VOL. LVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 279 



Beni Israel, Road of the Children of Israel. After 20 hours travelling, at about 

 3 miles an hour, he passed, by an opening in the mountains on the right hand, 

 the mountains Maxatree. There are two more roads, one to tlie northward of 



don on their children for the smalt-pox. Lady Mary had the operation jserformed on her son ; from 

 which circumstance, and that of her letters on this subject, the practice first came to be adopted in 

 this country. From Westminster school, where he had been placed for his education, he ran away 

 three several times. Once, when he exchanged clothes with a chimney-sweeper, and for some 

 time followed that occupation. From which perhaps might arise the custom of his relatives, the 

 family of the Montagu's in Portman-square, London, of annually treating all the chimney-sweepers 

 of London with a feast on the 1st of May. Young Montagu next attached himself to a fisherman, 

 and cried flounders in Rotherliithe. He afterwards sailed as a cabin-boy to Spain ; where he soon 

 deserted the vessel, and hired himself to a driver of mules. After thus acting the vagabond for 

 some time, he was discovered by the English consul, and returned to his friends in England, who 

 received him with the joy of the father of the prodigal son. A private tutor was soon employed to 

 endeavour to recover those rudiments of learning which must have been greatly obliterated by such 

 a course of dissipation. He was afterwards sent to the West Indies, and after remaining there some 

 time, he returned to England ; and acting more conformably to his rank, he was elected and served 

 as a member in two successive parliaments. But his profuse expences involving him in embarras- 

 ments, he quitted his native country, and commenc-ed that wandering traveller be continued to the 

 time of his death. Having visited most of the eastern countries, he contracted a partiality for their 

 manners. He drank little wine; but a great deal of coffee; wore a long beard; smoked much ; 

 wore the Turkish habit, even when in Italy ; and sat cross-legged in (heir manner through choice, 

 and embraced the Mahometan religion. It would be endless to attempt the particulars of all the 

 characters he acted in the different countries he passed through : how he conversed with the nobles 

 in Germany, and served an apprenticeship in the science of horsemanship at their country-seats: 

 how he had been a labourer in the fields of Switzerland and Holland, and had not disdained the 

 humble professions of postillion and plowman ; how he assumed at Paris the ridiculous character of 

 a petit-maitre : how he was an abbot at Rome : put on at Hamburgh the Lutheran ruff, and with a 

 triple chin and a formal countenance, he dealt about him the word of God, so as to excite the envy 

 of the clergy ; acting, as he said, all the parts that Fielding has described in his Julian. — With the 

 Hebrew, the Arabic, the Chaldaic, and the Persian languages, he was as well acquainted as with 

 his native tongue. Besides two papers in the Philos. Trans, he published some other pieces : one on 

 the " Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire:" another on " The Causes of Earthquakes." 



Mr. M. had been early married to a person of no higher character than that of an industrious 

 washerwoman. As the marriage was solemnized in a frolic, he never deemed her sufficiently the 

 wife of his bosom to cohabit with her. Yet he was a perfect patriarch in his manners. He had 

 wives of all nations wherever he came. When in Egypt, he had his household of Egyptian females. 

 At Constantinople, the Grecian maids had charms to captivate this unsettled wanderer. In Spain a 

 Spanish brunette ; in Italy, the olive-complexioned female shared his embraces. At last, however, 

 hearing of the death of the original Mrs. M. the washerwoman, by whom there was no issue ; and 

 without male issue, a large estate would revert to the second son of Lord Bute; Mr. M. thinking 

 he owed the family no obligations, was determined if possible, to defeat their expectations. He 

 therefore resolved to return to England and marry. He acquainted a friend with his intentions j 

 and commissioned him to advertize for any decent young woman who might be in a pregnant state. 

 Several ladies answered it; and one was selected, as the most eligible object. She waited with 

 eagerness for the arrival of her expected bridegroom, who was however arrested on his journey by 

 the band of death. 



