La Fontaine dedicated one of his Fables, to Lady Anne Harvey, who had a great admiration for his talent. St. Evremond says: “L’estime que M. de la Fontaine s’est acquis en Angleterre étoit si grand, que Madame Harvey, et quelques autres personnes d’un très grand mérite, ayant su, qu’il ne vivoit pas commodément à Paris, résolurent de l’attirer auprès d’elles, oû rien ne lui auroit manqué.” La Fontaine was grateful to his English friends, but declined, on the plea of being too old, to seek a strange country. Lady Anne, or Madame Harvey, as the Abbé calls her, is constantly mentioned in the letters of St. Evremond.
(Seated. Resting on her Left Arm. Right Hand holding Flowers. Loose Coloured Déshabille.)
(In Armour, with a Blue Scarf. Right Hand resting on Hip; Left on the Hilt of Sword.)
Born, ——. Died, 1732.—The youngest son of Sir Edward Harvey, of Combe, near Kingston-on-Thames, by Lady Elizabeth, daughter of Francis, first Earl of Bradford. In 1712, he was appointed Lieutenant-governor of Guernsey, which office he held till 1726. He married his cousin, Lady Anne, daughter of Ralph, Duke of Montagu, by the Countess of Northumberland, relict of Alexander Popham, of Littlecote, Wilts, by whom he had no issue. General Harvey died at Mitcham, in Surrey, and was buried within the rails of the altar, in that church.
(In a Brown and Red Uniform laced with Gold. Pointing to a Ship with his Right Hand; holding a Telescope in his Left.)
Born, 1720. Died, 1757.—He was the youngest son of Edward, Viscount Hinchingbrook, and entered the Navy, at an early age, in which profession he was destined to distinguish himself, not only by his courage, and skill as an officer, but by his extraordinary eccentricity, which gained him the _soubriquet_ of “Mad Montagu.” He commanded the “Mermaid” at the taking of Cape Breton, in 1745, whence he brought letters from Commodore Warren, with an account of the surrender of the fortress of Louisburg, and the adjoining territories, after a siege of forty-nine days. He commanded the “Prince Edward,” and the “Bristol,” and took the “Orvena,” a rich Spanish register ship. He appears to have been in constant scrapes, both private, and public, frequently writing to his brother, Lord Sandwich, in extenuation of some escapade, usually accompanied with a confession that he had erred through his propensity for drinking. But his genial humour, and untiring fun, generally extricated him from the difficulties, into which his folly had plunged him, and his mad freaks were a constant topic of conversation, and amusement. When under the orders of Sir Edward Hawker, in 1755, he solicited permission to go to town. The Admiral, thinking to compromise the matter and palliate his refusal by a jest (as he had no intention of complying with so improper a request), said he might go in his barge as far as he pleased from the ship, but no farther. Captain Montagu immediately caused a truck to be constructed at Portsmouth, to be drawn by horses; on this truck he placed his barge filled with provisions and necessaries for three days, and entering it with his men, gave orders to imitate the action of rowing with the oars. Sir Edward, it is said, having heard of this wonderful proceeding, in every sense of the word, soon after the boat was landed, sent the coveted permission to the Mad-cap.