MATURIN, CHARLES ROBERT (1782-1824), Irish novelist and dramatist, was born in Dublin in 1782. His grandfather, Gabriel Jasper Maturin, had been Swift's successor in the deanery of St Patrick. Charles Maturin was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and became curate of Loughrea and then of St Peter's, Dublin. His first novels, _The Fatal Revenge; or, the Family of Montorio_ (1807), _The Wild Irish Boy_ (1808), _The Milesian Chief_ (1812), were issued under the pseudonym of "Dennis Jasper Murphy." All these were mercilessly ridiculed, but the irregular power displayed in them attracted the notice of Sir Walter Scott, who recommended the author to Byron. Through their influence Maturin's tragedy of _Bertram_ was produced at Drury Lane in 1816, with Kean and Miss Kelly in the leading parts. A French version by Charles Nodier and Baron Taylor was produced in Paris at the Théâtre Favart. Two more tragedies, _Manuel_ (1817) and _Fredolfo_ (1819), were failures, and his poem _The Universe_ (1821) fell flat. He wrote three more novels, _Women_ (1818), _Melmoth, the Wanderer_ (1820), and _The Albigenses_ (1824). _Melmoth_, which forms its author's title to remembrance, is the best of them, and has for hero a kind of "Wandering Jew." Honoré de Balzac wrote a sequel to it under the title of _Melmoth réconcilié à l'église_ (1835). Maturin died in Dublin on the 30th of October 1824. MATVYEEV, ARTAMON SERGYEEVICH ( -1682), Russian statesman and reformer, was one of the greatest of the precursors of Peter the Great. His parentage and the date of his birth are uncertain. Apparently his birth was humble, but when the obscure figure of the young Artamon emerges into the light of history we find him equipped at all points with the newest ideas, absolutely free from the worst prejudices of his age, a ripe scholar, and even an author of some distinction. In 1671 the tsar Alexius and Artamon were already on intimate terms, and on the retirement of Orduin-Nashchokin Matvyeev became the tsar's chief counsellor. It was at his house, full of all the wondrous, half-forbidden novelties of the west, that Alexius, after the death of his first consort, Martha, met Matvyeev's favourite pupil, the beautiful Natalia Naruishkina, whom he married on the 21st of January 1672. At the end of the year Matvyeev was raised to the rank of _okolnichy_, and on the 1st of September 1674 attained the still higher dignity of _boyar_. Matvyeev remained paramount to the end of the reign and introduced play-acting and all sorts of refining western novelties into Muscovy. The deplorable physical condition of Alexius's immediate successor, Theodore III. suggested to Matvyeev the desirability of elevating to the throne the sturdy little tsarevich Peter, then in his fourth year. He purchased the allegiance of the _stryeltsi_, or musketeers, and then, summoning the boyars of the council, earnestly represented to them that Theodore, scarce able to live, was surely unable to reign, and urged the