48 



MONTMARTRE MONTMORENCY. 



ndmired, but the plots were thought too tragic, and 

 Dramatic action was wanting. The murder of the 

 French ninlxissulor Basseville, at Rome, gave occa- 

 sion to the poem Basvilliunu, in which he closely imi- 

 tatt'^ 1 >nnte. This work, distinguished for the splen- 

 dour of some of its passages, gained him a well-deserv- 

 ed reputation. Two other poems, the Mnsagonia and 

 Ferottiade, are less known in their original form, for, 

 the French having soon after entered Home, the 

 author suppressed the first edition, and prepared a 

 second, in which the reproaches formerly directed 

 against Bonaparte and his army were levelled against 

 the allied princes. Monti was now appointed secretary 

 of the directory of the Cisalpine republic in Milan. 

 He was accused, indeed, jof having acted, on a mis- 

 sion to Romagna, the part of a new Verres ; but his 

 verses, in which he artfully flattered the existing 

 powers, kept him in office. The campaign of Suwa- 

 roff in Italy, in 1799, obliged him to flee to France. 

 The battle of Marengo restored him to Milan, where 

 he sung the Death of Mascheroni. This poem excit- 

 ed almost as much admiration as the Basvilliana, 

 but, as some satirical hits gave offence, he did not 

 finish it. He was scarcely appointed professor of 

 belles-lettres at the college of Brera when he receiv- 

 ed an invitation to Pavia, as professor of eloquence ; 

 but Napoleon appointed him historiographer of the 

 kingdom of Italy, with the charge of celebrating his 

 achievements. Accordingly the poet composed his 

 Bardo delta Selva nera, of which six cantos appeared 

 in 180G. This very singular work met with strong 

 disapprobation, against which Monti attempted a 

 vindication, in a letter to Bettinelli. He then went 

 to Naples to join Joseph Bonaparte, where he pub- 

 lished the seventh canto of the Bardo, which was re- 

 ceived with no more approbation. His tragedy Cafo 

 Gracco likewise found little favour, as also some 

 musical dramas. The poetry was considered as too 

 close an imitation of Dante, though not without many 

 Ijeauties. Monti now translated the Satires of Juve- 

 nal, and (without, as he confessed himself, under- 

 standing Greek) the Iliad of Homer. In 1815, he 

 composed for the city of Milan a cantata in honour of 

 the emperor Francis. He died in October, 1828. 

 Monti cannot be denied the praise of great poetic 

 talent ; his countrymen called him i7 Dante engenti- 

 lito. His Proposta di alcune Correzioni ed Aggiunte 

 al Vocabolario della Crusca contains a treasure of 

 critical and lexicographical information on the Ita- 

 lian language. A complete edition of his works, with 

 a notice of his life, has been announced by Bis daugh- 

 ter. 



MONTMARTRE ; a village and height near 

 Paris, rendered celebrated in recent history by the 

 military events of which it was the theatre during 

 the two occupations of the French capital by the 

 allied forces. According to some, it derives its name 

 (Mons Martis) from a temple of Mars which formerly 

 stood on its summit ; it was afterwards called Mons 

 Mercurii (probably because the temple was convert- 

 ed to his service); and, at a later period, in conse- 

 quence of the death of St Denis and his disciples 

 here, it acquired the name of Mons Martyrum ; and 

 a chapel took the place of the heathen temple. In 

 the war with Lothaire (978), the chronicles relate 

 that Otho II., emperor of Germany, caused a halle- 

 lujah to be chanted by the monks from the heights 

 of Montmartre, with such a power of lungs as to 

 terrify all Paris. In 1096, Bouchard de Montmor- 

 ency, to whom it belonged, founded a convent of 

 monks here, which, in 1133, was converted into a 

 nunnery by queen Adelaide (wife of Louis le Gros). 

 This abbey afterwards became noted for the dissolute 

 manners of its inmates. Henry IV., during the 

 iege of Paris, fixed his headquarters here. When 



the allies entered France, in 1814, Napoleon caused 

 the heights to be fortified ; and about 15,000 men 

 defended it a whole day against 40,000 of the allied 

 troops. Montmartre was again fortified in 1815, 

 but was not attacked. It affords a good view of the 

 capital, and is occupied by country-seats and several 

 charitable institutions and manufactories. Large 

 quantities of plaster of Paris are obtained from its 

 quarries. 



MONTMIRAIL, BATTLE OF, in 1814. See 

 Chatillon. 



MONTMORENCY, or ENGHIEN ; a village 

 about nine miles from Paris, situated on a rising ground, 

 which overlooks the celebrated valley of Montmor- 

 ency.on the borders of the forest of the same name. In 

 this beautiful valley is the hermitage where Rousseau 

 wrote his Emile, and his Nouvelle Helo'ise, and which 

 was afterwards occupied by Gretry. The garden at- 

 tached to it contains a bust of the former, and a mar- 

 ble monument to the memory of the latter. Mont- 

 morency is now a watering-place, containing sul- 

 phureous springs, which supply 400 baths a day. 

 The vicinity affords agreeable walks. 



MONTMORENCY, ANNE DE, peer, marshal, and 

 constable of France, born in 1 493, one of the greatest 

 generals of the sixteenth century, distinguished him- 

 self under Francis I. in the wars against Charles V., 

 and followed his sovereign to Italy, where he was 

 made prisoner with him at the battle of Pavia (1525), 

 which was fought against his advice. Francis con- 

 ferred on him the dignity of constable in 1538, on 

 account of his important public services. He after- 

 wards, however, lost the favour of the king, on 

 account of his having advised him to trust to the 

 professions of Charles, who, while in France, promised 

 the restoration of Milan. In the reign of Henry II., 

 Montmorency recovered his former influence, but, 

 owing to the hatred of Catharine of Medici, lost his 

 consideration in the reign of Francis II. The risings 

 of the Huguenots occasioned his recall to the court 

 of Charles IX., and he joined the duke of*Guise in 

 opposition to Conde, who was at the head of the 

 Protestants. The consequence was a civil war, which 

 broke out in 1562. In the battle of Dreux, Mont- 

 morency was made prisoner by the Huguenots, and 

 Conde was captured by the royal troops. The 

 former was liberated the next year, and in the second 

 civil war gained a decisive victory over the Hugue- 

 nots, November 10, 1567, but died of the wounds 

 received in the action, at the age of seventy-four 

 years. 



MONTMORENCY, HENRY II., duke de, born 

 1595, was in his eighteenth year created admiral of 

 France. After having defeated the Calvinists in 

 Languedoc, and taken from them several strong 

 places, he gained a victory over them by sea, near 

 the island of Re, which fell into his hands. In 1628, 

 he gained decisive advantages over the duke de 

 Rohan, leader of the Huguenots. During the wiir 

 against Mantua, in 1630, he held the chief command 

 in Piedmont, and defeated the Spaniards under Doria, 

 although they were superior to him in number. 

 This victory was followed by the relief of Casale, 

 and his services were rewarded with the marshal's 

 baton. Montmorency now thought himself powerful 

 enough to brave the influence of Richelieu, and, with 

 Gaston, duke of Orleans, who was equally dissatis- 

 fied with the cardinal, raised the standard of rebellion 

 in Languedoc. La Force and Schomberg were sent 

 against them ; they met at Castelnaudary.and Mont- 

 morency, who, to inspirit his men, had thrown him- 

 self into the royal ranks, was wounded and made 

 prisoner. Gaston remained inactive. All France, 

 mindful of his services, his virtues, and his victories, 

 desired that the rigour of the laws might be softened in 



