveland the manuscript of Mr. Mad Towards the end of his life he went with his wife to France; but after a while, finding his health declining, he returned alone to England, and died in April, 1765." He was twice married, and by his first wife had several children." One daughter, who married an Italian of rank, named Cilesia, wrote a tragedy, called ' Almida,' which was acted at Drury Lane." His second wife was the daughter of a nobleman's steward, who had a considerable fortune, which she took care to retain in her own hands." let's pamphlet. I had read it quite through, and, upon the whole, ca anot find much fault with it, though I must own I am not much enamoured with it. But this entre nous, for authors of this kind must not be discouraged by too much criticism. However, I have ventured to put down in the enclosed sheet of paper some remarks and queries, which I desire your Lordship will take the trouble to peruse, and to consider whether you think any of them improper, especially in what relates to maritime affairs and dispositions. Whatever you shall disapprove in this paper of mine, I desire you will strike out, and then deliver it to Mr. Cleveland, with my request to him to copy it over fair, and forthwith send such copy to Mr. Mallet, keeping my original. My reason (which I will tell your Lordship) for taking this method is, that I am not fond of giving a handle to be named as a joint author with this gentleman; but I have writ him a very civil letter, wherein I have informed him that he will very soon receive such a paper from Mr. Cleveland. I have also modestly suggested to him to add something further, by way of observation and argument, upon the points of conduct chiefly objected to) for in that part I suspect the performance to be chiefly deficient. -(Barrow's 'Anson,' 8vo., 1889.) Ever yours, HARDWICKE. 23 His last dirty work was in the famous Hamilton and Douglas case :-" Know, then, that there is not a retailer of gingerbread nuts, a vender of brandy by the gill, or of mellow apples by the dozen, a dresser of bullock's liver for the Savoyards, or a washer of their linen shirts when shirts they have, from one end of the Faubourg St. Antoine to the other, with whom I am not particularly acquainted; for such, my Lord, are the marvellous engines with which the House of Hamilton is attempting to overturn that of Douglas.”—MALLET to Lord Bathurst, Paris, Dec. 16, 1764 (M8.). 24 By his will, dated 20th June, 1755, he leaves his wife Lucy Mallet his sole executrix. He was buried 27th April, 1765, I believe, at Putney, where he had long resided. 25 7th Oct, 1742, David Mallet, Esq., Under-Secretary to the Prince of Wales, to Miss Lucy Elstob.-Gent's Mag. for 1742, p. 546. This, I suspect, was his second wife. 26 Mallet's widow, I hear, sets out on her return to France very soon; and, having despatched her daughter down to Scotland, there remains nothing in this country that can deprive the beaux esprits of Paris of the company of that unparalleled lady.—Br. Douglas to D. Hume, London, June 25, 1765: Letters of Eminent Persons addressed to D. Hume, 8vo. 1849, p. 20. 27 Mr. Mallet and his lady appeared to all the world to be the happiest couple in it, and I desire to have no doubt that they really were what they wished the world should think them. However, Mrs. Mallet to her excessive love joined the most consummate prudence. Every shilling of her fortune, which amounted to seven or eight thousand pounds, she settled upor herself; but then she took all imaginable care that Mr. Mallet should appear like a gentleman of distinction, and, from her great kindness, she always purchased everything that he wore: hat, stockings, coat, waistcoat, &c., were all of her own choice, as well as at her own cost; His stature was diminutive, but he was regularly formed; his appearance, till he grew corpulent, was agreeable, and he suffered it to want no recommendation that dress could give it. His conver sation was elegant and easy. The rest of his character may, without injury to his memory, sink into silence." 28 As a writer, he cannot be placed in any high class. There is no species of composition in which he was eminent. His Dramas had their day, a short day, and are forgotten: his blank verse seems to my ear the echo of Thomson. His Life of Bacon' is known as it is appended to Bacon's volumes, but is no longer mentioned. His works are such as a writer, bustling in the world, showing himself in public, and emerging occasionally from time to time into notice, might keep alive by his personal influence; but which, conveying little information, and giving no great pleasure, must soon give way, as the succession of things produces new topics of conversation and other modes of amusement." 30 and such was the warmth of her fondness, that she took care all the world should know the pains she bestowed on her husband's dress ―T. DAVIES: Life of Garrick, ii. 47. 28 Mr. Mallet, a name among the English poets, is praised by an unforgiving enemy for the ease and elegance of his conversation, and his wife was not destitute of wit or learning.— GIBBON: Autobiography. When Gibbon's father removed him from Oxford, he carried him to the house of his friend and neighbour at Putney-Mallet, "by whose philosophy," the future historian records, “I was rather scandalised than reclaimed." Gibbon attended the rehearsal and first night of Mallet's last play, and has left a long account of it in his journal. "He [Johnson] said that Mallet was the prettiest dressed puppet about town, and always kept good company. That, from his way of talking, he saw, and always said, that he had not written any part of the Life of the Duke of Marlborough, though perhaps he intended to de it at some time, in which case he was not culpable in taking the pension."—JOHNSON; Boswell by Croker, p. 321. "Mr. Mallet's favourite dress was a suit of black velvet."-T. DAVIES: Life of Garrick, ii., 47. 29" Mallet's boasts, however, should not, I imagine, have much effect with those who know him; for, from the knowledge I have of him, I feel an unaccountable propensity to believe the contrary of what he tells me. His conduct as commissioner has not at all belied the opinion you had of him. In one respect we have a little improved; we have made him less Impertinent; but I can't boast that we have made him more candid."-ALEX. WEDDERBURN (Lord Loughborough) to D. Hume, Paris, 28th Oct, 1764. 30"Mallet had talents enough to keep his literary reputation alive as long as he himself lived; and that, let me tell you, is a good deal."-JOHNSON: Boswell by Croker, p. 237. If Johnson had been fond of ballads, he could have said a word in favour of Mallet's "Edwin and Emma,' 1760 (4to. Baskerville); but Johnson did not care for ballads. In his "Life of Tickell' he is silent about Colin and Lucy.' |