Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 38.djvu/270

Montagu treasurership; then he would easily supply Charles with money for his pocket and his women, and lead him by the nose. A French astrologer in whom the king believed had been corrupted by Montagu that he might mould the king to his designs. 'He has neither conscience nor honour, and has several times told me that in his heart he despised you and your brother, and that for his part he wished with all his heart that the parliament would send you both to travel, for you were a dull, governable fool, and the duke a wilful fool. So that it were yet better to have you than him, but that you always chose a greater beast than yourself to govern you' (, Lives, ed. 1814, v. 372; Life of the Duchess of Cleveland, by G. Steinman-Steinman, p. 154; cf., ii. 143). Montagu hurried back to defend himself without waiting for leave to quit his post, and found himself struck out of the privy council (12 July 1678) and superseded as ambassador by the Earl of Sunderland. To secure immunity from further punishment and to retaliate on Danby, Montagu now entered into a negotiation with Barillon, the French ambassador, offering to cause Danby's fall within six months, on promise of a pension of forty thousand livres a year, or one hundred thousand crowns in hand (, i. 249). The proposal was accepted, and he then stood for the borough of Northampton, beat the government candidate, and prepared to accuse Danby in the House of Commons (, Debates, vi. 186). Danby resolved to be beforehand with his accuser, and on 19 Dec. 1678 the chancellor of the exchequer informed the house 'that his majesty having received information that his late ambassador in France, Mr. Montagu, had held several private conferences with the pope's nuncio there, has, to the end that he may discover the truth of the matter, given order for the seizing Mr. Montagu's papers.' But the house took up the cause of its member, and ordered the sequestered papers to be brought to Westminster and examined there. Montagu selected from them two letters in which Danby demanded six million livres from Louis XIV as the price of peace with France and the prorogation of parliament. Before the sitting closed it was voted by 179 to 116 votes that there was sufficient ground for the impeachment of the lord treasurer. And though Danby's defenders produced letters of Montagu's proving that he was equally guilty, parliament refused to pay any attention to the countercharge (ib. pp. 337-87;, Memoirs, ed. Cartwright, p. 155; Hist. MSS. Comm. 6th Rep. p. 389).

The dissolution of parliament (30 Dec. 1678) was a momentary check to Montagu's triumph. He was greatly afraid of being sent to the Tower, and 'swore he had no mind to eat meat of others dressing, where he must either eat poison or starve.' After lying concealed in London for three weeks, he endeavoured to escape to France in disguise, but was arrested at Dover, and obliged to give security not to leave the kingdom (, Letters, pp. 116-22; Hatton Correspondence, i. 170). According to Barillon this attempted flight to France was also part of a new intrigue. Montagu had taken up the cause of Monmouth, and hoped to induce Louis XIV to get him declared Prince of Wales by his father, urging that a disputed succession in England would be an advantage to France. Montagu was also Barillon's chief agent in his dealing with the English opposition. In these negotiations he was greatly aided by his sister, Anne Montagu, the wife of Sir Daniel Harvey. 'She is a woman of a bold and enterprising spirit,' wrote Barillon, 'and has interest and connections with a great number of persons of the court and parliament' (, i. 312, 341, 355). As deep in the political intrigues of the day as her brother, she was equally famous for her gallantries, and both were at this time members of the cabal which met at the Duchess of Mazarin's (, Louise de Keroualle, 1886, pp. 94, 138;, Court and Society from Elizabeth to Anne, i. 275). But in spite of his skill and unscrupulousness Montagu's schemes were far from successful. Barillon and his master refused to support the plan for Monmouth's elevation, though encouraging Montagu just enough to prevent Monmouth from losing altogether the hope of French protection (, i. 349). Shaftesbury repudiated the alliance offered him, saying that he had never had anything to do with Mr. Montagu, and never would (, Diary, ii. 13). He found great difficulty in obtaining the money which Barillon had promised him, and received in the end only fifty thousand out of the one hundred thousand crowns for which he had sold his services (, i. 334, 384). The ambassador reported in December 1680 that Montagu would willingly be reconciled with the court, 'and have a great place if it were possible' but the court showed no willingness to accept his terms (ib. p. 355;, Diary, ii. 11). Accordingly, when the exclusion movement failed, he thought it best to consult his own safety and retired to the continent.

In 1683 he was at Paris, where he vainly sought a private audience with Louis XIV and further payments for his past services