Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 38.djvu/211

 and Melanchthon wrote of Mont later that he was a cultivated man (Letters and Papers, ix. 540, 593). During his residence in Germany he found the friendship of the leading reformers of very great service to him. Mont seems to have been skilful in answering unpleasant questions, and managed to reassure the Germans when in 1539 they were disturbed by Henry's refusal to allow the priests to marry. He had a still more difficult task in explaining Henry's conduct in regard to Anne of Cleves.

Early in Edward VI's reign he was living at Strasbourg, and he continued to act as agent, going on one occasion as ambassador to the senate of Zurich ; his pension was also paid regularly. Under Mary he was recalled (Acts of the Privy Council, 1552-4, p. 346). But he regained his position when Elizabeth became queen, and kept it, though strongly opposed to the queen on the question of vestments. He lived as before chiefly at Strasbourg, where he died between 8 July and 15 Sept. 1572.

Many of his letters have been preserved. They will be found in the 'Zurich Letters,' in the 'Calendar of MSS. at Hatfield,' in the 'State Papers,' in the 'Letters and Papers of Henry VIII,' in the manuscripts at the Record Office, and among the Cotton MSS. An interesting account by him of the progress of Lutheranism, written from Strasburg on 10 Oct. 1549 to the Duke of Somerset, was printed in 'Troubles connected with the Prayer Book of 1549' (Camd. Soc.), 110-11.  MONT, WILLIAM (d. 1213), chancellor of Lincoln. [See .]

MONTACUTE or MONTAGU, JOHN, third (1350?–1400), son of Sir John de Montacute, younger brother of William de Montacute, second earl [q. v.], a distinguished warrior, who was summoned to parliament as John de Montacute (1357-1389), and died in 1390, by Margaret, granddaughter and heiress of Ralph, baron de Monthermer, by his son Thomas, was born about 1350. While serving in France in 1369 he received knighthood from the Earl of Cambridge before Bourdeille, and highly distinguished himself at the taking of that town (, i. 582). Having on his father's death received livery of his lands, he obtained license in 1391 to go on a crusade into Prussia with ten horses and ten servants, apparently on the same expedition as that joined by the Earl of Derby [see under ], and in November was summoned to parliament as Baron de Montagu. He held a command in Ireland during the visit of Richard II to that country in 1394 and 1395. For some years he had been known as one of the most prominent supporters of the lollards ; he and others of his party attended their meetings armed, he kept a lollard priest as his chaplain, it was reported, though as it seems falsely, that he had dishonoured the host, and he had caused all the images in the chapel of his manor of Shenley, Hertfordshire, which had come to him by his wife, to be pulled down, only allowing the image of St. Catherine to be set up in his mill, on account of the popular reverence for it (, Historia, ii. 159 ; Ypodigma Neustriæ, pp. 368, 390;, Chronicle, p. 245). Before Richard's return from Ireland he and other lords presented a bill in parliament containing a lollard attack on the church, and affixed the same to the doors of St. Paul's, London,, and of Westminster Abbey. When the king came back he summoned John and the rest before him, and rated and threatened them (, Historia, ii. 217; Fox ap. English Chronicle, p. 112). By the death of his mother he inherited the barony and estates of Monthermer, and received livery of her lands in this year, when he appears as a member of the king's council (Proceedings of the Privy Council, i. 59). He advocated a peace with France and the king's marriage with Isabella of France [q. v.], daughter of Charles VI, and was in France in 1396 ; when the king went over to marry that princess, and possibly earlier. While there he met with Christine de Pisan, gave her much encouragement, and took back with him to England a collection of her poems. The next year Christine sent her son to be educated in his household.

On the death of his uncle, Earl William, in 1397, he succeeded to his lands and dignity as Earl of Salisbury. The part that he took with reference to the peace and the king's marriage secured him Richard's confidence, and he was a favourite with him and a prominent member of the court party. With the people- 