HALIFAX.

'HE life of the earl of Halifax

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was properly that of an artful and active statesman, employed in balancing parties, contriving expedients, and com-bating oppofition, and expofed to the viciffitudes of advancement and degra dation 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

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 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, he was afraid left by being placed at Oxford he might be feparated from his companion, and therefore folicited to be removed

moved to Cambridge, without waiting for the advantages of another year.

It feems indeed time to wish for a. removal; for he was already a fchoolboy of one and twenty..

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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 last attefted by a Legacy.

In 1685, his verfes 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

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 fame time married the countefs dowager of Manchester, and intended to have taken orders; but afterwards altering his purpose, he purchased for 1500 ↳ the place of one of the clerks of the council.

After he had written his epiftle 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

a Man of him; and ordered him a pension of five hundred pounds. This ftory, however current, feems to have been made after the event. The king's anfwer 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 affistance of counsel 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 tò "men called as criminals before a court *of justice, when it appeared how

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