CHARLES ROBERT MATURIN

HIS LIFE AND WORKS

BY

NIILO IDMAN

To be presented, with the permission of the PhilosophicalFaculty of the University of Helsingfors, for public criticismin the hall of the Hist.-Philol. Section on May 12:th1923, at 12 o’clock.

HELSINGFORS 1923
HELSINGFORS CENTRALTRYCKERI

The completion of this book has been retarded by circumstancesunforeseen in the winter of 1914, when I collectedmost of its materials. I have not, since then, hadany opportunity of visiting England, and have thus beenunable to augment and verify these materials—whichmust account for what incompleteness and inaccuracythere may be found in the text as well as in the notes. Forthe same reason I have been compelled strictly to limitthe range of my study, and to desist from all inquiry intoMaturin’s influence on the romantic movement in France.Neither can my account of his connection with Englishliterature of the latter part of the 19:th century lay anyclaim to completeness, being confined only to some of themost obvious instances. The fact, however, of this influence’shaving been greater than is, perhaps, generally known,would seem to justify the publication of a study of Maturin’sown works exclusively. These, apart from the intrinsicmerit of the best of them, possess, moreover, the interestof being extremely characteristic of, I think, a most fascinatingperiod in the history of literature. It will possibly beremarked that those of them whose literary value is certainlynot important, are, in my study, reviewed at ratherunnecessary length; but as they have long ago disappeared,not only from the market but also from most libraries,the reader who may take an interest in some of the ideaswhich they reflect and which are so unfamiliar to our owntimes, has very few opportunities to become acquaintedwith the books themselves.

During the course of my work I have received kind assistancefrom many quarters, which it is my agreeable dutyhere to acknowledge. For much valuable advice my gratitudeis due to Mr. D. J. O’Donoghue, of University College,Dublin, who was the first to encourage me to setabout a study of Maturin, and to Professor Yrjö Hirn, ofHelsingfors, who has, with a never-failing interest, followedmy work from its beginning. For unpublished biographicalmaterial I am under obligation to Mr. John Murray, forhaving permitted me to make use of Maturin’s letters toJohn Murray, the publisher; and to Miss Ella HepworthDixon, who has placed Maturin’s correspondence withSir Charles and Lady Morgan at my disposal. I must alsomention that Mr. More Adey has favoured me with the loanof such of Maturin’s works as I do not possess, withoutwhich kindness the completion of my study would havebeen utterly impossible. Lastly, it remains to offer mybest thanks to Mr. S. Sydney Silverman for help renderedme in point of language, the book being written in whatis to me an acquired tongue.

N. I.

Helsingfors, April 1923.