MEMOIR

OF

LADY MARY WORTLEY MONTAGU,

PREFIXED TO MR. DALLAWAY'S EDITION OF HER WORKS,
AND WRITTEN BY HIM.

LADY MARY PIERREPONT was the eldest daughter of Evelyn Duke of Kingston, and the Lady Mary Fielding, daughter of William Earl of Denbigh. (1) She was born at Thoresby, in Nottinghamshire, about the year 1690, and lost her mother in 1694. The first dawn of her genius opened so auspiciously, that her father resolved to cultivate the advantages of nature by a sedulous attention to her early instruction. A classical education was not usually given to English ladies of quality, when Lady Mary Pierrepont received one of the best. (2) Under the same preceptors as Viscount Newark, her brother, she acquired the elements of the Greek, Latin and French languages with the greatest success. When she had made a singular proficiency, her studies were superintended by Bishop Burnet, who fostered her superior talents with every expression of dignified praise. Her translation of the Enchiridion of Epictetus received his emendations. (3) For so complete an improvement of her mind she was much indebted to uninterrupted leisure and recluse habits of life. Her time was principally spent at Thoresby and at Acton, near London; and her society confined to a few friends, among whom the most confidential appears to have been Mrs. Anne Wortley, (4) a lady of sense

(1) Lady Mary had two sisters: Lady Frances, who married John Eres kine of Mar, and Lady Evelyn, the wife of John Leveson Lord Gower. (2) Vide Introductory Anecdotes, p. 37.

(3) Preserved with her other MSS. Epictetus has been transl ated by another English classical lady, Mrs. Carter.

(4) This is a mistake; Mrs. Anne Wortley was sister, not mother, to Mr. Wortley. Vide Introductory Anecdotes, p. 37.

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and spirit, the heiress of the Wortley estate in Yorkshire. She was the wife of the Honourable Sidney Montagu, second son of the heroic Earl of Sandwich, who died in the arms of victory during the memorable battle of Solebay, in the reign of Charles the Second.

In this intimacy originated her connexion with Edward Wortley Montagu, Esq. the eldest son of the lady above mentioned. After a correspondence of about two years they were privately married by special licence, which bears date August 12, 1712. He had received a classical education, and had travelled trough Germany to Venice, in 1703, where he remained about two years. For more than three years after their marriage, as the Duke of Kingston and Mr. Sidney Montagu were both living, their establishment was limited; (1) and Lady Mary resided chiefly at Warncliffe Lodge, near Sheffield, where her son Edward Wortley Montagu was born; and his father was principally engaged in London, in his attendance upon his parliamentary duties, and his political friends. (2) In his cousin Charles Montagu Mr. Wortley found an able patron, who, as he was the universal protector of men of genius, was strictly associated with Addison and Steele. The temper of Addison did not admit of unreserved intimacy, and Mr. Wortley had not to regret that any man was favoured with a greater share of his friendship than himself.

Mr. Wortley was possessed of solid rather than of brilliant parts. (3) The soundness of his judgment and the gracefulness of his oratory commanded the attention of the House of Commons, where he distinguished himself as having introduced several bills, which were formed on a truly patriotic basis. On the 5th of February 1708, he brought in a bill" for the naturalization of foreign protestants;" January 25, 1709, "for limiting the number of officers in the House of Commons, and for securing the freedom of parliament ;" and another, December 21, "for the encouragement of learning, and the securing the property of copies of books to the right owners thereof." The second of these bills was agitated for five successive years, till 1713, when it was finally lost. Several of his speeches, in which his knowledge of parliamentary business is distinguishable, are still extant. (4) Of his intimacy and correspondence

(1) This is a mistake. Vide Introductory Anecdotes, p. 47.

(2) Mr. Wortley, at different periods of life, represented in parliament the cities of Westminster and Peterborough, and the boroughs of Huntingdon and Bossiney.

(3) Vide Introductory Anecdotes, p. 4.

(4) In the Parliamentary Register and the Gentleman's Magazine.

with Mr. Addison, subjoined letters, selected from many, are a sufficient evidence.

"TO EDWARD WORTLEY MONTAGU, ESQ.

"DEAR SIR, Being very well pleased with this day's Spectator, I cannot forbear sending you one of them, and desiring your opinion of the story in it. When you have a son I shall be glad to be his Leontine, (1) as my circumstances will probably be like his. I have within this twelvemonth lost a place of 20001. per annum, an estate in the Indies of 14,000l., and, what is more than all the rest, my mistress. Hear this, and wonder at my philosophy. I find they are going to take away my Irish place from me too; to which I must add, that I have just resigned my fellowship, and the stocks sink every day. If you have any hints or subjects pray send me a paper full. Ilong to talk an evening with you." I believe I shall not go for Ireland this summer, and perhaps would take a month with you, if I knew where. Lady Bellasise is very much your humble servant. Dick Steele and I often remember you. "I am, dear sir, yours eternally, etc. "July 21, 1711.”

"TO JOSEPH ADDISON, ESQ.

J. ADDISON.

Wortley, July 28, 1711. "NOTWITHSTANDING your disappointments, I had much rather be in your circumstances than my own. The strength of your constitution would make you happier than all who are not equal to you in that, though it contributed nothing towards those other advantages that place you in the first rank of men. Since my fortune fell to me I had reason to fancy I should be reduced to a very small income; I immediately retrenched my expenses, and lived for six months on fifty pounds as pleasantly as ever I did in my life, and could have lived for less than half than sum, and often entertained myself with the speech of Ofellus, in the second satire of the second book, and still think no man of understanding can be many days unhappy, if he does not want health: at present I take all the care I can to improve mine. This air is as proper for that as any I know, and we are so remote from all troublesome neighbours and great towns, that a man can think of nothing long but country amusements, or his books; and if you would change the course of your thoughts, you will scarce fail of effecting it here. (1) Spectator, No. CXXIII. v. ii.

you

I am in some fear I shall be forced to town for four or five days, and then we may come down together; if I stay I shall let know it in a week or ten days, and hope to see you very soon. You were never in possession of any thing you love but After I your places, and those you could not call your own. had read what you say about them, I could not take pleasure in the Spectator you sent, but thought it a very good one. In two months, or a little more, I think I must go the Newcastle journey. You told me you should like it; if you do not, perhaps we may contrive how you may pass your time here. I am not sure we shall easily have leave to lodge out of this house; but we may eat in the woods every day, if you like it, and nobody here will expect any sort of ceremony.

Yours ever,

EDWARD WORTLEY MONTAGU."

Upon the death of Queen Anne, in 1714, Charles Montagu, who had been sent on an embassy to the Elector of Hanover, whose seat in the House of Lords, as Duke of Cambridge, he had solicited, was immediately distinguished by the new sovereign, George the First, and created Earl of Halifax. To the high honour of the Order of the Garter was added the important and lucrative appointment of First Lord of the Treasury. Mr. Wortley was now a confidential supporter of administration, and became one of the commissioners (October 13, 1714); which circumstance introduced him to the court of George the First, and occasioned Lady Mary to quit her retirement at Warncliffe. Her first appearance at St. James's was hailed with that universal admiration, which beauty, enlivened by wit, incontestably claims; and while the tribute of praise, so well merited, was willingly paid in public to the elegance of her form, the charms of her conversation were equally unrivalled in the first private circles of the nobility. She was in habits of familiar acquaintance with Addison and Pope, who contemplated her uncommon genius, at that time, without envy. How enthusiastic an admirer of Lady Mary was Mr. Pope, (1) the whole of their correspondence, given in this edition, will sufficiently evince, while it reflects indelible disgrace on his subsequent conduct.

In the year 1716, the embassy to the Porte became vacant, and as the war between the Turks and Imperialists raged with almost incredible violence, the other powers of Europe were ardently desirous of a mediation between them. Mr. Wortley resigned his situation as a Lord of the Treasury; and his ap

(1) Upon this subject, and the subsequent quarrel between Lady Mary and Pope, vide Introductory Anecdotes, p. 66.