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HE life of the Earl of Halifax was properly that of an artful and active ftatefman, employed in balancing parties, contriving expedients, and combating oppofition, and exposed 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 Manchester. He was educated KAJAH

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firft in the country, and then removed to Weftminster, where, in 1677, he was chofen a king's fcholar, 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 at Cambridge, the election of Montague being not to proceed till the year following, 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.

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It seems indeed time to wifh for a removal; for he was already a school-boy of oneand-twenty. Biv

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His relation, Dr. Montague, was then mafter 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 laft

attefted by a legacy.

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In 1685, his verfes on the death of king Charles made fuch impreffion on the earl of Dorfet, 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 the Country Moufe, a burlesque of Dryden's Hind and Panther. He figned the invitation to the Prince of Orange, and fat in the convention. He about the fame time married the countefs dowager of Manchester, and intended to have taken orders; but afterwards altering his purpofe, he purchased for 1500l. the place of one of the clerks of the council.

After he had written his epistle on the victory of the Boyne, his patron Dorfet introduced him to king William with this expreffion: Sir, I have brought a Moufe to "wait on your Majefty." To which the king is faid to have replied, "You do well "to put me in the way of making a Man. "of him m;" and ordered him a penfion of five hundred pounds. This ftory, however current, feems to have been made after the event. The king's anfwer implies a greater

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acquaintance with our proverbial and familiar diction than king William could poffibly have attained.

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

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After this he rofe faft into honours and employments, being made one of the commiffioners of the treafury 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 re-coinage, which was in two years happily completed. In 1696, he projected the general A bovisoen

* This anecdote is related by Mr. Walpole, in his Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors, of the Earl of Shafterbury, author of the Characteristics. R.

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fund, and raifed the credit of the exchequer ; and, after enquiry concerning a grant of Irish crown-lands, it was determined by a vote of the commons, that Charles Montague, efquire, had deferved his Majefty's favour. In 1698, being advanced to the first commiffion of the treafury, he was appointed one of the reo 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 com-. mons; but the articles were difmiffed by the lords.

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At the acceffion of queen Anne he was difmiffed 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. -tan answer to Bromley's fpeech against occafional conformity. He headed the Enquiry rinto the danger of the Church. In 1706, -the propofed and negociated the Union with Scotland; and when the elector of Hanover received the garter, after the act had paffed for fecuring the Proteftant Succeffion, he was appointed to carry the enfigns of the order to the electoral court. He fat as one of the

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