MONTEZUMA. 762 MONTFORT. a tribal divinity or laro, would return from the sunrisinj;. white in color and Ix-arded, rendered the Aztec eliieftain's course vacillating and weak when he was informed of the landin-; of Cortes (q.v.). He tried by dijiloniaey and gifts to keep the Spaniards away from liis city, but refused to liglit them until too late to oppose their prog- ress efleetively. After Cortes reached the city. IHontezuiiia allowed liimself to be detained as a prisoner, liis uncertainty as to wliat should be done iiaralyzing all action by his warriors until the Spaniards had made their position secure. ^■hen the Mexicans refused longer to endure the actions of their Spanish visitors and called upon Montezuma's brother, Cuitlahuatzin, to lead them against the white men, Montezuma, acting pre- sumably under pressure from Cortes, endeavored to quiet the revolt. Failing in this, he was probably killed by the Spaniards, who gave out that he died as a result of a IjIow from a stone thrown by one of his own people, while he was trying to address them from the roof of the house occupied by the Spaniards (June 27, 1520). MONTFATJCON, mo.'fi*.'ko.', Beknaru de ( 1(;.).">-1741 I . A French scliolar and antiquary. He was born at the Castle of Soulage in Langue- doc; entered the army about 1072. and served under Tureime; but after the deatli of his mother entered the Benedictine Onler (1070) at the -b- bey of La Daurade in Toulouse. He went to Paris in 10S7 to sliare in the translation into Latin of the (ireek Church fatlicrs and in the great Benedictine patrology. and spent two years (10!l8-1700l iu researcli in Italy. Among his works are: Uiarium Italicum (1702); Palceo- fjruphia (Srwca (170S); L'antiquite expUqufe et representee en figures {l~l9-2i) ; and editions of Athana.sius (1093). of Origen's Uexapla (171.3). and of .John Chrysostom (1718-34). Consult De Broglie, IScrnnrd de Montfaucon et les llrni'ir(Iin>i (I'aris, IS'.ll). MONTFERRAT, mox'fc-ra' (It. ilonf errata) . Formerly, an independent duchy of Italy, bound- ed liy the territory of (ienoa. the Po. and the Maritime Alps. It was diviiled into up|)er and lower Montferrat. the former including the cities of Mondovi. Acqui. and Alba; the latter. Alessan- dria. Asti. and Casale. The capital was Casale. Montferrat. after the disruption of the Prankish empire, was ruled by its own margraves or mar- quises till the beginning of the fourtwMith cen- tury. This house for a long time disputed the sovereignty of Piedmont with the rulers of Savoy. Siune of its members, notably IJoniface II. (q.v.). became celebrated in connection with the Cru- sades. On the death of Manpiis .lohn I., in 1305. the second son of his sister. lolande or Irene, who was Empress of Constantinople, succeeded to Montferrat. becoming the fouiuler of the family of Montferrat-I'ala>ologus. which became extinct in 1533. when Montferrat jiassed in 1530 to the Gonzagas of JIantua. for whom it was erected into a duchy. In 1031 the dukes of Savoy ob- tained possession of a |)ortion of Montferrat. and in 1703. with the consent of the (ierman Km- pcror. the remaining portion jiasscd under their swav. and was incorporated with their ilominions. MONTFORT. moN'for' (^Iontfort i.'Am.w- RV). The name of a noble French hoii*e. de- seeniled from the early counts of Hainault. It took its name from a castle on a 'strong mount' between Paris and Chartres. The first member of importance was Simon 111., Count of Montfort I'Amaury and Kvrcux, who married Amicia, sis- ter of Robert Beaumont, Earl of Leicester. His second son was the famous Simon de ilontfort. Count of Toulouse. This nol)leman. .so conspicuous in the crusade against the Albigenses (q.v. ), was born about the year 1150. In 1I9S he went to Palestine a"t the head of a troop of French knights, but failed to acoomplish anything against the Saracens, and was obliged to return. In 1202 he joined the fourth Crusade, which, however, was soon diverted from its purpose (see Crl'S-I)E), in consequence of which Mont- fort abandoned it and went to the Holy Land, where he did some lighting against the infidels. In 1208 he engaged in the war against the Al- bigenses. and signalized himself by his relentless ferocity and his brilliant successes. He was in- vested with the territories of the leader of the Albigenses, Count Raymond VII. of Toulouse. He w:is killed by a stone at the siege of Toulouse. June 25, 1218. His sou Amaury continued the struggle, lost nearly his whole patrimony, but was recompensed by Louis VIIL. who made him Constable of France. He died about 1241. The l)rothcr of Amaury was the .Simon de Jlontfort (q.v.) famous in English history. MONT'FORT, Sniox de. Earl of Leicester (C.12IIS ti.3 I . A famous English statesman. He was the third son of Simon dc Montfort (see ilo.NTEORT), the leader in the Crusade against the Albigenses. aiul was born in France. He in- herited the title of Earl of Leicester from his grandmother. Amicia de Beaumont, sister and heiress of Robert. Earl of Leicester. In 1231 Simon received the lands which his father had held, his elder brother .maury having resigned his claim to him. In 1238 he married Eleanor, sister of King Henry 111., and the youthful widow of the Earl of Pembroke. In 1230 be re- ceived the title of Earl of Leicester. In 1248 he was sent by the King to undertake the command in Gascony. He held this oflice until 1252. amid constant revolts; was charged with having gov- erned badly, and quarreled frequently with the King; but he was supported by the nobles in England. After his resignation Henry III. was soon compelled to ask his aid. It is prol)able that he was a stern, ruthless. I>ut not an unjust governor. In 1258 the King's debts were so great and the rapacity of his foreign relatives so unbearable, that the people were in a state of insurrection. The baron- a>scmlded. and under the direction of Montfort held the celebrated Parliament at Oxford. They jiassed statutes to enforce the provisions of Magna Charta. and from this resulted the Provisions of Oxford (q.v.), and a little later followed the Provisions of Westminster (q.v.). The King swore to ob- serve them, but sent forthwith to the Pope praving to be absolved from his oath. The bull of absolution arrived. Henry set his barons at defiance, and finally both sides agreed to submit the matter in dispnte to Louis IX. of France, and he rendered a decision, on January 23. 1204, which upheld Henry III. in nil points. (See
- Mi.se of Amien.s.) The nobles, however, would
not accept the ileeision. and took U]) arms. They were aided by the whole middle class, who looked uj) to Montfort as their chamiuon and leader, and the war liegan with the battle of Northamp- ton. At Lewes (1204) the Royal forces were sig-
