John Westland Marston

This article is about the 19th-century English poet and playwright. For the 17th-century English poet and playwright, see John Marston.

John Westland Marston (30 January 1819 - 5 January 1890) was an English poet and playwright.

John Westland Marston (1819-1890), from An Actor's Notebooks, 1912. Courtesy Internet Archive.

Life

Marston was born at Boston, Lincolnshire, a son of Rev. Stephen Marston, minister of a Baptist congregation in the town. In 1834 he was articled to his maternal uncle, a London solicitor; but although he was not inattentive to the duties of the office, and obtained a fair knowledge of law, literature and the theatre had much greater attractions for him.

His evenings were devoted to the theatre, and becoming acquainted with Heraud, Francis Barham, and other members of the mystical group which at that time gathered around James Pierrepont Greaves, he contributed to Heraud's magazine The Sunbeam, and upon obtaining release from his articles, himself became editor of a mystical periodical entitled The Psyche.

The school had remarkable affinities with the contemporary, but entirely independent, movement of New England transcendentalism, but was in comparison a very feeble growth. Among its chief supporters were some wealthy ladies near Cheltenham, always ready to equip missionaries in the cause, and on their liberality Marston, who had given up the profession of law without fully adopting the profession of literature, for a time depended. Through them he made the acquaintance of Eleanor Jane Potts, eldest daughter of the proprietor of Saunders's News Letter, who had retired to Cheltenham. A warm and durable attachment on both sides was the consequence, which resulted in marriage in May 1840, notwithstanding the strongest opposition on the part of the lady's family.

Marston idealised and inverted his love story in his first play, the Patrician's Daughter (1841, 8vo), performed in December 1842. Being brought out by Macready, and accompanied with a prologue by Dickens, this drama, though not an entire success on the stage, obtained a notoriety not altogether gratifying to the author, who would have wished his name to be more intimately associated with his maturer productions. It represents a mission to which he for some time devoted himself — the elevation of ordinary 19th-century life to a pitch of feeling at which heroic blank verse seems the only adequate dramatic vehicle.

As a man he was somewhat enigmatical; his fluency and bonhomie concealed a deep reserve, which itself sometimes appeared but the veil of irresolution; he seemed to oscillate between the mystic and the man of the world; and, though he was entirely unassuming, something theatrical seemed to cling to all he said and did.

Marston had already produced a little volume entitled Gerald: A dramatic poem; and other poems (1842, 12mo), respectable, like everything he wrote, but betraying much less influence from the muse than from his friend the author of Festus.

Bulwer and Knowles had ceased to write, and for many years Marston was almost the only acted dramatist who wrought with any elevation of purpose. The Heart and the World (1847) was a failure, but in 1849 Marston, laying his theories aside for a time, appeared with an historical drama, Strathmore, which obtained great success, and which he himself regarded as his best work.

In the interim (1852) had appeared ‘Anne Blake,’ another domestic drama, clever, but marred by such situations and dénouements as only occur on the stage. In A Life's Ransom (1857) the domestic and historical elements are in some measure blended, the action being laid at the revolution of 1688. Such a piece might be easily produced by a man of Marston's literary ability, but his next tragi-comedy, A Hard Struggle (1858), required genuine feeling in the author and great command over the resources of the stage.

After his marriage Marston lived entirely in London, except for occasional visits to France and short lecturing tours in Scotland and Lancashire. He had become well known in London literary society, especially to Dickens and his circle, and had taken a part in Bulwer's comedy of Not so bad as we seem, acted for the benefit of the Guild of Literature and Art. About the same time a tragedy on the history of Montezuma, which would have afforded ample scope for scenic display, was written for and purchased by Charles Kean, but never produced.

In 1837 Marston undertook the editorship of the National Magazine in conjunction with John Saunders. The early numbers had excellent contributions from Sydney Dobell, Mrs. Crowe, and other writers of mark, and illustrations after young artists of genius like Arthur Hughes and W.L. Windus, and with adequate capital the enterprise would probably have succeeded.

Relinquishing it, and also renouncing vain attempts in fiction, for which, strangely enough, he did not appear to possess the slightest qualification, Marston returned to the theatre, and produced successively The Wife's Portrait (1862) and Pure Gold (1863), prose dramas of little account; Donna Diana (1863), the best of all his plays, but mainly taken from Moreto's masterpiece, El Desden con el Desden; and The Favourite of Fortune (1866), a play of sufficient merit to have kept the stage if it had not been expressly written for an actor of such marked individuality as Sothern. It achieved a conspicuous success upon its production. The same remark applies to A Hero of Romance, adapted from Octave Feuillet in 1867, and Life for Life (1869), written for Miss Neilson.

Broken Spells followed in 1873, but with his last play, ‘Under Fire’ (1885), he experienced a mortifying failure. The piece was the weakest he ever wrote, and he had entirely lost touch with the time.

From about 1863 Marston contributed much poetical criticism to the Athenæum. The celebrated review of Atalanta in Calydon was written by him. Criticism, indeed, seemed rather his forte than original composition. His theoretical knowledge of the histrionic art was also profound; but though he showed little disposition to cultivate it practically, he was an excellent mimic, and Miss Neilson, like many other actors and actresses, owed much to his tuition. No one judged an actor more accurately, and the admonitions of few were more valuable. He proved his power as a critic of acting in his Our Recent Actors: Recollections of late distinguished performers of both Sexes, 2 vols. 1888.

From 1860 to about 1874 Marston's circumstances were prosperous, and his house near the Regent's Park was a favourite meeting-place for poets, actors, and literary men. The latter years of his life were clouded by calamity, especially the successive deaths of his wife in 1870, of his 22 daughters, Eleanor (wife of Arthur O'Shaughnessy) in February 1879, and Cicely in July 1878, and of his gifted and only son, Philip Bourke Marston.

His circumstances also became much impaired; but his friend Mr. Henry Irving generously organised (1 June 1887) a special performance of Werner for his benefit at the Lyceum Theatre. The full receipts, amounting to 928l.6s., were paid to Marston; all the expenses being borne by Mr. Irving.

A collection of his dramatic works, with an appendix of poems, was edited by himself in 1876. 'Montezuma,' 'At Bay,' and 'Charlotte Corday' remain in manuscript. He contributed articles to vols. vi. and vii. of the Dictionary of National Biography.

Marston died at his lodgings in the Euston Road, after a long illness, and was interred with his wife and children in Highgate cemetery.

Writing

Marston's great title to distinction is that of having long been the chief upholder of the poetical drama on the English stage. His talents, indeed, were unequal to so arduous a task, but the mere fact of his having undertaken it singles him from the crowd. Regarded merely as a dramatist, he is entitled to great praise for the elegance of his diction, the elevation of his sentiments, and the careful construction of his plots; but his perception of individual character is weak, and such effect as he produces is often obtained by unreal exaggeration.

None of his plays, except maybe A Hard Struggle, have sufficient vitality to keep the stage. The Patrician's Daughter has much literary merit, but the unreasonable, not to say revolting, conduct of the hero must always prevent its being a favourite play. Strathmore has fine literary qualities, although the author's inability to think himself into the age he exhibits constitutes a grave defect. The same may be said of Philip of France and Marie de Méranie (1850), "a stirring tragedy, of which the verse has an appropriate martial ring," and in which Helen Faucit produced a great impression. It is based to some extent on G.P.R. James's novel Philip Augustus.

Being written in prose, A Hard Struggle produces a greater impression of reality than his more ambitious efforts; it drew tears and enthusiastic praise from Dickens, and obtained a greater success than any of his pieces, owing in part to the powerful acting of Dillon.

As the anecdotic historian of the stage he has an honourable and exceptional place; and some of his minor poems, especially the verses on the Balaklava charge and a few sonnets, are very happy inspirations. He stood higher as a critic than as a poet, but his efforts in this field were of necessity too ephemeral to secure an abiding reputation.

Recognition

In 1863 he received the degree of LL.D. from the University of Glasgow.

Publications

Poetry

• Gerald: A dramatic poem; and other poems. London: C. Mitchell, 1842.
• Address ... on the inauguration of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon, April 23rd, 1879. Bradbury, UK: Agnew, London, 1879.

Plays

• The Patrician's Daughter: A tragedy, in two acts. London: C. Mitchell, 1841; New York: Samuel French, 1852.
• The Heart and the World: A play, in five acts. London: C. Mitchell, 1847.
• Trevanion; or, The false position: A play. London: 1849.
• Strathmore: A tragic play, in five acts. London: C. Mitchell, 1849.
• Philip of France and Marie de Méranie: A tragedy, in five acts. London: 1850.
• Anne Blake: A play. London: 1852.
• Pure Gold: In four act. London: [185-?]
• A Life's Ransom. London: C. Mitchell, 1857.
• A Hard Struggle: A domestic drama, in one act. London: T.H. Lacy, 1858; New York: Samuel French, 1858.
• A Hero of Romance: A new play, in six tableaux. London: J. Miles, 1868.
• The Favourite of Fortune. 1876.

Novel

• A Lady in Her Own Right. Cambrige, UK, & London: Macmillan, 1869.

Short fiction

• The Family Credit, and other tales. London: Ward & Lock, 1862.
• The Wife's Portrait, , and other tales. London: 1870.

Collected editions

• Dramatic and Poetical Works. (2 volumes), London: Chatto & Windus, 1876.

Edited

• The Psyche: A magazine of philosophy. London: 1839.
• The National Magazine (edited with J. Saunders). London: National Magazine, 1856-1864.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of British poets
• List of English-language playwrights

References

•  Lee, Sidney, ed. (1893) "Marston, John Westland" Dictionary of National Biography 36 London: Smith, Elder, pp. 258-260  . Wikisource, Web, Feb. 22, 2017.

External links

Poems

• from "Marie de Meranie"

About

• Obituary in The Times
• Marston, John Westland in Dickens Journals Online
• John Westland Marston in The Browning Correspondence

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen & Sidney Lee). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Marston, John Westland