Page:Imperialdictiona03eadi Brandeis Vol3a.pdf/483

MON October, 1828. His early studies completed, his father destined him for agricultural pursuits, and amid country sounds and silence Vincenzo nourished his love for the Latin poets. In 1776 his "Visione d'Ezechiello," composed in praise of a Ferrarese preacher, was published, and then for the first time, as he informs us, he enjoyed the petty youthful gratification (la miserabile gioranil compiacenza) of seeing his name in print. Having obtained his father's reluctant consent, he exchanged the narrower home sphere for Rome, in the suite of Cardinal Borghese. There in 1780 his "Cantica sulla Bellezza dell Universo" attracted the notice of Don Luigi Braschi, who engaged him as secretary. The title of abate, involving neither vows nor clerical functions, now gave Monti entrance into the most fashionable circles. He penned verses, sacred, amatory, and courtly; was presented to Pope Pius VI., and charmed with his reception; and in honour of that pontiff's works for the reclamation of the Pontine territory, commenced "La Feroniade," a poem which he continued to elaborate even in his latter days. His first tragedy, "Aristodemo," performed in January, 1787, won for him the applause of Rome and the hand-shake of Göthe. In the same year appeared his "Sonetto Colla Coda," in which he lashes certain opponents, holding them up by name to public contempt. The year 1788 produced a second tragedy, "Galeotto Manfredi," said to be of the school of Shakspeare, whose admirable genius Monti reverenced; but perhaps few English readers will acknowledge in it any echo of that mighty master's voice. The character of Ubaldo has been conjectured as intended to pourtray his own. In June, 1793, he had ready the first and second cantos of "La Basvilliana," a poem founded on the then recent assassination of Hugo de Basseville, probably written to clear himself of the imputation of French partisanship, and in a subsequent phase of his political career recanted as a wretched rhapsody (una miserabile rapsodia). In 1795 he married Theresa Pikler, daughter of the well-known gem engraver. In 1797 Monti accompanied General Marmont to Florence, and published the first canto of "Il Prometeo," dedicated to the citizen Bonaparte. Under the ephemeral Cisalpine republic Monti held office, and at its fall fled destitute towards France, mitigating the pangs of hunger by eating wayside berries, and dividing his last two coins with a stranger yet more necessitous. In 1800 he returned to Milan, an event recorded in the lines beginning "Bella Italia, amate sponde;" and before this was penned his noted sonnet against England, "Luce ti nieghi il sol, erba la terra." In 1804 his "Teseo" paid a tribute to Napoleon as the Decius of Marengo; and, under the conquerer, as court poet, decorated with the orders of the legion of honour and of the iron crown, he enjoyed days of worldly prosperity, though full of peril to his political consistency, a danger felt and acknowledged by himself. "La Ierogamia di Creta" celebrates the nuptials of Napoleon and Maria Louisa; "Le Api Panacridi," the birth of the king of Rome; but in 1815 "Il Mistico Omaggio" equally records the oath of fealty proffered by Lombardy to Archduke John of Austria. After so many vicissitudes the old age of Monti lapsed peacefully in a modest second floor in the Via San Giuseppe, Milan, varied by the country house of a friend. In his last illness he called for and received the consolations of a religion to which he had too long done despite, thus giving rise to reports at once contradictory and false, which he thought proper publicly to refute in the Gazzetta di Milano, 6th September, 1827, appealing alike for himself and for others to His judgment, who alone has power to pronounce upon the conscience.—C. G. R.  MONTLUC,, Seigneur de, Marshal of France, born at the chateau of Montluc about 1502. His family was one of the most illustrious of Guienne; but his revenue was quite insufficient to support the paternal dignity, and he entered the service of the duke of Lorraine. He took part under the duke of Guise in the religious wars of the time, and afterwards distinguished himself in the French war of Italy; but was always noted for the cruelties of his disposition, and the remorseless barbarities he practised on his opponents. In 1564 he was appointed lieutenant-general to the government of Guienne, and in that province he exercised the utmost severity against the Huguenots. Instead of being known as a gallant warrior, he earned the title of the "royalist butcher." In 1570 he received a ball which passed through both cheeks, carried away part of his nose, and compelled him to wear a mask all the rest of his life. This was at the siege of Rabasteins, and he took deadly revenge by giving up the inhabitants to the sword. He was superseded by Marshal Villars, but took part in the siege of Rochelle in 1573, which was his last military service. He retired to his estate near Agen, and died there in 1577. He there prepared his "Commentaries" in seven books, afterwards published as his memoirs. The first four embrace the period from 1519 to 1559; the other three belong to the reign of Charles IX.—P. E. D.  MONTMORENCI,. Constable of France, was born at Chantilly in 1493, and died at Paris on the 12th November, 1567, at the age of seventy-four. Queen Anne, wife of Louis XII., was his godmother, and from her he derived his name. The young prince, afterwards Francis I., was a year younger than himself, and with him Montmorenci was intimately allied from early youth. His military career was commenced in Italy, where he saw Gaston de Foix find victory and death. At the defence of Mezières in 1521 he was second to Bayard; and when the count of Egmont challenged the bravest man of the garrison, Montmorenci appeared to answer the call in the field of knightly honour. Lance in hand he overcame his antagonist, and returned victorious from one of the last exhibitions of mediæval chivalry. In 1522 he received rank as marshal of France, shortly after executing a mission to the king of England. He then passed to Provence and obliged the Constable de Bourbon to raise the siege of Marseilles, and to evacuate the territory. He firmly opposed the advance of Francis I. into Italy, and before the battle of Pavia was excluded from the council of war. In that disastrous conflict he attempted to turn the day; but all his efforts were unavailing, and Francis was taken prisoner. Montmorenci would have shared the prison of his king; but thinking that he could be of more use in France, he procured his ransom and laboured loyally to release his monarch. After this period the services of Montmorenci were of the utmost importance to France, and may almost be said to have saved the kingdom. In 1538 he was appointed constable of France, and so high was his reputation with foreign powers that monarchs sent presents to him almost as if he had been a royal personage. In his own country he was not so fortunate. From circumstances, not clearly explained however, he fell for a time under the displeasure of the court, and it was only after the death of Francis I., in 1547, that he regained the dignities he had won. On the accession of Henry II. he was reinstated and appointed to command an army against the inhabitants of Bordeaux and Guienne, who had revolted against the gabelle. In this war he was taken prisoner, and thenceforth his political fortune appears to have diminished. During the reign of Francis II. he was compelled to seek retirement, but once more appeared at court when Charles IX. ascended the throne. His military talents were then directed against the Huguenots; and while engaged in this service, at a conflict on the plains of St. Denis on the 10th November, 1567, he was fatally wounded by a Scotsman named Robert Stuart. His wish was to die on the field of battle, but he was taken to Paris and expired two days afterwards. To the monk who attended his last hours he said, "Do you think that a man who has been able to live seventy years with honour, does not know how to give a quarter of an hour to death?"—P. E. D.  MONTMORENCI,, Duc de, was the second of the five sons of the Constable Anne de Montmorenci and of Madeline of Savoy, and was born at Chantilly in 1534. During the life of his father he bore the name of Damville. His first campaign was in Germany; and he served at the siege of Metz, at that time invested by Charles V. of Spain. He afterwards went to Piedmont; returned to France in 1557; was graciously received by his godfather, Henry III., and rewarded with the collar of St. Michael, although only twenty-four years of age. Soon after he married a grand-daughter of the duchess of Valentinois. During the civil war, his brilliant courage led to his nomination as admiral of France. At the battle of Dreux in 1562 he took the Prince De Condé prisoner; the following year was made governor of Languedoc and marshal of France, and in 1567 he was present at the battle of St. Denis. Cardinal Lorraine fearing that the gallant house of Montmorenci might interfere with the ambitious projects he had formed for the advancement of his own relatives, endeavoured to poison the mind of Catherine de Medicis against the family. Henri and his brothers would probably have fallen on the black night of St. Bartholomew, had not the eldest quitted Paris and given the rest timely warning. Henri retired to Languedoc; but on the return of King Henry III. from Poland, he was 