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ORIGINAL DEDICATION

то

EDWARD WORTLEY MONTAGUE, ESQ.

SIR,

WHEN I send you this volume, I am rather to make you a request than a Dedication. I must

a Second son of the hon. lady Wortley Montague, and grandson of Edward Montague, the first earl of Sandwich. He was chosen a member of Parliament for Huntingdon in the 4th year of queen Anne; and in all other parliaments but two to the end of her reign. On the accession of George I. he was constituted one of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury; and being sent ambassador-extraordinary to the Grand Signior, he set out for Vienna, Jan. 27, 1716, and proposed to be at Peterwaradin in eight days; and having finished his negotiations, he, with his lady, arrived at Leghorn, Aug. 22, 1718, in the Preston man of war, from Constantinople, and sailed the next day for Toulon; and travelling through France, arrived in England, and waited on his Majesty at Hampton-court, Oct. 4th following, and was graciously received. In the first parliament called by king Geo. I. he was chosen for the city of Westminster, and afterwards served for Huntingdon, and was a member for the city of Peterborough, when he died, Jan. 22, 1761, aged 80 years. He married the lady Mary Pierrepont, eldest daughter to his grace Evelyn duke of Kingston, and by her (who died

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desire, that if you think fit to throw away any moments on it, you would not do it after reading those excellent pieces with which you are usually conversant. The images which you will meet with here will be very faint, after the perusal of the Greeks and Romans, who are your ordinary companions. I must confess I am obliged to you for the taste of many of their excellences, which I had not observed until you pointed them to me. I am very proud that there are some things in these Papers which I know you pardon; and it is no small pleasure to have one's labours suffered by the judgment of a man, who so well understands the true charms of eloquence and poesy. But I direct this address to you; not that I think I can entertain you with my Writings, but to thank you for the new delight I have, from your conversation, in those of other men.

May you enjoy a long continuance of the

August 21, 1762), he had issue an only son Edward-Wortley Montague, who was representative in three parliaments for Bossiney in Cornwall; and a daughter Mary, married to John Stuart, earl of Bute, Aug. 24, 1736.

b This seems to amount to a declaration that Edward Wortley Montague, esq. was himself a writer in these papers.

The wife of this gentleman, an uncommonly fine woman, of very superior understanding, lady Mary Wortley Montague, the celebrated authoress of a little volume of excellent poems and several volumes of curious letters, for many years survived her husband. He died, it is said, very suddenly,

true relish of the happiness heaven has bestowed upon you. I know not how to say a more af

without being able to alter his will, as he intended, in favour of his son, an extraordinary and ingenious man, author of the Reflections on the Rise and Fall of Ancient Republics,' &c. This son was a wanderer from his early youth, and lived long in singular ways, and a variety of situations, greatly unknown, estranged from his family. He had returned, and was reconciled to his father some years before the old gentleman's death; but in that time, or soon after, he unfortunately offended his mother irreconcileably, for she cut him off with a shilling from all the inheritance which she had it in her power to leave him. Mr. Monfague was abroad when he received his mother's legacy, which he gave, with great gaiety of heart, to the friend from whom the writer received this information. By these accidents a vast estate came to lord Bute, who married their daughter. Nevertheless, this generous nobleman ceded to his brother-in-law much more than he could have possibly obtained, and even more than he could have claimed by litigation. Mr. Montague had, it is said, very accommodating principles, and a fine constitution for travelling. It had been abundantly exercised in this way before; but the last fourteen years of his life, more or less, were entirely spent in foreign parts, where he became enamoured of the dress and manners of Arabia, to which he conformed to the end of his life. Before that time he has been heard to say, not unfrequently, that he had long since drank his full share of wine and strong liquors; and that he had never once been guilty of a small folly in the whole course of his life. This writer has been told, that on his return, in his passage from Marseilles to England, he was choaked with the bone of a fig-bird, leaving several widows behind him; but he is very certain, and can affirm on good authority, that the advertisement which appeared about that

fectionate thing to you, than to wish that you may be always what you are; and that you may ever think, as I know you now do, that you have a much larger fortune than you want.

I

am,

SIR,

Your most obedient and most humble servant,

ISAAC BICKERSTAFF.

time in the public prints, promising an honourable and advantageous marriage to any pregnant woman of good character, had not, as was reported, any respect to Mr. Montague, and was not inserted by any agent whom he employed. C.

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