Thomas Bilson

sometimes fellow of New coll. was consecrated B. of Worcester in 1596. translated thence to Winchester in the year following,1 [•] 16. and concluded his last day in sixteen hundred and sixteen; under which year you may see more of him among the writers. In Worcester succeeded Gervase Babington of Cambridge, of whom I have made mention in Will. Bradbridge among these Bishops, an. 1578. and in Winchester succeeded Dr. James Mountague sixth Son of Sir Edw. Mountague of Boughton in Northamptonshire Kt. who was translated thereunto from Bathe and Wells, 4. Octob. 1616. This worthy person died on the twentieth (e)(e) So it is on his monument in the Ch. of S. Pet. and S. Paul at Bath [•] . day of July 1618. aged 50. and was buried 20. Aug. following, on the north side of the body of the Church dedicated to S. Peter and S. Paul within the City of Bathe. Over his grave was soon after a high Altar-monument erected between two Pillars of the said Church, with the proportion of the defunct painted to the life lying thereon, by his brethren Sir Edw. Mountague of Boughton, Sir Hen. Mountague Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench, Sir Charles Mountague his Executor, and Sir Sidney Mountague Master of the Requests, Kts. All which were lineally descended from the Earls of Salisbury. The said Dr. Jam. Mountague was educated in the University of Cambridge, was Master of Sydney coll. and there noted for his piety, vertue, and learning. Afterwards he was made Dean of the Royal Chappel, then B. of Rathe, afterwards of Winchester, (as tis before told you) and for his faithfulness, dexterity and prudence, in weighty affairs the King chose him to be one of his Privy Council. By his last Will and Testament, he made choice of the said antient Church for the place of his Sepulture: which, among many other monuments of piety, he repaired to his great charge. When K. James came first to the Crown he was made Dean of his Chappel, as before ’tis told you; which place he held not only when he was B. of Bathe and Wells, but of Winchester also: And being a great stickler in the quarrels at Cambridge, and a great Master in the Art of insinuation, had cunningly (as one (f)(f) Pet. Heylin in his Observations on the History of the reign of K. Charles, published by Ham. L’Estrange-printed 1656. oct. p. 77. observes) fashioned K. James unto certain Calvinian opinions; to which the Kings education in the Kirk of Scotland had before inclined him. So that it was no very hard matter for him (having an Archb. also of his own perswasion) to make use of the Kings authority for recommending the nine Articles to the Church of Ireland, which he found would not be admitted in the Church of England.