od the heads of the charge against me,
and which I answered in a manner that ought to have
cleared my own innocence."

The story of the charge and trial is a long one; but it can be briefly
outlined as follows:--It seems that one, Abraham Paya, a Jew, who,
disguised as "Mr Roberts," was staying with a Miss Rose who was not his
wedded wife, accused Montagu and two of his friends, Mr Taafe and Lord
Southwell, of making him drunk as a preliminary to inveigling him into
play and winning 870 louis d'or from him.

As the Jew, whom his losses had sobered, refused to pay, Montagu and his
associates had compelled him by violence and threats to give them drafts
for the sums owing to them. Then, knowing that payment would be refused,
"Roberts" shook the dust of Paris off his feet, turned his back on lady
and creditors alike, and ran away to Lyons. Whereupon, so said the
complainant, Montagu and his fellow-thieves had ransacked his baggage
(which he had foolishly left behind him), and appropriated all his money
and jewels, to the value of many thousands of livres.

To quote Mr Montagu again, the latter part of the charge was that Mr
Taafe

"smashed all the trunks, portmanteaus and drawers
belonging to the complainant, from whence he took out in
one bag 400 louis d'or, and out of another, to the value
of 300 louis d'or in French and Portuguese silver; from
another bag, 1200 livres in crown pieces, a pair of
brilliant diamond buckles, for which the complainant paid
8020 livres to the Sieur Pierre; his own picture set
around with diamonds to the amount of 1200 livres ...
laces to the amount of 3000 livres, seven or eight
women's robes; two brilliant diamond rings, several gold
snuff-boxes, a travelling-chest containing his plate and
china, and divers other effects, all of which Mr Taafe
(one of Montagu's co-defendants) packed up in one box,
and, by the help of his footman, carried in a coach to
his own apartment. That afterwards Mr Taafe carried Miss
Rose and her sister in another coach to his lodgings,
where they remained three days, and then sent them to
London, under the care of one of his friends."

Fortunately for Montagu, the verdict of the Court was in his favour;
and, after such an unpleasant experience, he was glad to return to
England, where, such an adept at quick-changing was he, that we soon
find him a full-blown Me