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Sir Theodore Martin (16 September 1816 – 18 August 1909) was a Scottish poet, biographer, and translator.
Martin was the son of James Martin, a solicitor in Edinburgh, where Theodore was born and educated at the Royal High School and University. He practised as a solicitor in Edinburgh 1840–45, after which he went to London and became head of the firm of Martin and Leslie, parliamentary agents.
His first contribution to literature was the humorous '' Bon Gaultier Ballads'', written along with 
Martin's translations include Dante's ''Vita Nuova'', Oehlenschläger's '' Correggio'' and ''
Biography
Martin was the son of James Martin, a solicitor in Edinburgh, where Theodore was born and educated at the Royal High School and University. He practised as a solicitor in Edinburgh 1840–45, after which he went to London and became head of the firm of Martin and Leslie, parliamentary agents.
His first contribution to literature was the humorous '' Bon Gaultier Ballads'', written along with W.E. Aytoun
William Edmondstoune Aytoun FRSE (21 June 18134 August 1865) was a Scotland, Scottish poet, lawyer by training, and professor of rhetoric and belles lettres at the University of Edinburgh. He published poetry, translation, prose fiction, critici ...
, which remained popular for a long time; originally contributed to a magazine, they appeared in book form in 1845.
Martin's translations include Dante's ''Vita Nuova'', Oehlenschläger's '' Correggio'' and ''Aladdin
Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...
'', Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...
's '' Poems and Ballads'', Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...
's '' Wilhelm Tell'', and Hertz's '' King René's Daughter''.Martin, Theodore. ''King René's daughter: a Danish lyrical drama'', W. Crosby and H.P. Nichols, 1850. He also published a complete translation of Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...
with a ''Life'', and one of Catullus.
He is probably best known for his '' Life of the Prince Consort'' (1874–80), the writing of which was entrusted to him by Queen Victoria, a work which won him her lifelong friendship. He also wrote ''Lives'' of Professor Aytoun and Lord Lyndhurst.
In 1851 he married Helena Faucit, a well-known actress, and author of studies on '' Shakespeare's Female Characters'', whose ''Life'' he published in 1901. The couple lived for some time at Bryntysilio which he bought in 1861, near Llangollen, where in 1889 they were visited by the queen during her progress in Wales.
Martin kept up his intellectual activity into old age, published in 1905 a translation of Leopardi's poems, and '' Monographs'' (1906). He was Lord Rector of St. Andrews 1881, LL.D. of Edinburgh 1875, and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath 1880.
He died in 1909 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.
References
Sources
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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Theodore 1816 births 1909 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh Writers from Edinburgh Scottish poets Scottish biographers Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Burials at Brompton Cemetery Rectors of the University of St Andrews 19th-century poets