MONTAGUE (Edward), earl of Sandwich, an illustrious Englishman, who shone from the age of 19, and united the qualifications of general, admiral, and statesman; yet there were strange inconsistencies in his character. He acted early against Charles I; he persuaded Cromwell, whom it is said he admired, to take the crown; and he was zealous for the restoration of Charles II. All this is imputed to a fond and unaccountable passion which he had for royalty. Upon general Monk's coming into England, he failed with the fleet to Holland, and soon after he had the honour to convoy his majesty to England. For this he was created knight of the garter; and on the 12th of July 1660 he was created baron Montague of St Neot's in the county of Huntingdon, Viscount
Hinchinbrooke in the same county, and earl of Sand-Montague, which in Kent, sworn one of his majesty's most honourable privy-council, made master of the king's wardrobe, admiral of the Narrow Seas, and lieutenant-admiral to the duke of York, as lord high admiral of England.
When the Dutch war broke out in 1694, and the duke of York took upon himself the command of a fleet as high-admiral, his lordship commanded the blue squadron, and by his industry and care abundance of the enemies ships were taken; and in the great battle fought on the third of June 1665, in which the Dutch lost admiral Opdam, and had 18 men of war taken and 14 destroyed, a large share of the honour of the victory was justly given to the conduct of the earl of Sandwich. On the return of the English navy, the command of the whole fleet was given to the earl of Sandwich, which he was ordered to put as speedily as possible in a condition to return to the coast of Holland. Accordingly the earl sailed on the 5th of July with 60 men of war to the Dutch coast; when finding that their East India and Smyrna fleets were to return home north about, he steered for the coast of Norway, and found they had taken shelter in the port of Bergen, where the fleet were attacked: but leaving them there, and sailing back towards the coast of Holland, he met with four Dutch East Indiamen, with several other merchant ships, under a good convoy, and took eight men of war, two of their East India ships, and 20 sail of merchant men; and a few days after, a part of the fleet falling in with 18 of the Hollanders, the greatest part of them were also taken, with four Dutch men of war, and above 1000 prisoners. On his return he was received by the king with distinguished marks of favour; and soon after, he was sent ambassador extraordinary to the court of Madrid, to mediate a peace between the crowns of Spain and Portugal; when he had the happiness to conclude a peace between the two nations to their mutual satisfaction.
On the breaking out of the last Dutch war, his lordship went to sea with the duke of York, and commanded the blue squadron; the French admiral, count d'Estrees, commanding the white. The fleet was at sea in the beginning of the month of May; and coming to an anchor in Southwold-bay in order to take in water, we are told, that on the 27th many officers and seamen were permitted to go on shore, and were at Southwold, Dunwich, and Aldborough; when, the weather being hazy, the earl gave it as his opinion, that, the wind standing as it did, the fleet rode in danger of being surprised by the Dutch; and indeed, between two and three the next morning, they were informed of their approach, upon which his royal highness made the signal for weighing anchor. The blue squadron was out first, the red next, and the white was much after. The earl of Sandwich in the Royal James, which carried 100 guns, began the fight, and fell furiously on the squadron of Van Ghent in order to give the rest of his fleet time to form; when captain Brakel, in the Great Holland, attacked the Royal James; but was soon disabled, as were several other men of war, and three fire-ships sunk. By this time most of his men were killed; and the hull of the Royal James was so pierced with shot, that it was impossible to carry her off. In this distress he might have
Montague been relieved by his vice-admiral Sir Joseph Jordan, had not that gentleman been more solicitous about assisting the duke. When therefore he saw him fail by, heedless of the condition in which he lay, he said to those who were about him, "There is nothing left for us now, but to defend the ship to the last man." Being at length grappled by a fourth fire-ship, he begged his captain Sir Richard Haddock, and all his servants, to get into the boat and save themselves, which they did: yet some of the sailors refused to quit the admiral, and staying endeavoured to extinguish the fire, but in vain; the ship blew up about noon. His lordship's body was found about a fortnight after, and was interred with great state in Henry VII.'s chapel.—We have of his lordship's writing, 1. The Art of Metals, in which is declared the manner of their generation, translated from the Spanish of Albaro Alonzo Barba, 8vo. 2. Severa letters during his embassy to Spain, published with Arlington's letters. 3. A letter to secretary Thurlow. 4. Original letters and negotiations of Sir Richard Fanshaw, the earl of Sandwich, the earl of Sunderland, and Sir William Godolphin, wherein divers matters between the three crowns of England, Spain, and Portugal, from the year 1663 to 1678, are set in a clear light, 2 vols 8vo.