HALIFA X.

HE life of the Earl of Halifax was proper

Tly that of an artful and active dateien, employed in balancing parties, contriving expedients, and combating oppofition, and expofed to the viciffitudes of advancement and degradation : but in this collection, poetical merit is the claim to attention; and the account which is here to be expected may properly be proportioned not to his influence in the ftate, but to his rank among the writers of verfe.

Charles Montague was born April 16, 1661, at Horton in Northamptonshire, the fon of Mr. George Montague, a younger fon of the earl of Manchefter. He was educated firft in the country, and then removed to Westminster; where in 1677 he was chosen a king's scholar, and recommended himself to Busby by his felicity in extemporary epigrams. He contracted a very intimate friendship with Mr. Stepney; and in 1682, when Stepney was elected to Cambridge, the election of Montague being not to proceed till the year following, VOL. II. R

he

he was afraid left by being placed at Oxford he might be feparated from his companion, and therefore folicited to be removed to Cambridge, without waiting for the advantages of another year.

It feems indeed time to wifh for a removal; for he was already a school-boy of one and twenty.

His relation Dr. Montague was then master of the college in which he was placed a fellow commoner, and took him under his particular care. Here he commenced an acquaintance with the great Newton, which continued through his life, and was at last attested by a legacy.

In 1685, his verses on the death of king Charles made fuch impreffion on the earl of Dorset, that he was invited to town, and introduced by that univerfal patron to the other wits. In 1687, he joined with Prior in the City Moufe and Country Moufe, a burlefque of Dryden's Hind and Panther. He figned the invitation to the Prince of Orange, and fat in the convention. He about the same -time married the countefs dowager of Manchester, and intended to have taken orders; but afterwards altering his purpofe, he purchafed for 1500l. the place of one of the clerks of the council.

After he had written his epiftle on the victory of the Boyne, his patron Dorset introduced him to king William with this expreffion: Sir, I have brought a Moufe to wait on your Majesty. To which the king is faid to have replied, You do well to put me in the way of making a Man of him; and ordered him a penfion of five hundred pounds. This ftory, however current, feems to have been

made

made after the event. The king's answer implies a greater acquaintance with our proverbial and familiar diction than king William could poffibly have attained.

In 1691, being member in the house of commons, he argued warmly in favour of a law to grant the affiftance of counfel in trials for high treafon; and in the midst of his fpeech, falling into fome confufion, was for a while filent; but, recovering himself, obferved, "how reasonable it was to al"low counsel to men called as criminals before a "court of justice, when it appeared how much the "prefence of that affembly could difconcert one "of their own body."

After this he rofe faft into honours and employments, being made one of the commiffioners of the treasury, and called to the privy council. In 1694, he became chancellor of the Exchequer; and the next year engaged in the great attempt of the recoinage, which was in two years happily compleated. In 1696, he projected the general fund, and raised the credit of the Exchequer; and, after enquiry concerning a grant of Irish crownlands, it was determined by a vote of the commons, that Charles Montague, efquire, had deferved his Majesty's favour. In 1698, being advanced to the first commiffion of the treasury, he was appointed one of the regency in the king's abfence: the next year he was made auditor of the Exchequer; and the year after created baron Halifax. He was however impeached by the commons; but the articles were difmiffed by the lords.

At the acceffion of queen Anne he was dismisfed from the council; and in the first parliament of her reign was again attacked by the commons, and again escaped by the protection of the lords. In 1704, he wrote an answer to Bromley's speech against occafional conformity. He headed the Enquiry into the danger of the Church. In 1706, he proposed and negotiated the Union with Scotland; and when the elector of Hanover received the garter, after the act had paffed for securing the Proteftant Succeffion, he was appointed to carry the enfigns of the order to the electoral court. He fat as one of the judges of Sacheverell; but voted for a mild fentence. Being now no longer in favour, he contrived to obtain a writ for fummoning the electoral prince to parliament as duke of Cambridge.

At the queen's death he was appointed one of the regents; and at the acceffion of George the First was made earl of Halifax, knight of the garter, and first commiffioner of the treasury, with a grant to his nephew of the reverfion of the auditorship of the Exchequer. More was not to be had, and this he kept but a little while; for on the 19th of May, 1715, he died of an inflammation of his lungs.

Of him, who from a poet became a patron of poets, it will be readily believed that the works would not miss of celebration. Addison began to praise him early, and was followed or accompanied by other poets; perhaps by almost all, except Swift and Pope; who forbore to flatter him in his

life, and after his death spoke of him, Swift with flight cenfure, and Pope in the character of Bufo with acrimonious contempt.

He was, as Pope fays, fed with dedications; for Tickell affirms that no dedicator was unrewarded. To charge all unmerited praife with the guilt of flattery, and to suppose that the encomiaft always knows and feels the falfehood of his affertions, is furely to discover great ignorance of human nature and human life. In determinations depending not on rules, but on experience and comparison, judgement is always in fome degree fubject to affection. Very near to admiration is the wish to admire.

Every man willingly gives value to the praise which he receives, and confiders the sentence paffed in his favour as the fentence of difcernment. We admire in a friend that understanding that selected us for confidence; we admire more, in a patron, that judgement which, instead of scattering bounty indifcriminately, directed it to us; and, if the patron be an author, thofe performances which gratitude forbids us to blame, affection will easily dispose us to exalt.

To these prejudices, hardly culpable, interest adds a power always operating, though not always, because not willingly, perceived. The modesty of praise wears gradually away; and perhaps the pride of patronage may be in time fo increased, that modeft praife will no longer please.

Many a blandishment was practifed upon Halifax, which he would never have known, had he