Maurice Hewlett
Maurice Hewlett was an English writer born in 1861 in Surrey, England, to a literary family. His early life was marked by difficulty in school and personal struggles, but he found solace in Greek mythology and the poetry of John Milton. After leaving college without a degree, he briefly entered the legal profession before marrying Hilda Beatrice Herbert in 1888. Hewlett began his writing career at the age of thirty-six, producing a diverse body of work that included romance novels, poetry, short stories, and essays. His notable works include "The Forest Lovers," a medieval romance, and "Earthwork out of Tuscany," which reflects his travels in Italy. Hewlett's writing often explores themes of love, religion, and the complexities of human experience, showcasing his poetic style and psychological depth. Despite his initial success, his literary style eventually fell out of favor, leading to a decline in readership.
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Subject Terms
Maurice Hewlett
Author
- Born: January 22, 1861
- Birthplace: Oatlands Park, Weybridge, Surrey, England
- Died: June 15, 1923
Biography
Maurice Hewlett was born in 1861 in Surrey, England. His mother, Mary Emmeline Knowles, and his father, Henry Gay Hewlett, a prominent attorney, both came from literary families and influenced Hewlett’s career as a writer. A troubled child, he attended a variety of British schools and remained unhappy until he began the study of Greek mythology and the poetry of John Milton. He left college in 1878 without a degree and entered his cousin’s law practice, where he began to study antiquarian law. In 1888, he married Hilda Beatrice Herbert, with whom he had a son and a daughter. He became a lawyer in 1985.
Hewlett began writing at the age of thirty-six and soon achieved success. He was difficult to categorize because he wrote in a wide variety of genres: romance novels, historical romance, short stories, travel essays, poetry, and drama. He defined himself as a poet. His travels to Italy inspired two collections of poetry, A Masque of Dead Florentines(1895), and Songs and Meditations(1896). His book Earthwork out of Tuscanya collection of essays and short stories, was published in 1895. The first story in the collection, “A Sacrifice at Prato,” tells how a pagan, knowledgeable in Greek mythology, might interpret Roman Catholicism. “Of Boils and the Ideal” concerns a conversation between the writer and the Renaissance painter Il Perugino and points out the contradictions inherent in art and life.
Hewelett’s first novel, The Forest Lovers(1898), is a medieval romance following the adventures of a knight who marries Isoult La Desirous in an effort to save her life. The novel was popular and increased his confidence. However, nervous fatigue and an unfulfilling marriage led to a series of nervous breakdowns which resulted in the collapse of his marriage. His wife, Hilda, became one of the first female European road racers and the first Englishwoman to obtain a pilot’s license.
Thematically, Hewlett deals with man’s obsessive and divided quest for love and religion. He remains highly praised for his poetic style and literary cadence, especially in short stories, and for his psychological insights. His writing style, however, soon went out of style and Hewlett’s work ceased to be read.