[1] His holographic will in favour of his brother (written in 1844
and devising property worth nearly $400,000) was unsuccessfully
contested by the state of Louisiana on the ground that the will was
void as being a legal and physical impossibility, or as being an
attempted fraud on the state, as under it the state would not receive
a 10% tax if the property went to the heirs of Martin (as intestate)
in France.
MARTIN, HOMER DODGE (1836-1897), American artist, was born at Albany,
New York, on the 28th of October 1836. A pupil for a short time of
William Hart, his earlier work followed the lines of the Hudson River
School. He was elected as associate of the National Academy of Design,
New York, in 1868, and a full academician in 1874. During a trip to
Europe in 1876 he was captivated by the Barbizon school, and from 1882
to 1886 he lived in France spending much of the time in Normandy. At
Villerville he painted his "Harp of the Winds," now at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York. Among his important canvases are "Westchester
Hills," "Adirondack Scenery," "The Cinqueboeuf Church," "Sand Dunes,"
and "A Newport Landscape." Martin is generally spoken of as one of the
great trio of American landscapists, the other two being Inness and
Wyant, and examples of his work are in most of the important American
collections. He died at St. Paul, Minnesota, on the 2nd of February
1897.
MARTIN, JOHN (1789-1854), English painter, was born at Haydon Bridge,
near Hexham, on the 19th of July 1789. He was apprenticed by his father
to a coachbuilder to learn heraldic painting, but owing to a quarrel the
indentures were cancelled, and he was placed under Bonifacio Musso, an
Italian artist, father of the enamel painter Charles Musso. With his
master Martin removed to London in 1806, where he married at the age of
nineteen, and supported himself by giving drawing lessons, and by
painting in water colours, and on china and glass. His leisure was
occupied in the study of perspective and architecture. His first
picture, "Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion," was exhibited in
the Royal Academy of 1812, and sold for fifty guineas. It was followed
by the "Expulsion" (1813), "Paradise" (1813), "Clytie" (1814), and
"Joshua" (1815). In 1821 appeared his "Belshazzar's Feast," which
excited much favourable and hostile comment, and was awarded a prize of
£200 at the British Institution, where the Joshua had previously carried
off a premium of £100. Then came the "Destruction of Herculaneum"
(1822), the "Creation" (1824), the "Eve of the Deluge" (1841), and a
series of other Biblical and imaginative subjects. In 1832-1833 Martin
received £2000 for drawing and engraving a fine series of designs to
Milton, and with Westall he produced a set of Bible illustrations. He
was also occupied with schemes for the improvement of London, and
published various pamphlets and plans dealing with the metropolitan
water supply, sewage, dock and railway systems. During the last four
years of his life he was engaged upon his large subjects of "The
Judgment," the "Day of Wrath," and the "Plains of Heaven." He was
attacked with paralysis while painting, and died in the Isle of Man on
the 17th of February 1854.
MARTIN, LUTHER (1748-1826), American lawyer, was born in New Brunswick,
New Jersey, on the 9th of February 1748. He graduated at the college of
New Jersey (now Princeton University) at the head of a class of
thirty-five in 1766, and immediately afterwards removed to Maryland,
teaching at Queenstown in that colony until 1770, and being admitted to
the bar in 1771. He practised law for a short time in Virginia, then
returned to Maryland, and became recognized as the leader of the
Maryland bar and as one of the ablest lawyers in the United States. From
1778 to 1805 he was attorney-general of Maryland; in 1814-1816 he was
chief judge of the court of Oyer and Terminer for the city of Baltimore;
and in 1818-1822 he was attorney-general of Maryland. He was one of
Maryland's representatives in the Continental Congress in 1784-1785 and
in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 at Philadelphia, but opposed
the constitution and refused to affix his signature. He subsequently
allied himself with the Federalists, and was an opponent of Thomas
Jefferson, who in 1807 spoke of him as the "Federal Bull-Dog." His
ability was shown in his famous defence of Judge Samuel Chase (q.v.) in
the impeachment trial before the United States Senate in 1804-1805, and
in his defence of Aaron Burr (q.v.) against the charge of treason in
1807. He has been described by the historian Henry Adams, writing of the
Chase trial, as at that time the "most formidable of American
advocates." Though he received a large income, he was so improvident
that he was frequently in want, and on the 22nd of February 1822 the
legislature of Maryland passed a remarkable resolution--the only one of
the kind in American history--requiring every lawyer in the state to pay
an annual licence fee of five dollars, to be handed over to trustees
appointed "for the appropriation of the proceeds raised by virtue of
this resolution to the use of Luther Martin." This resolution was
rescinded on the 6th of February 1823. Martin died at the home of Aaron
Burr in New York on the 10th of July 1826. In 1783 he had married a
daughter of the Captain Michael Cresap (1742-1775), who was unjustly
charged by Jefferson, in his _Notes on Virginia_, with the murder of the
family of the Indian chief, John Logan, and whom Martin defended in a
pamphlet long out of print.
See the biographical sketch by Henry P. Goddard, _Luther Martin, the
Federal Bull-Dog_ (Baltimore, 1887), No. 24 of the "Peabody Fund
Publications," of the Maryland Historical Society.
MARTIN, SIR THEODORE (1816-1909), British author and translator, the son
of a solicitor, was born at Edinburgh on the 16th of September 1816, and
educated at the Royal High School and the University, from which he
subsequently received the honorary degree of LL.D. He practised for some
time as a solicitor in Edinburgh, but in 1846 went to London, where he
became senior partner in the firm of Martin & Leslie, parliamentary
agents. He early contributed to _Fraser's Magazine_ and _Tait's
Magazine_, under the signature of "Bon Gaultier," and in 1856, in
conjunction with Professor Aytoun, he published the _Book of Ballads_
under the same pseudonym. This work at once obtained popular favour. In
1858 he published a volume of translations of the _Poems and Ballads of
Goethe_, and this was followed by a rendering of the Danish poet Henrik
Hertz's lyric drama, _King René's Daughter_. The principal character in
this drama, Iolanthe, was sustained by Helena Faucit (q.v.), who in 1851
became the author's wife. Martin's translations of Öhlenschläger's
dramas, _Correggio_ (1854) and _Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp_ (1857),
widened the fame of the Danish poet in England. In 1860 appeared
Martin's metrical translation of the _Odes of Horace_; and in 1870 he
wrote a volume on _Horace_ for the series of "Ancient Classics for
English Readers." In 1882 his Horatian labours were concluded by a
translation of the poet's whole works, with a life and notes, in two
volumes. A poetical translation of _Catullus_ was published in 1861,
followed by a privately printed volume of _Poems, Original and
Translated_, in 1863. Then came translations of the _Vita Nuova_ of
Dante, and the first part of Goethe's _Faust_. A metrical translation of
the second part of _Faust_ appeared in 1866. Martin wrote a memoir of
his friend Aytoun in 1867, and while engaged upon this work he was
requested by Queen Victoria, to whom he was introduced by his friend Sir
Arthur Helps, to undertake the _Life of His Royal Highness the Prince
Consort_. The first volume of this well-known work was published in
1874. In 1878 Martin's translation of Heine's _Poems and Ballads_
appeared. Two years later the _Life of the Prince Consort_ was brought
to a successful conclusion by the publication of the fifth volume. A
knighthood was then conferred upon him. In the following November he was
elected lord rector of the university of St Andrews. Martin's _Life of
Lord Lyndhurst_, based upon papers furnished by the family, was
published in 1883. In 1889 appeared _The Song of the Bell, and other
Translations from Schiller, Goethe, Uhland, and Others_; in 1804
_Madonna Pia, a Tragedy, and three Other Dramas_; a translation of
Leopardi's poems in 1905; and in 1901 he published a biography of his
wife. The kindly relations which subsisted between Queen Victoria and
Sir Theodore Martin were continued after the completion of the _Life_ of
the prince consort up to the queen's death. Sir Theodore's account of
these relations was privately printed in 1902, and, with King Edward's
consent, for general publication in 1908. This little book, _Queen
Victoria as I knew her_, throws a good deal of light on the Queen's
character and private life. Sir Theodore Martin died on the 18th of
August 1909.
MARTIN, WILLIAM (1767-1810), English naturalist, the son of a hosier,
was born at Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in 1767. He studied drawing at
an early age from James Bolton at Halifax, and gained from him a taste
for the study of natural history. In 1805 he was appointed drawing
master in the grammar school at Macclesfield. Meanwhile he cultivated
his taste for natural history, and was in 1796 elected a fellow of the
Linnaean Society. He is best known for his early works on British
fossils, entitled _Petrifacta derbiensia or Figures and Descriptions of
Petrifactions collected in Derbyshire_ (1809); and _Outlines of an
Attempt to establish a Knowledge of Extraneous Fossils on Scientific
Principles_ (1809). He died at Macclesfield on the 31st of May 1810.
MARTIN, SIR WILLIAM FANSHAWE (1801-1895), British admiral, son of
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Thomas Byam Martin, comptroller of the navy,
and grandson, on the mother's side, of Captain Robert Fanshawe, who
commanded the "Namur" 90 in Rodney's victory of the 12th of April 1782,
was born on the 5th of December 1801. Entering the navy at the age of
twelve, his father's interest secured his rapid promotion: he was made a
lieutenant on the 15th of December 1820; on the 8th of February 1823 he
was promoted to be commander of the "Fly" sloop, his good service in
which in support of the interests of British merchants at Callao secured
his promotion as captain on the 5th of June 1824. He afterwards served
in the Mediterranean and on the home station. In 1849-1852 he was
commodore commanding the Channel squadron, and gave evidence of a
remarkable aptitude for command. He was made rear-admiral in May 1853,
and for the next four years was superintendent of Portsmouth dockyard.
He was made vice-admiral in February 1858, and after a year as a lord of
the admiralty, was appointed commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean.
The discipline of the navy was then bad. It was a tradition sprung from
the wholesale shipment of gaol-birds during the old war, that the men
were to be treated without consideration; moreover the ships had been
largely filled up with "bounty men" bought into the service with a £10
note without training. Out of this unpromising material Martin formed
the fleet which was at that time the ideal of excellence. He had no war
service, and, beyond the Italian disturbance of 1860-61, no opportunity
for showing diplomatic ability. But his memory lives as that of the
reformer of discipline and the originator of a comprehensive system of
steam manoeuvres. He became an admiral in November 1863, and on the 4th
of December succeeded to the baronetcy which had been conferred on his
grandfather. His last appointment was the command at Plymouth,
1866-1869, and in 1870 he was put on the retired list. In 1873 the
G.C.B. was conferred on him, and in 1878 he was made rear-admiral. He
died at Upton Grey, near Winchfield, on the 24th of March 1895. He was
twice married, and left, besides daughters, one son, who succeeded to
the baronetcy.
MARTIN OF TROPPAU, or MARTIN THE POLE (d. 1278), chronicler, was born at
Troppau, and entered the order of St Dominic at Prague. Afterwards he
went to Rome and became papal chaplain under Clement IV. and other
popes. In 1278 Pope Nicholas III. appointed him archbishop of Gnesen,
but he died at Bologna whilst proceeding to Poland to take up his new
duties. Martin wrote some sermons and some commentaries on the canon
law; but more important is his _Chronicon pontificum et imperatorum_, a
history of the popes and emperors to 1277. Written at the request of
Clement IV. the _Chronicon_ is jejune and untrustworthy, and was mainly
responsible for the currency of the legend of Pope Joan, and the one
about the institution of seven electors by the pope. Nevertheless it
enjoyed an extraordinary popularity and found many continuators; but its
value to students arises solely from the fact that it was used by
numerous chroniclers during the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. In the
15th century it was translated into French, and as part of the
_Chronique martiniane_ was often quoted by controversialists. It has
also been translated into German, Italian and Bohemian.
The Latin text is printed, with introduction by L. Weiland, in Band
XXII. of the _Monumenta Germaniae historica_ (Hanover and Berlin, 1826
seq.). See G. Waitz, H. Brosien and others in the _Neues Archiv der
Geseltschaft für ältere deutsche Geschichtskunde_ (Hanover, 1876
seq.); W. Wattenbach, _Deutschlands Geschichtsquellen_, Band II.
(Berlin, 1894); and A. Molinier, _Les Sources de l'histoire de
France_, Tome III. (Paris, 1903).
MARTIN[1] (Fr. _Martinet_), the _Hirundo urbica_ of Linnaeus and
_Chelidon urbica_ of modern ornithologists, a bird well known throughout
Europe, including even Lapland, where it is abundant, retiring in winter
to the south of Africa. It also inhabits the western part of Asia, and
appears from time to time in large flocks in India. The martin (or
house-martin, as it is often called, to distinguish it from the
sand-martin) commonly reaches its summer quarters a few days later than
the Swallow (q.v.), with which it is often confused in spite of the
differences between them, the martin's white rump and lower parts being
conspicuous as it flies or clings to its nest attached to houses. This
nest, made of the same material as the swallow's, is, however, a more
difficult structure to rear, and a week or more is often occupied in
laying its foundations--the builders clinging to the wall while
depositing the mud of which it is composed. The base once fixed, the
superstructure is often quickly added, till the whole takes the shape of
the half or quarter of a hemisphere, and is finished with a lining of
feathers mixed with a few bents or straws. The martin builds soon after
its return, and a nest that has outlasted the winter is almost at once
reoccupied. The bird usually in the course of the summer raises a
second, or rarely a third, brood of offspring--though the latest broods
often die in the nest, apparently through failure of food. What seem to
be adults are observed in England every year so late as November, and
sometimes within a few days of the winter solstice, but these late birds
are almost certainly strangers.
The sand-martin, _Hirundo riparia_ of Linnaeus and _Cotile riparia_ of
modern writers, differs much in appearance and habits from the former.
Its smaller size, mouse-coloured upper surface and jerking flight
distinguish it from the other British _Hirundinidae_; but it is seldom
discriminated, and, being the first of the family to return to its
northern home, the so-called "early swallow" is nearly always of this
species. Instead of the clay-built nest of the house-martin, this bird
bores horizontal galleries in an escarpment. When beginning its
excavation, it clings to the face of the bank, and with its bill loosens
the earth, working from the centre outwards, and often hanging head
downwards. The tunnel may extend to 4, 6, or even 9 ft. The gallery
seems intended to be straight, but inequalities of the ground, and
especially the meeting with stones, often causes it to take a sinuous
course. At the end is formed a nest lined with a few grass-stalks and
feathers. The sand-martin has several broods in the year, and is more
regular than other _Hirundinidae_ in its departure for the south. The
kind of soil needed for its nesting habits makes it somewhat local, but
no species of the order _Passeres_ has a geographical range that can
compare with this. In Europe it is found nearly to the North Cape, and
thence to the Sea of Okhotsk. In winter it visits many parts of India
and South Africa to the Transvaal. In America its range extends (having
due regard to the season) from Melville Island to Caiçara in Brazil, and
from Newfoundland to Alaska.
The purple martin of America, _Progne purpurea_, is a favourite in
Canada and the United States. Naturally breeding in hollow trees, it
readily adapts itself to the nest-boxes which are commonly set up for
it; but its numbers are in some years and places diminished in a manner
unexplained. The limits of its range in winter are not determined,
chiefly owing to the differences of opinion as to the validity of
certain supposed kindred species found in South America; but according
to some authorities it reaches the border of Patagonia, while in summer
it is known to inhabit lands within the Arctic Circle. The male is
almost wholly of a glossy steel-blue, while the female is duller in
colour above, and beneath of a brownish-grey.
Birds that may be called martins occur almost all over the world except
in New Zealand, which is not regularly inhabited by any member of the
family. The ordinary martin of Australia is the _Petrochelidon
nigricans_ of most ornithologists, and another and more beautiful form
is the ariel or fairy-martin of the same country, _Petrochelidon ariel_.
This last builds a bottle-shaped nest of mud, as does also the
rock-martin of Europe, _Cotile rupestris_. The eggs of martins are from
four to seven in number, and generally white, while those of swallows
usually have brown, grey or lilac markings. (A. N.)