Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/809

MONTMORENCY 791 3,000 men and 65 cannon, to Gen. von Ka- meke, the Prussian commander. MONTOOBENCT, a N. E. county of the S. peninsula of Michigan, watered by Black and Thunder Bay rivers ; area, 576 sq. m. ; return- ed as having no population in 1870. The sur- face consists of rolling table lands ; the climate is severe, and the soil not fertile. MONTMORENCY, an E. county of Quebec, Canada, bounded S. E. by the St. Lawrence, and drained by the Montmorency and St. Anne rivers; area, 2,183 sq. in.; pop. in 1871, 12,- 085, of whom 11,602 were of French origin or descent. It has an uneven surface and fer- tile soil. The isle of Orleans in the St. Law- rence river is included in the county. Capital, Chateau Richer. MONTMORENCY, or Montniorenei, a river of the rovince of Quebec, Canada, which rises in now lake, Montmorency co., and flowing S. empties into the St. Lawrence, about 8 m. be- low Quebec. Just above its mouth it falls over a nearly perpendicular precipice a distance of 250 ft., with a width of 50 ft. About H m. above the falls the river has worn a series of natural steps in the limestone rock. At the foot of the falls a cone of ice is formed every winter, sometimes 200 ft. high. The falls of Montmorency are much resorted to by tourists and visitors from Quebec, and the drive to them from the city is very beautiful. MONTMORENCY, a town of France, in the de- partment of Seine-et-Oise, 7 m. N. of the en- ceinte of Paris ; pop. about 3,500. It is on a hill commanding a fine view. There is a hand- some Gothic church of the 14th or 15th cen- tury. The place is celebrated from the house near it called 1'Ermitage, in which Jean Jacques Rousseau resided in 1756-'8, and wrote his Nouvelle Helolse. It was a peasant's house belonging to Mme. d'Epinay. It was after- ward occupied by Gr6try the composer, who died there in 1813. It now forms part of a large mansion ; only the garden is as it was in Eousseau's time. Rousseau's Contrat social and fimile were also written in Montmorency, though not in the Hermitage. The town grew up around the chateau of Montmorency, built in 1108, no trace of which remains. MONTMORENCY, a French feudal family, de- riving its title from the chateau of the same name, and tracing its origin to the middle of the 10th century. Its members were styled "the first barons of France," or "the first Christian barons." Among them were six grand constables, twelve marshals, and four grand admirals of France, besides cardinals, grand masters, and knights of all European or- ders, and they intermarried several times with royal families. Two branches of the fami- ly established themselves in the Netherlands. Among their descendants were the count of Horn (Philip II. de Montmorency-Nivelle), executed with Egmont in Brussels, June 5, 1568 ; Floris de Montmorency, baron de Mon- tigny, executed by order of Philip II., Oct. 14, 1570 ; and Marshal Luxembourg. The follow- ing are the chief historical characters of the French branch. I. Anne, first duke de Mont- morency, born at Chantilly, March 15, 1492, died in Paris, Nov. 12, 1567. He distinguished himself first in the battle of Ravenna, in 1512. In 1515 he followed Francis I. to Italy, and fought bravely at Marignano. He exhibited great activity and firmness during the siege of M6zieres in 1521, and for his gallantry in the disastrous battle of Bicoca, near Milan, in 1522, was created marshal. In 1524 he forced the constable de Bourbon to raise the siege of Marseilles. In 1525 he was made prisoner at the battle of Pavia, but was ransomed. He became governor of Languedoc and grand mas- ter of France in 1526, and was intrusted with the management of the finances. His avarice displeased the Genoese admiral Doria, who broke off his alliance with the king of France, and became one of the stanchest supporters of Charles Y. In 1536 Montmorency laid waste Provence, which the imperial army had enter- ed, and by prolonging the campaign nearly de- stroyed the enemy. Two years later he was made constable. In 1541 court intrigues caused his disgrace, and he retired to Chantilly ; but after the death of Francis I. his influence at court became paramount. In 1548 he put down an insurrection in Guienne with cruel rigor. In 1551 his baronial estate was erected into a duchy by Henry II. He was defeated and taken prisoner at the battle of St. Quentin, Aug. 10, 1557, by Duke Philibert Emanuel of Savoy, and, anxious to secure his release, was instrumental in bringing about in 1559 the dis- advantageous peace of Cateau-Cambresis. Du- ring the reign of Francis II. he lived in retire- ment ; but he played a conspicuous part under Charles IX., and with the duke of Guise and Marshal Saint- Andre, with whom he formed a kind of triumvirate, was an uncompromising enemy of the Huguenots. At the battle of Dreux, Dec. 19, 1562, where he shared the com- mand with his two colleagues, he was wounded and taken by the Protestants, although Guise won the day. Released by the peace of Am- boise in 1563, he retook Havre from the Eng- lish. In 1567, at the head of the Catholic army, he fought a drawn battle with the prince de Conde, near St. Denis, in which he was mor- tally wounded, n. Henri II., fourth and last duke de Montmorency, grandson of the pre- ceding, born in Chantilly, April 30, 1595, exe- cuted in Toulouse, Oct. 30, 1632. Louis XIII. appointed him admiral of France before he was 17 years old. He succeeded his father as gov- ernor of Languedoc, fought against the Protes- tants, distinguished himself at the sieges of Montauban and Montpellier, and in 1625 con- quered the islands of Re and Oleron. He now sold his office of admiral to Richelieu. Mont- morency continued to oppose the duke de Ro- han, who remained in arms for eight months after the taking of La Rochelle, and thus con- tributed to bring about the peace of Alais