Turin, he wrote two letters to the earl of Macclesfield, which were read at the Royal Society, and afterwards published in a quarto pamphlet, entitled, "Observations upon a supposed antique bust at Turin." In the Philosophical Transactions are also, by him, "New Observations on Pompey's Pillar," and an account of his journey from Cairo in Egypt to the Written Mountains in the desarts of Sinai. It is said that he published "An Explication of the Causes of Earthquakes;" but it is not recollected where. His travels in the East occupied some years, and in the course of them he first abjured the protestant, for the Roman catholic religion, and then the latter for Mahometanism, all the rites and ceremonies of which he performed with a punctuality which inclines us to think that he was in some degree deranged. He died at length at Padua in May 1776, and was buried under a plain slab, in the cloister of the Hermitants, with an inscription recording his travels and his talents. The latter would have done honour to any character, but in him were obscured by a disposition which it would be more natural to look for in romance thap in real life.1 MONTAGUE (ELIZABETH), a learned and ingenious English lady, was the daughter of Matthew Robinson, esq. of West Layton, in Yorkshire, of Coveney, Cambridgeshire, and of Mount Morris in Kent, by Elizabeth daughter and heiress of Robert Drake, esq. She was born at York, Oct. 2, 1720, but lived, for some of her early years, with her parents at Cambridge, where she derived great assistance in her education from Dr. Conyers Middleton, whom her grandmother had taken as a second husband. Her uncommon sensibility and acuteness of understanding, as well as her extraordinary beauty as a child, rendered her an object of great notice and admiration in the university, and Dr. Middleton was in the habit of requiring from her an account of the learned conversations at which, in his society, she was frequently present; not admitting of the excuse of her tender age as a disqualification, but insisting, that although at the present time she could but imperfectly understand their meaning, she would in future derive great benefit from the habit of attention inculcated by this practice. Her father, a man of considerable intel 1 See many additional particulars, adventures, and eccentricities of this sin. gular character, in Mr. Nichols's History of Leicestershire and Life of Bowyer. lectual powers, and taste, was proud of the distinguished notice bestowed on his daughter, and contributed to increase in her the vivacity of wit with which she naturally abounded. In her early education, however, Mrs. Montague did not receive those strong impressions of the truth of divine revelation which she acquired at a later period, from her intimacy with Gilbert West and lord Lyttelton. It was reserved for the influence of the steady principles of Christianity, to correct the exuberant spirit of her genius, and to give the last touches of improvement to her character. She had early a love for society, and it was her lot to be introduced to the best. In 1742, she was married to Edward Montague, esq. of Deuton-hall in Northumberland and Sandleford priory in Berkshire, grandson of the first earl of Sandwich, and member of several successive parliaments for the borough of Huntingdon. By his connections and her own she obtained an extensive range of acquaintance, but selected as her especial friends and favoutes persons distinguished for taste and talents. By Mr.. Montague, who died without issue in 1775, she was left in great opulence, and maintained her establishment in the learned and fashionable world for many years with great eclat, living in a style of most splendid hospitality. She died in her eightieth year, at her house in Portman-square, Aug. 25, 1800. She had early distinguished herself as an author; first by "Three Dialogues of the Dead," published along with lord Lyttelton's: afterwards by her classical and elegant 66 Essay on the Genius and Writings of Shakspeare," in which she amply vindicated our great poet from the gross, illiberal, and ignorant abuse, thrown out against him by Voltaire. This is indeed a wonderful performance, as all, who will examine it impartially, must admit. It is a ridiculous supposition that she was assisted by her husband, whose talent lay in mathematical pursuits, which indeed absorbed the whole of his attention. Many years after she had received the approbation of all persons of critical taste on this performance, it fell into the hands of Cowper the poet, who, on reading it, says to his correspondent, "I no longer wonder that Mrs. Montague stands at the head of all that is called learned, and that every critic veils his bonnet to her superior judgment:"-" The learning, the good sense, the sound judgment, and the wit displayed in it, fully justify, not only my compliment, but all compliments that either have been already paid to her talents, or shall be paid hereafter." Few persons had seen more of life than Mrs. Montague, and of that part of mankind, who were eminent either for their genius or their rank; and for many years her splendid house in Portman-square was open to the literary world. She had lived at the table of the second lord Oxford, the resort of Pope, and his contemporaries; she was the intimate friend of Pulteney and Lyttelton; and she survived to entertain Johnson and Goldsmith, and Burke and Reynolds, till their respective deaths*. Dr. Beattie was frequently her inmate, and for many years her correspondent; and Mrs. Carter was, from their youth, her intimate friend, correspondent, and visitor. For the most learned of these she was a suitable correspondent and companion, as is evident from her letters, and was acknowledged by all who heard her conversation. It was, however, her defect that she had too great a regard to the manners and habits of the world, and damped her transcendant talents by a sacrifice to the cold dictates of worldly wisdom. Her understanding was as sound as her fancy was lively; her taste was correct and severe; and she penetrated the human character with an almost unerring sagacity; but her love of popularity, and her ambition of politeness, controuled her expressions, and concealed her real sentiments from superficial observers. Since her death four volumes of her epistolary correspondence have been published by her nephew and executor, Matthew Montague, esq.; and when the series shall be completed, a just idea may be formed of Mrs. Montague's genius and character, and the result, we may venture to predict, will be highly favourable. 1 * She formed a literary society, which, for some years, was the topic of much conversation, under the name of the "Blue Stocking Club." We have heard many accounts of the origin of the title, but believe it arose from the circumstance of a person excusing himself from going to one of its very early meetings, on account of his being in a deshabille, to which it was replied, "No particular regard to dress is necessary in an assembly devoted to the cultivation of the mind; so little attention, indeed, is paid to the dress of the parties, that a gentleman would not be thought very outré who should appear in blue stockings." This lady was, for many years, noticed for the benevolent peculiarity of giving an annual dinner on May-day to all the little climbing boys, apprentices to the chimney-sweepers of the metropolis. Perhaps her attention to these too frequently distressed children, led to those humane regulations, which, through the exertious of Mr. Jonas Hanway, were determined on by parliament. 1 Forbes's Life of Dr. Beattie.-Censura Literaria, vols. I. II. and III.-Gent. Mag. vol. LXX.-Hayley's Life of Cowper, and Boswell's of Johnson. MONTAIGNE, or MONTAGNE (MICHAEL DE), an eminent French writer, was born at the castle of Montaigne, in the Perigord, Feb. 8, 1533. His father, seigneur of Montaigne, and mayor of Bourdeaux, bestowed particular attention on his education, perceiving in him early proofs of talents that would one day reward his care. His mode of teaching him languages is mentioned as somewhat singular at that time, although it has since been frequently practised. He provided him with a German attendant, who did not know French, and who was enjoined to speak to him in Latin, and in consequence young Montaigne is said to have been a master of that language at the age of six years. He was taught Greek also as a sort of diversion, and because his father had heard that the brains of children may be injured by being roused too suddenly out of sleep, he caused him to be awakened every morning by soft music. All this care he repaid by the most tender veneration for the memory of his father. Filial piety, indeed, is said to have been one of the most remarkable traits of his character, and he sometimes displayed it rather in a singular manner. When on horseback he constantly wore a cloak which had belonged to his father, not, as he said, for con venience, but for the pleasure it gave him. "Il me semble m'envelopper de lui,"" I seem to be wrapped up in my father;" and this, which from any other wit would have been called the personification of a pun, was considered in Montaigne as a sublime expression of filial piety. At the age of thirteen he had finished his course of studies, which he began at the college of Bourdeaux, under Crouchy, the celebrated Buchanan, and Muret, all learned and eminent teachers, and his progress bore proportion to their care. Being designed for the bar by his father, he married the daughter of a counsellor of parliament at Bourdeaux, when in his thirty-third year, and for some time himself sustained that character, but afterwards abandoned a profession to which he probably was never cordially attached. His favourite study His favourite study was that of human nature, to pursue which he travelled through various parts of France, Germany, Swisserland, and Italy, making his observations on every thing curious or interesting in society, and receiving many marks of distinction. At Rome, in 1581, he was admitted a citizen; and the same year he was chosen mayor of Bourdeaux, and in this office gave such satisfaction to his fellow-citizens, that in 1582 they employed him in a special mission to court on important affairs, and after his mayoralty expired, they again elected him into the same office. In 1588 he appeared to advantage at the assembly of the states of Blois, and although not a deputy, took a share in their proceedings and cabals, During one of his visits at court, Charles IX. decorated him with the collar of the order of St. Michael, without any solicitation, which, when young, he is said to have coveted above all things, it being at that time the highest mark of honour among the French nobility, and rarely bestowed. Mon Returning afterwards to his family residence, he devoted himself to study, from which he suffered some disturbance during the civil wars. On one occasion a stranger presented himself at the entrance of his house, pretending that while travelling with his friends, a troop of soldiers had attacked their party, taken away their baggage, killed all who made resistance, and dispersed the rest. taigne, unsuspectingly, admitted this man, who was the chief of a gang, and wanted admittance only to plunder the house. In a few minutes two or three more arrived, whom the first declared to be his friends that had made their escape, and Montaigne compassionately made them welcome. Soon after, however, he perceived the court of his chateau filled with more of the party, whose behaviour left him in no doubt as to their intentions. Montaigne preserved his countenance unaltered, and ordered them every refreshment the place afforded, and presented this with so much kindness and politeness, that the captain of the troop had not the courage to give the signal for pillage. In his old age Montaigne was much afflicted with the stone and nephritic colic, but could never be prevailed upon to take medicines, in which he never had any faith. The physicians, he used to say, "know Galen, but they know nothing of a sick person;" and such was his confidence in the powers of nature, that he refused even a common purgative, when the indication was plain. He died Sept. 15, 1592, in his sixtieth year. His reputation is founded on his " Essays," which were at one time extremely popular, and which are still read with pleasure by a numerous class of persons. La Harpe says of him, "As a writer, he has impressed on our language (the French) an energy which it did not before pos |