MONTAGUE, LADY MARY WORTLEY, accompanied her husband who was sent on an embassy to Constantinople in the beginning of the 18th century. On her return she introduced the practice of inoculation into England, and thence acquired great celebrity. She cultivated the belles lettres; and at one period of her life she was the friend of Pope, and at another his enemy. While they were at enmity with each other, Lady Mary Montague embraced every opportunity of defaming the poet, who well knew how to take revenge. Both of them carried their animosity to so
great a height, that they became the subject of public conversation. After a long life, full of singular and romantic adventures, she died about the year 1760. From her we have Letters, written during her travels from the year 1716 to the year 1718. They have been translated into French, and published at Rotterdam 1764, and at Paris 1783, one vol. 12mo. They are composed in a lively, interesting, and agreeable style, and contain many curious facts relating to the manners and government of the Turks, which are nowhere else to be found. The Baron de Tott, who lived many years at Constantinople, attacked them with great severity; but they have been defended with equal zeal by M. Guis of Marcellis, who has published a valuable work on Turkey. It need not appear extraordinary, that persons who have visited the same country should not see things in the same light. How few travellers agree in their accounts of the same objects, which they nevertheless pretend to have seen and to have examined with attention.