430 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 210. 



year or the next became an aspirant for public 

 employment. The friendship of Newton and 

 Montague lasted until the death of the latter, 

 interrupted only by a coolness (on Newton's side 

 at least) in 1691, arising out of a suspicion in 

 Newton's mind that Montague was not sincere in 

 his intentions towards his friend. 



Catherine Barton (born 1680, died 1739) was 

 the daughter of Robert Barton and Newton's 

 half-sister, Hannah Smith (Baily's Flamsteed, Sup- 

 plement, p. 750.). Lieut.-Col. Barton, usually called 

 her husband, was her brother. The pedigrees 

 published by Turnor recognise this fact : Swift 

 distinctly states it, and Rigaud proves it in various 

 ways in letters to Baily, which lately passed 

 through my hands on their way to the Observatory 

 at Greenwich. The mistake ought never to have 

 been made, for Mrs. C. Barton (as she was usually 

 denominated) must, according to usage, have been 

 reputed single so long as her Christian name was 

 introduced. 



Mrs. C. Barton married Mr. Conduitt, then or 

 afterwards Newton's assistant, and his successor : 

 this marriage probably took place in 1718, the 

 year in which Newton introduced Conduitt into 

 the Royal Society. Among the Turnor memo- 

 rials of Newton, now in possession of the Royal 

 Society, is a watch having the inscription "Mrs. C. 

 Conduitt to Sir Isaac Newton, January, 1708." 

 This date cannot be correct, for Swift in 1710, 

 Halifax in 1712, Flamsteed in 1715, and Monmort 

 in 1716, call her Barton: all but Flamsteed were 

 intimate acquaintances. Any one who looks at 

 the inscription will see that it is not as old as the 

 watch : it is neither ornamented nor placed in a 

 shield or other envelope, while the case is beauti- 

 fully chased, and has an elaborate design, repre- 

 senting Fame and Britannia examining the por- 

 trait of Newton. Moreover, "Mrs. Conduitt" 

 would never have described herself as " Mrs. C, 

 Conduitt." 



Montague was not, so far as usual accounts 

 state, what even in our day would be called a 

 libertine. He married the Countess of Manchester 

 (the widow of a relative) before his entry into 

 public life, and was deeply occupied in party 

 politics and fiscal administration. I am told that 

 Davenant impugns his morals : this may be the 

 exception which proves the rule ; some of the 

 lampoons directed against the Whig minister are 

 preserved, and these do not attack his private 

 character in the matter under allusion, so far as I 

 can learn. 



All the cotemporary evidence yet adduced as 

 to the relation between Lord Halifax and Cathe- 

 rine Barton, is contained in one sentence in the 

 Life of the former, two codicils of his will, and 

 one allusion of Flamsteed's. The Life, with the 

 will attached, was appended to two different pub- 

 lications of the works of Halifax, in 1715 and 



1716. The passage from the Life is as follows 

 (p. 195.): 



" I am likewise to account for another Omission in 

 the Course of this History, which is that of the Death 

 of the Lord Halifax's Lady ; upon whose Decease his 

 Lordship took a Resolution of living single thence 

 forward, and cast his Eye upon the Widow of one 

 Colonel Barton, and Neice to the famous Sir Isaac 

 Newton, to be Super-intendent of his domestick Affairs. 

 But as this Lady was young, beautiful, and gay, so 

 those that were given to censure, pass'd a Judgment 

 upon her which she no Ways merited, since she was a 

 Woman of strict Honour and Virtue ; and tho' she 

 might be agreeable to his Lordship in every Particular, 

 that noble Peer's Complaisance to her, proceeded 

 wholly from the great Esteem he had for her Wit and 

 most exquisite Understanding, as will appear from what 

 relates to her in his Will at the Close of these Me- 

 moirs." 



This sentence is an insertion (the frst omission is 

 as far back as p. 64.). It speaks of Mrs. C. Barton 

 as if she were dead : and it is worthy of note that 

 this lady, who lived to communicate to Fontenelle 

 materials for his eloge of Newton, had excellent 

 opportunity, had it pleased her, to have contra- 

 dicted or varied any part of the account given by 

 Halifax's biographer ; and this without appearing. 

 The actual communication made to Fontenelle by 

 her husband, Mr. Conduitt, is in existence, and was 

 printed by Mr. Turnor ; it contains no allusion 

 to the subject. Farthei', it appears by the bio- 

 grapher's account that she had passed as a widow, 

 which is not to be wondered at : the Colonel 

 Barton who was the son of circumstances, must 

 have been created before her brother (who died 

 in 1711) attained such rank, perhaps before he 

 entered the army at all. 



The will gives very different evidence from that 

 for which it is subpoenaed: it is dated April 10, 

 1706. In the first codicil (dated April 12, 1706) 

 Lord Halifax leaves Mrs. Barton all his jewels 

 and 3000Z. " as a small token," he says, " of the 

 great love and affection I have long had for her," 

 In a second codicil (dated February 1, 1712) the 

 first codicil is revoked, and the bequest is aug- 

 mented to 5000/., the rangership, lodge, and 

 household furniture of Busliey Park, and the 

 manor of Apscourt, for her life. These are given, 

 says Lord Halifax, " as a token of the sincere love, 

 affection, and esteem, I have long had for her 

 person, and as a small recompense for the pleasure 

 and happiness I have had in her conversation." 

 In this same codicil "Mrs. Catherine Barton" is 

 described as Newton's niece, and 100/. is left to 

 Newton " as a mark of the great honour and 

 esteem I have for so great a man." The con- 

 cluding sentence of the codicil is as follows : 



" And I strictly charge and command my executor 

 to give all aid, help, and assistance to her in possessing 

 and enjoying what I have hereby given her ; and also 



