Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/807

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MONTGOMERY pension of 150 was bestowed on him by the queen. He was a liberal whig, and an ardent slavery abolitionist, and in his manhood reuni- ted himself with the Moravians. Besides the works mentioned, he published " The Pelican Island, and other Poems" (1827), and "Origi- nal Hymns" (1853); and in prose, "Lectures on Poetry and General Literature, delivered at the Royal Institution in 1830 and 1831" (1833). Collected editions of his poetical works were published in 6 vols. in 1836, 4 vols. in 1841 and 1855, and 1 vol. in 1850 and 1855. Memoirs, with correspondence and jour- nals (7 vols. 8vo, 1855-'6), were published by John Holland and James Everett. MONTGOMERY, Richard, an American general, born near Raphoe, Ireland, Dec. 2, 1736, killed in the attack on Quebec, Dec. 31, 1775. At the age of 18 he obtained a commission in the British army. He was at the siege of Louis- burg in 1758, distinguished himself in the ex- peditions against Martinique and Havana, and in 1763 revisited Europe. In 1772 he emi- grated to New York, married a daughter of Judge Robert R. Livingston, and in 1773 set- tled in Rhinebeck. In 1775 he represented Dutchess county in the provincial congress, and in the same year was appointed brigadier general in the army of the united colonies, and was attached as senior brigadier to the larger of the two divisions sent to Canada in the summer. The illness of Gen. Schuyler threw the command of the division upon Montgom- ery, who successively acquired possession of Chambly, St. John's, and Montreal, thereby becoming in the middle of November master of a great part of Canada. Effecting a junc- tion on Dec. 4 with Arnold's troops, he im- mediately took a position before Quebec. On Dec. 9 he was made a major general. It was determined to attempt to capture the place by a coup de main, and on Dec. 31, at 2 A. M., Montgomery headed the attack on the upper town. He reached the first barrier, which was quickly carried, pressed eagerly on to the second, and with his two aides fell dead at the first and only discharge by the British artil- lerymen, his troops retreating in disorder. Congress erected a monument to him in the front of St. Paul's church, New York. In 1818 the state of New York caused his remains to be removed and placed beneath the monument. MONTGOMERY, Robert, an English poet, born in Bath in 1807, died in Brighton, Dec. 3, 1855. He was the son of a theatrical clown named Gomery, and assumed the name of Montgomery. He early conducted " The Inspector," a weekly journal in Bath, and published "The Stage Coach," a poetical collection, " The Age Re- viewed, a Satire " (1827), " The Omnipresence of the Deity," his most popular poem, and a volume of miscellaneous verses (1828), and " Satan " (1829). In 1830 he entered Lincoln college, Oxford, and in 1835 became curate of Whittington, Shropshire. Subsequently he was minister of Percy street chapel, London, MONTHOLON 789 and for a time of St. Jude's chapel, Glasgow. He published numerous works in addition to those mentioned, prominent among which were a series of " Meditations " upon Scripture sub- jects. His poems, for a time immensely pop- ular, were subjected to a crushing criticism by Macaulay in the " Edinburgh Review " for April, 1830. MONTGOMERYSHIRE, a county of Wales, bor- dering on the counties of Denbigh, Salop (Eng- land), Radnor, Cardigan, and Merioneth ; area, 755 sq. m. ; pop. in 1871, 67,789. It consists mostly of wild, rugged, and sterile mountains, the highest of which is Plinlimmon, on the S. W. border of the county, its culminating peak, 2,481 ft. high, being just within the border of Cardiganshire. There are some fertile valleys, the best being that of the Severn, whose head waters traverse the county. The chief rivers, besides the Severn, are the Vyrnwy, Wye, and Dovey. In the districts bordering on England agriculture has made considerable progress. Copper, zinc, coal, and limestone are mined. The staple manufactures are flannels, and a species of cotton called " Welsh plains." Cap- ital, Montgomery. MONTH (Sax. mona, the moon), a period of time defined by one revolution of the moon around the earth, and hence equal to 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 seconds. This division of time, the lunar month, was used by the Chaldeans and Egyptians, and is still by the Jews, Turks, and many uncivilized nations, as the most distinctly marked period of the year. But if the year be made to comprise 12 of these months, the seasons will soon be found to fall back from those months to which they originally belonged, so that in 34 years each month would fall in each of the seasons. The civil year is divided into 12 months of an aver- age length of 30 days, 10 hours, and 30 min- utes. But these (called calendar months) are not equal, some (April, June, September, and November) consisting of 30, and the remain- der of 31 days, except February, to which only 28 days are assigned, with the addition in leap years (every fourth year) of one more day. In popular language a month is often understood to be four weeks. This is even laid down by Blackstone as the legal definition of the term, so that a lease for 12 months is only for 48 weeks ; but the expression " a twelvemonth " has been legally held to mean a solar year. In ecclesiastical and commercial matters, how- ever, month always means a calendar month; and this is generally the legal meaning of the word in all relations in the United States. MONTHOLON, or Montholon-Semonville, Charles Tristan, count and afterward marquis de, a French soldier, born in Paris, July 21, 1783, died Aug. 21, 1853. The son of a marquis, he became in 1798 a non-commissioned officer in a regiment of cavalry, and in less than two years reached the rank of chefcPescadron. He evinced great zeal in behalf of Bonaparte on the 18th Brumaire, and was afterward promo-