MALLET, DAVID, a poet
and miscellaneous writer, is said to have been a descendant of the clan
Macgregor, so well known for its crimes, and persecution. When that unhappy
race were proscribed by a solemn act of state, an ancestor of the poet
escaped to the lowlands, and assumed the fictitious name of Malloch. James
Malloch, the father of the poet, kept a small public house at Crieff, on the
borders of the Highlands, where it is supposed that David was born, about
the year 1700. Of his career from youth to manhood, nothing certain is
known, nor whence he first derived his education, as, in after life, either
through pride or prejudice, he studiously endeavoured to conceal his true
name and origin.
Having studied for a time
under Mr Ker, a professor in Aberdeen, he, it appears, removed to Edinburgh,
where he was, in 1720, employed in the station of tutor to the children of a
Mr Home; he at the same time attended the university of that city. He had
while at Aberdeen early exercised himself in poetical composition; and a
pastoral and some other small pieces which he wrote about this period,
attracted the notice of many of the Scottish literati, by whom he was kindly
sought after. Finding his situation in Mr Home’s family by no means
agreeable, being treated, it is said, with great illiberality, he anxiously
sought to change it, and was so fortunate as to be recommended by the
professors of the college to the duke of Montrose, who wanted a fit person
to be tutor to his two sons, who were then going to Winchester. It is
obvious that he must have conducted himself while at college with uncommon
zeal and propriety, as nothing but superior ability could have procured for
a youth so humbly connected, so marked a preference over the rest of his
fellow students. He was most kindly received in his grace’s family; and, on
coming to London in the winter, attended his noble pupils to most places of
public amusement, and still further improved himself in polite literature,
and a knowledge of the world.
Malloch accompanied his noble
pupils to the continent, and made what is usually called the grand tour. On
their return to London, he still continued to reside with that illustrious
family, where, from his advantageous station, he got by degrees introduced
to the most polished circle of society. In 1723, in a periodical work of
Aaron Hill’s, called the Plain Dealer, No. 36, Malloch’s pleasing ballad of
William and Margaret first appeared. The beauty of the production was so
highly praised, that it inspired him with courage to apply himself closely
to his poetical studies, which he had for some time neglected. "Of this
poem," says Dr Johnson, "he has been envied the reputation; and plagiarism
has been boldly charged, but never proved,"—though "in its original state it
was very different from what it is in the latter edition of his works." It
is, however, evident that the idea of the ballad was taken from two much
older ones, namely, William’s Ghaist, and Fair Margaret. From these he
borrowed largely, both in sentiment and expression. Still, notwithstanding
all traces of imitation, as a modern biographer truly observes, "there is
enough of Mallet’s own in the ballad of William and Margaret, to justify all
the poetical reputation which it procured for its author." The fame so
justly acquired by his illustrious countryman, Thomson, whose friendship he
had the honour to enjoy, stimulated him to imitate his style; and, in 1728,
he produced a poem under the title of the Excursion. It is a collection of
poetical landscapes, sketched with some skill and elegance, in imitation of
the Seasons, but much inferior in strength and sublimity. About this time he
adopted the foolish conceit of changing his name from Malloch to
Mallet, to conceal from common observation his country and origin; having,
as Dr Johnson satirically remarks, "by degrees cleared his tongue from his
native pronunciation, so as to be no longer distinguished as a Scot, he
seemed inclined to disincumber himself from all adherences of his original,
and took upon him to change his name from Scotch Malloch to English
Mallet, without any imaginable reason of preference which the eye or
ear can discover."
Mallet next produced a
tragedy, called Eurydice, which he had planned some years before: it was
first brought on the stage in very flattering reception. Garrick, several
years afterwards, when Mallet enjoyed both fame and fortune, again
introduced Eurydice to the public; but not even the talents of that
unrivalled actor, assisted by the celebrated Mrs Cibber, could make it be
tolerated for any length of time. Though so ably supported in the principal
parts, so gross was the egotism of Mallet, that, as Davies tells us, he sat
all the time in the orchestra, and bestowed his execrations plentifully on
the players, to whom he entirely attributed the bad success of the piece.
Mallet now left the family of
the duke of Montrose, and went to reside with a Mr Knight at Gosfield,
probably as a teacher; but still he had made an impression, and enjoyed the
esteem of the first literary characters of the day. There is a remarkable
letter extant, from Pope to Mr Knight, in which he speaks of Mallet in the
following affectionate terms:—"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 remembrance as long as any man." With what heartless
ingratitude Mallet returned this noble expression of confident esteem, will
be seen afterwards. Proud in the first instance of being honoured by the
particular regard of so eminent a poet, he servilely employed his pen, by
attacking Bentley, to please Pope, whose ridicule of critics and
commentators he echoed in a poem, published in 1733, entitled Verbal
Criticism. It is stuffed, as Bentley observes, "with illiberal cant about
pedantry and collections of manuscripts. Real scholars will always speak
with due regard of such names as the Scaligers, Salmasiuses, Heinsiuses,
Burmans, Gronoviuses, Reiskiuses, Marklands, Gesners, and Heynes." Dr
Johnson considered the versification above mediocrity, which is all that can
be said in its praise. About this time, Frederick, prince of Wales, being at
variance with his father, kept what was considered an opposition court,
where he affected the patronage of men of letters, with the hope of adding
to his popularity. Mallet, through the recommendation of his friends, had
the good fortune to be appointed under-secretary to his royal highness, with
a salary of £200 a-year. "He attended the prince of Orange to Oxford in
1734, and presented to him a copy of verses, written in the name of the
university; on which occasion he was admitted to the degree of M.A. Had then
the Oxford muses lost their voice? or did he assume a fictitious character,
for the purpose of spontaneous adulation? The circumstance is certainly
extraordinary." In 1739, he published his tragedy of Mustapha: it was
brought on the stage under the patronage of the prince of Wales, to whom it
was dedicated. The first representation of the piece is said to have been
honoured with the presence of all the leading members of the opposition. The
characters of Solyman the Magnificent, and Hustan his Vizier, were generally
supposed to glance at the king and Sir Robert Walpole; notwithstanding
which, it was licensed by the lord chamberlain, and performed with much
applause to crowded houses. But in proportion as the public mind was
diverted by the appearance of another set of political actors than those to
whom the play was said to refer, it lost its only attraction, and sunk with
his Eurydice into oblivion, whence neither is likely to be ever called
forth. In the following year, Mallet wrote, in conjunction with Thomson, by
command of the prince, the masque of "Alfred," in honour of the birthday of
his eldest daughter, the princess Augusta. It was first acted in the gardens
of Cliffden, by a set of performers brought from London for the express
purpose; and after Thomson’s death, Mallet revised it for Drury Lane
theatre, where it had, with the aid of music and splendid scenery, a run for
a short time.
The same year he published
his principal prose work, the Life of Lord Bacon, prefixed to a new edition
of the works of that illustrious person, in point of style, it may be
considered as an elegant and judicious piece of biography, but nothing more.
To develop the vast treasures stored in the mighty intellect of Bacon, was a
task to which the best intellects of that and a succeeding age would have
failed to do justice. Of Mallet’s performance, Dr Johnson merely says, that
"it is known as appended to Bacon’s volumes, but is no longer mentioned."
In 1742, Mallet made a
considerable addition to his fortune by marriage. He had already buried one
wife, by whom he had several children; but of her there is little or no
account. His second choice was Miss Lucy Estob, the daughter of the earl of
Carlisle’s steward, with whom he received a portion of £10,000. From his
various sources of income, Mallet may be considered as one of the most
fortunate worshippers of the Muses in his day, and hence, becoming either
indifferent or lazy, he allowed seven years to pass over without favouring
the public with any thing from his pen. When at length his Hermit, or
Amyntor and Theodora, appeared, critics were much divided in their opinions
of its merits. Dr Warton, in his Essay on the Life and Writings of Pope,
says it "exhibits a nauseous affectation, expressing every thing pompously
and poetically," while Dr Johnson praises it for "copiousness and elegance
of language, vigour of sentiment, and imagery well adapted to take
possession of the fancy." Up to this period the character of Mallet stood
deservedly high with the public as an author, but we now come to a part of
his history when he drew down upon his head the severe but just censure of
all honourable men.
Pope, who honoured Mallet
with his friendship at a time when a favourable word from the bard of
Twickenham was sufficient to advance the interests of any genius, however
depressed by obscurity, had now introduced Mallet to lord Bolingbroke, at
the time when the Patriot King was first written by his lordship. Only seven
copies were printed, and given to some particular friends of the author,
including Pope, with a positive injunction against publication, Bolingbroke
assigning as a reason that the work was not finished in a style sufficiently
to his satisfaction before he would consent to let it go forth to the world.
Pope obliged his friend Mr Ralph Allen of Prior Park, near Bath, with the
loan of his copy, stating to him at the same time the injunction of lord
Bolingbroke; but that gentleman was so delighted with the work, that he
pressed Pope to allow him to print a limited impression at his own cost,
promising at the same time to observe the strictest caution, and not to
permit a single copy to get into the hands of any individual until the
consent of the author could be obtained. Under this condition Pope
consented, and an edition was printed, packed up, and deposited in a
wareroom, of which Pope received the key. There it remained until, by the
untimely death of Pope, the transaction came to the knowledge of lord
Bolingbroke, who felt or affected to feel, the highest indignation at what
he called Pope’s breach of faith. Mallet, it was generally believed at the
time, was the person who informed his lordship of the transaction,
but it has never been sufficiently proved that he was the unworthy author.
Mr George Rose, to whom all the particulars of the story were related by the
earl of Marchmont, the intimate friend of Bolingbroke, gives us an account
of the discovery which clears Mallet of all blame. "On the circumstance," he
says, "being made known to lord Bolingbroke, who was then a guest in his own
house at Battersea with lord Marchmont, to whom he had lent it for two or
three years, his lordship was in great indignation; to appease which, lord
Marchmont sent Mr Grevinkop to bring out the whole edition, of which a
bonfire was instantly made on the Terrace at Battersea." This, however, did
not by any means appease his lordship’s angry feelings. He determined on
revising and publishing the work himself, and employed Mallet to write a
preface, in which the part that Pope had acted was to be set forth to the
world in the blackest and falsest colours possible. To the lasting disgrace
of his character, he was found ready to stoop to so vile and dishonourable a
task. It would be vain to seek for any palliation of such egregious
turpitude. He was rich, and placed beyond the craving temptation of lending
himself to any one, however high in rank or interest, to defile his pen by
so unworthy a task. But no compunctious visiting of honour ever once stayed
his hand, or prevented him from heaping the most malignant abuse upon his
departed friend, for an affair in which, it is evident, there was nothing
dishonourable intended, either on the part of Pope or Allen. Every fact that
could tend to exonerate Mr Pope, particularly the share his friend had in
the business, and the careful suppression of the copies until Bolingbroke’s
permission for their publication could be procured is studiously concealed.
"How far Mallet was acquainted with all these circumstances we cannot
pretend to affirm." Nor need any one care about the proportions in which
they divide the infamy between them.
The unmitigated resentment of
lord Bolingbroke, for the evidently unintentional error of a friend whom he
almost worshipped while living, is endeavoured to be accounted for by the
preference Pope gave to Warburton, whom Bolingbroke could never endure. Be
that as it may; if true, it only proves the meanness of his lordship’s
character, and how much mistaken Pope was in the man whose name he embalmed
within his deathless page, as a pattern for the most exalted and
disinterested friendship. But though such may have been his lordship’s
feelings, pride must have made him conceal the true cause from Mallet, who
had nothing but the sordid temptation of a ready hireling to incite him to
the odious task. He was rewarded for this service at the death of lord
Bolingbroke, by the bequest of his lordship’s works, with the care and
profit of those already published, as well as all his manuscripts.
Mallet, who cared as little
for the fame or character of his noble benefactor as he did for the
illustrious friend he was hired to traduce, with the true spirit of avarice,
raked up every scrap of Bolingbroke’s writings for publication, without in
the least discriminating what ought to be suppressed, though many of the
papers contained the most offensive doctrines, subversive of sound morals
and revealed religion; the consequence was, that his hopes of gain were very
properly frustrated by a presentment which arose from a decision of the
grand jury of Westminster, stopping the obnoxious works. This must have
sorely affected him, for, before the publication of the five vols. 4to, in
1754, he was offered, by one Millar, a bookseller, £8000 for his copyright,
which he refused. After all, the sale was so extremely slow, that it took
upwards of twenty years to dispose of the first edition, though assisted by
the notoriety of the prosecution of the work. He next appears as an author
in, if possible, a more odious light. The disastrous affair of Minorca, at
the commencement of the war of 1756, had rendered the ministry unpopular.
Mallet was employed to divert the public odium, and turn it upon the
unfortunate Admiral Byng. For this purpose he wrote a paper under the
character of A Plain Man, in which the disgrace brought upon the British
arms in the affair of Minorca, was entirely imputed to the cowardice of the
admiral. It was circulated with great industry. How cruelly it effected its
purpose need not be told. Byng is now universally considered to have been
offered up as a victim to the popular clamour which was thus raised against
him, rather than from actual demerit in his conduct. "The price of blood,"
says Dr Johnson, with fearful but just severity, "was a pension which Mallet
retained till his death." He continued to exercise his talent for poetical
composition, and published a collection of his works, dedicated to great
patrons. At the beginning of the reign of George III., when lord Bute was
placed in power, Mallet, who never let an opportunity slip for serving his
own interests, enlisted under the ministerial banners, and offered a
two-fold service to the cause, by his Truth in Rhyme, and a tragedy called
Elvira, imitated from La Motte, and applicable to the politics of the day.
His reward was, the place of keeper of the book of entries for the port of
London. The Critical Review of that period praised the tragedy in the
highest degree; but it is asserted that Mallet had the superintendence of
that publication, and was the critic of his own works. On the death of the
celebrated duchess of Marlborough, in 1744, it was found by her will, that
she left to Mr Glover, the author of Leonidas, and Mr Mallet, jointly, the
sum of £1,000, on condition that they drew up, from the family papers, a
History of the Life of the Great Duke. The legacy, however, was found to be
clogged with so many unpleasant restrictions, that Glover, with the true
independence of a man of genius, declined any share in the onerous task.
Mallet, who never was troubled by any misgiving of conscience, accepted the
legacy, under all stipulations, and was put in possession of the papers
necessary for proceeding with the work. The second duke of Marlborough, in
order to stimulate his industry, added, in the most liberal manner, an
annual pension to the legacy. Mallet pretended all along, that he was deeply
engaged in forwarding the work for publication, and in a dedication to his
Grace, of a collection of his poems, he spoke of having soon the honour of
dedicating to him the life of his illustrious predecessor. But, on the death
of Mallet, not a vestige of any such work could be found, nor did it appear,
that, after all the money he had received, he had even written a line of it.
While he continued to delude his patron and friends, with the expectation of
seeing his great work appear, he made the imposition subservient to his
interest in many ways. In a familiar conversation with Garrick, and boasting
of the diligence which he was then exerting upon the Life of Marlborough, he
hinted, 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 exultation, "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.
Mallet, finding his health in
a declining state, went, accompanied by his wife, to the south of France,
for the benefit of a change of air, but after some time, finding no
improvement, he returned to England, where he died on the 21st April, 1765.
Dr Johnson says, "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 second wife is
reported to have been particularly proud, and anxious that he should, at all
times, appear like a man of the first rank. She reserved to herself the
pleasing task of purchasing all his fine clothes, and was always sure to let
her friends know it was out of her fortune she did so. As Mallet was what is
called a free thinker in religion, his wife also, who prided herself in the
strength of her understanding, scrupled not, when surrounded at her table
with company of congenial opinions, amongst whom it is said Gibbon was a
frequent guest, to enforce her dogmas in a truly authoritative style,
prefacing them with the exclamation of "Sir,—We deists." As an additional
proof of the vanity and weakness of this well-matched pair, we subjoin the
following anecdotes from Wilkes’s Correspondence, and Johnson’s Lives of the
Poets:--
"On his arrival from the
north, he became a great declaimer at the London coffee-houses, against the
Christian religion. Old surly Dennis was highly offended at his conduct, and
always called him "Moloch." He then changed his name to Mallet, and soon
after published an epistle to Mr Pope on Verbal Criticism. Theobald was
attacked in it, and soon avenged himself in the new edition of Shakspeare:
‘An anonymous writer has, like a Scotch pedlar in wit, unbraced his pack on
the subject. I may fairly say of this author, as Falstaff says of Poin—Hang
him, baboon, his wit is as thick as Tewkesbury mustard; there is no more
conceit in him than a mallet. ‘—Preface, p. 52, edition of 1733. This
Malloch had the happiness of a wife, who had faith enough. She
believed that her husband was the greatest poet and wit of the age.
Sometimes she would seize his hand, and kiss it with rapture, and if the
looks of a friend expressed any surprise, would apologize that it was the
dear hand that wrote those divine poems. She was lamenting to a lady how
much the reputation of her husband suffered by his name being so frequently
confounded with that of Dr Smollett. The lady answered, ‘Madam, there is a
short remedy; let your husband keep his own name."
"When Pope published his
Essay on Man, but concealed the author, Mallet entering 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 the subject, had tossed it away. Pope, to punish his
self-conceit, told him the secret."
"Mallet’s conversation," says
Dr Johnson, "was elegant and easy, 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 but 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."
A daughter, by his first wife, named Cilesia,
who was married to an Italian of rank, wrote a tragedy called "Almida,"
which was acted at Drury Lane theatre. She died at Genoa in 1790. |