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 Marseilles, 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.

Edward Wortley, son of the former, passed through such variegated scenes, that a bare recital of them would savour of the marvellous. From Westminster school, where he was placed for education, he ran away three several times. He exchanged clothes with a chimney-sweeper, and he followed for some time that sooty occupation. He next joined himself to a fisherman, and cried flounders in Rotherhithe. He then sailed as a cabin boy to Spain; where he had no sooner arrived, than he ran away from the vessel, and hired himself to a driver of mules. After thus vagabondizing it for some time, he was discovered by the consul, who returned him to his friends in England. They received him with a joy equal to that of the father of the prodigal son in the gospel. A private tutor was employed to recover those rudiments of learning which a life of dissipation, of blackguardism, and of vulgarity, might have obliterated. Wortley was sent to the West Indies, where he remained some time; then returned to England, acted according to the dignity of his birth, was chosen a member, and served in two successive parliaments. His expenses exceeding his income, he became involved in debt, quitted his native country, and commenced that wandering traveller he 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, a great deal of coffee; wore a long beard; smoked much; and, even whilst at Venice, he was habited in the eastern style. He sat cross-legged in the Turkish fashion through choice. With the Hebrew, the Arabic, the Chaldaic, and the Persian languages, he was as well acquainted as with his native tongue. He published several pieces. One on the "Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire." Another an exploration of "The Causes of Earthquakes." As this gentleman was remarkable for the uncommon incidents which attended his life, the close of that life was no less marked with singularity. He had been early married to a woman who aspired to no higher a character than that of an industrious washerwoman. As the marriage was solemnized in a frolic, Wortley never deemed her sufficiently the wife of his bosom to cohabit with her. She was allowed a maintenance. She lived contented, and was too submissive to be troublesome. Montague troublesome on account of the conjugal rites. Mr Montague, on the other hand, was a perfect patriarch in his manners. He had wives of almost every nation. When he was with Ali Bey in Egypt, he had his household of Egyptian females, each striving who should be the happy she who could gain the greatest ascendency over this Anglo-Eastern bashaw. At Constantinople, the Grecian women had charms to captivate this unsettled wanderer. In Spain a Spanish brunette, in Italy the olive-complexioned female, were solicited to partake the honours of the bridal bed. It may be asked what became of this group of wives? Mr Montague was continually shifting the place, and consequently varying the scene. Did he travel with his wives as the patriarch did with their flocks and herds? No such thing. Wortley, considering his wives as bad travelling companions, generally left them behind him. It happened, however, that news reached his ears of the death of the original Mrs Montague the washerwoman. Wortley had no issue by her; and without issue male, a very large estate would revert to the second son of Lord Bute. Wortley owing the family no obligations, was determined, if possible, to defeat their expectations. He resolved to return to England and marry. He acquainted a friend with his intentions; and he commissioned that friend to advertise for any young decent woman who might be in a pregnant state. Several ladies answered it. One out of the number was selected, as being the most eligible object. She waited with eagerness for the arrival of her expected bridegroom; but, behold, whilst he was on his journey, death very impertinently arrested him in his career.