Francis Godwin
From The Space Library
This biography appeared in the late 18th century and cites sources who knew Godwin. The language remains in its original old style.
Contents |
Early Life
Son of Thomas Godwin, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Francis was born at Haunington, or Hauington, in Northamptonshire, in the year 1567, and after a good foundation of grammar-learning was sent to Christchurch College, Oxford, where he was elected a student [1], in 1578, and proceeded batchelor of arts, January 13, 1580, and commenced master of arts, March 16, 1583 [2]; about which time he wrote an entertaining piece, which is a conspicuous proof of his excellent wit, and uncommon degree of learning; but upon that basis having raised some conjectures in philosophical astronomy, which he thought might give offence to persons of narrower minds and capacities, he kept it from the public, a resolution which shewed both his modesty and good sense, since he had made several remarks in philosophy which, would have done him great credit, and had hinted an invention which was to be kept secret, in the view of being thereby more serviceable to his country.
Man in the Moone
For instance, as to the first, having observed after Copernicus, that this earth is a planet in respect to the sun, and a moon to the moon, he shews the effect this would have had upon a spectator, placed between our earth and the moon, he discourses correctly of gravity and attraction, and shews the reason why the latter cannot be so strong in the moon, and what may very possibly be its effects, he descants upon the length of lunar days and nights, and from thence gives a plausible account why the inhabitants, if any, in that world, stand in need of a larger moon than we do. Lastly, he takes notice that we see but one side of moon, because the rotation on her own axis, and her revolution about the earth, is performed exactly in the same time, an astronomical fact, for want of knowing which, not only Dr. Bentley, and his defender Mr. Wotton, but even that principal mathematician Dr. Wallis, fell into a remarkable ridicule above a century afterwards. [3]
Gonzales' Communication Method
In the next place, his good sense was shewn in concealing an invention, with a view of doing his country thereby more service. This was the secret of carrying on a correspondence without letters, and much quicker, for that the secret was known to him at this time is evident, from a passage in the treatise now under consideration, wherein he supposes Domingo Gonzales and his negro Diego, two fictitious persons, to be obliged to live in different parts of the island of St. Helena, on account of procuring provisions, and tells us, that whenever Domingo had any occasion to confer with Diego, whose habitation was on a promontory or cape in the northward part of the island, about a league off, though within sight of Domingo's chapel, they could at all times, by signals, declare their minds to each other in an instant; then proceeding to give a sketch of this way of communication both by day and night, he concludes; but this art containeth more misteries than are to be set down in a few words hereafter I will perhaps afford a discourse for it of purpose, assuring myself that it may prove exceeding profitable unto mankind, being rightly used and employed, for that which a messenger cannot perform in many days, this may dispatch in a piece of an hour.”[4]
Ordainment and History of Bishops
He had probably not been long matter of arts, when being of age for it, he entered into holy orders, and being thus qualified for church preferment, he became in a short time rector of Samford Orcais, in Somersetshire, prebendary of St. Decuman, in the church of Wilts, canon residentiary there, and vicar of Weston in Zoyland, in the same county, and was collated to the subdeanery of Exeter, June, 1587. In the mean time turning his studies to the subject: of the antiquities of his own country, he became acquainted with Mr. Camden, and accompanied him in his travels into Wales in 1590, in the search of such curiosities. He took great delight in these enquiries, in which he spent his leisure hours for several years, but at length leaving the pursuit in a general way to Mr. Camden, he confined himself to such antiquities as seemed to concern ecclesiastical causes or persons. But after some time, finding with regard to causes or matters ecclesiastical, he could add little or nothing to Mr. Fox's work on that subject, he retrained his enquiries to ecclesiastical persons only [5]. In collecting these he spared no pains, so that he had enough to make a considerable volume in the year 1594.
Bishop of Llandaff
He was then batchelor of divinity, having taken that degree February 11, 1593 at Oxford, and he commenced doctor in that faculty July 30, 1595, which year, resigning the vicarage of Weston, he was appointed rector of Bishop's Liddiard, in the same county of Somerset. He still continued assiduous in pursuing the history of ecclesiastical persons of his country, and having made an handsome increase to his former collections, he published the whole in 1601 in 4to. under the following title; “ A Catalogue of the Bishops of England, since the first planting of the Christian Religion in this Island; together with a brief History of their Lives and memorable Actions, so near as can be gathered of Antiquity” [6]. It appears, by the dedication to lord Buckhurst, that our author was at this time chaplain to his lordship when knight of the garter, lord high treasurer of England, and chancellor of the university of Oxford, a nobleman in the highest honour with queen Elizabeth, who immediately bestowed on his chaplain, the bishopric of Landaff, though it had not been vacant above two months. He was consecrated to it November 22, the same year, 1607. It’s said to be a royal reward for that book, and in that light it could not but be very agreeable, otherwise the bounty consisted more in title than in substance. For of this bishopric, small as the revenues are at present, they were then smaller still, and did not produce above one hundred and fifty pounds per annum [7], upon which account he was allowed to hold one of his dignities in commendam, besides the rectory of Kingston Seymour, in the diocese of Wells, to which he was presented about the same time. This success of his catalogue encouraged him to proceed. The design was so much approved, that after queen Elizabeth, he found a patron of it in king James I. insomuch, that Sir John Harrington, a great favourite of prince Henry, wrote a treatise by way of supplement to it, for that prince's use. [8]
Our author therefore devoted all the time he could spare, from the duties of his function, towards completing and perfecting this catalogue, and published another edition in 1615, with considerable additions [9], and more considerable alterations, and dedicated it to his majesty; and this being very erroneously printed, by reason of his distance from the press, he resolved to turn that mistake into an advantage, accordingly he sent it abroad, together with the dedication to his majesty the subsequent year, with some proper alterations, in a view to foreigners, in a new elegant Latin dress, presented still in the same courtly habit to his majesty[10], who in return gave him the bishopric of Hereford, to which he was translated and confirmed, November 28, 1617[11]. Thus honoured, he went on with his deservedly favourite work, and published several more additions as an appendix to it, in 1621. But this he apparently intended to hang as a seal to his undertaking. He was now three score years of age, and may be well excused for laying down his pen, in a work of so much pains and fatigue, on that account. The truth is, so great had been his diligence, that he had nearly exhausted all the stores of antiquity, as is evident from the little that has been found since. [12]
Nuncius Inanimatus and other works
In the meantime, various reports having been spread to his disadvantage, about his secret of corresponding already mentioned, the thing came at length to the ears of king James: he was careful to communicate the secret to his majesty, and to convince him that it was a fact and not a fiction, and so published his treatise under the title of “Nuncius Inanimatus Utopiae,” 1629, 8vo. [13], and the following year came out the third edition of his annals of the reigns of Henry VIII. Edward VI. and queen Mary, in Latin, in 4to. [14], as did also a translation of them into English, by his son Morgan Godwin, and the same year, his friend Dr. George Hawkwell printed his small treatise, entitled, “A Computation of the Value of the Roman Sisterce and Attic Talent.”
Final Days
After this he fell into a low and languishing disorder, which he bore with remarkable patience to his last breath, which he expired in the latter end of April 1633. His corps was interred, as is said, in the chancel of the church of Whitborne [15], which, with the manor, belongs to the see of Hereford, and lies about fourteen miles from that city. His character is very differently represented by different authors. Mr. Wood [16] tells us, that “He was a good man and a grave divine, a skilful mathematician, an excellent philosopher, a pure Latinist, and an incomparable historian, being no less critical in histories than the learned Selden. A person also he was (continues this author) so celebrated by many in his time, whether at home or beyond sea, that his memory cannot otherwise but be precious in succeeding ages, for his indefatigable pains and travel in collecting the succession of all the bishops of England and Wales, since the first planting of the gospel among the Christians, not pretermitting; much of the British church, or any that have been remembered by the care or diligence of preceding writers, or had been kept in memory in any old monument or record. But as he has, in those infinite labours, endeavoured, out of a puritanical pique, to bring a scandal on the ancient Roman Catholic bishops, and to advance the credit of those who were married since the reformation (he being one of that number) for the credit of the Protestant cause; so comes one afterwards, by name William Prynne, a crop-eared and stigmatized presbyterian, the most inveterate enemy to bishops that ever appeared in our horizon, who thence, from his labours, takes all advantages, whether truth or not truth, to raise arguments against, and bring a scandal on, the prelatical foundation. Take heed therefore of being partial, lest others light candles from your torch, and thereby in the end you lend a helping hand for the cutting of your own throat. But to return, to give, therefore, our author Godwin a further character, I have received it from his son [Charles Godwin, M. A. and minister of Monmouth] he was esteemed a good preacher and a strict liver, but so much employed in his studies and matters of religion, that he was as it were a stranger to the world and things thereof.”
With regard to his stile and manner as a preacher, it is described by Sir John Hanington, who having told us, that he had been acquainted with and heard the doctor, before he was a bishop, preach more than once at the assizes in Somersetshire and elsewhere; observes, that his manner used to be sharp against the vices most abounding in that time, sacrilege, simony, contempt of God in his ministers, and want of charity. Among other of his sermons, preaching once of Dives and Lazarus, he observed, that though the scriptures had not expressed plainly who Dives was yet by his cloaths and face, he might be bold to affirm he was at the least a justice of peace, and perhaps of oyer and terminer too. This speech was so ill taken by some guilty consciences, that a great matter was enforced to be made of it, that it was a dangerous and seditious speech, and why forsooth, because it was a dear year. But see how a man's enemies sometimes do him as much good as his friends; their fond accusation, and his discreet justification made him both better known and more respected by them that were able to do him most good”. [17]
On the other hand Dr. Willis (having taken notice of his other preferments besides the bishopric of Hereford in the list whereof is added, to those already mentioned, the vicarage of Havetree, in Somersetshire, and rectory of Newton, in the county of Monmouth) is very severe upon him, in the following words. “As to the character of this bishop, notwithstanding the freedom he takes with other bishops reputations, he was certainly a very great symoniac, omitted no opportunity in disposing of his preferments, in order to provide for his children.” Bishop Gibson, in his 'Codex Ecclesiasticus,' has some account of his selling the chancellorship of Landaffs being made a law precedent. In short, nothing it's reported fell in his gift but what he sold or disposed of in regard to some son or daughter. But this practice, I presume, concludes Mr. Willis, had been so notorious in queen Elizabeth's reign, that it occasioned her aversion to bishops marriage, and their endeavours to raise families out of the church revenues, no doubt encouraged her taking into her hands bishops estates in her reign; and afterwards gave occasion to that excellent statute of king James, against alienating or leasing of church lands, except on certain limitations”. [18]
Marriage and Children
Our bishop married, when a young man, the daughter of Dr. John Wollton, bishop of Exeter, by whom he had many children, of these his son Charles has been already mentioned; besides him he had two sons and a daughter, of whom we have an account by Dr. Willis, which serves to confirm his last mentioned remark, as follows. Thomas Godwin vicar of Newland, Rector of Hereford, prebendary of Landaff, prebendary of Bullingham in the church of Hereford, chancellor of that diocese, and doctor of divinity. He died in 1644. Morgan Godwin batchelor of arts of Christ church, batchelor of the civil law of Pembroke college [in Oxford] master of the free-school at Newland in Gloucestershire, prebendary of Warham in the church of Hereford, and archdeacon of Salop, in the same diocese; to both which he was collated by his father in 1631; he was also doctor of laws in the university of Dublin, as appears by a petition of his relict, to the corporation, for the relief of ministers widows. He died in 1645, being turned out of everything during the rebellion, and leaving a widow and five children in such distressed circumstances that he was constrained to apply for that charity, and received it. The bishop's daughter was married to Dr. Hughes, rector of Kingsland, prebendary of Landaff, prebendary alio of lunkbarrow, in the cathedral of Hereford, and archdeacon of Hereford: he died, and was buried in the church of Kingsland, in 1648, being; then near seventy years of age.[19] Thus far Mr. Willis, whose censure seems not to be made without a foundation.
However, in justice to our bishop, we must not omit Sir John Harrington's character of him; “Of this bishop, says he, I may speak plainly, or rather spare all speech, considering that every leaf of his worthy work is a sufficient testimony of his virtuous mind, indefatigable industry, and infinite reading, for even as we see commonly, those gentlemen that are well descended and better bred, are most careful to preserve the true memory of the pedigree of their ancestors, which the base and ignorant, because they could not conserve, will seem to condemn : so this worthy bishop, in collecting so diligently, and relating so faithfully, the succession and lives of so many of our Christian (on record) bishops in former ages, doth prove himself more by spiritual than carnal birth to become of those ancestors, of whom it was long before prophesied by the princely prophet, instead of thy Father's, &c. [20].” Dr. Godwin was succeeded in his bishopric by the famous Dr. William Juxon, then dean of Worcester, who, before his consecration, was removed to London, and thence made archbishop of Canterbury.[21]
Footnotes
- ^ His father was dean of that church at this time.
- ^ Wood's fafti. vol. i.
- ^ See the article of Dr. John Kiell in Biogr. Britt.
- ^ This piece being a philosophical romance, was fupprefisd by our author during his life, but after his decease it was published under the title of “ The man in the moon, &C.” Lond. 1638, and again 1657, 8vo. There was also a French translation printed at the Hague in 1651, entitled, “ L'Homme dans la Lune, &c.”
- ^ Preface to the first edition of his catalogue of Engliih bishops.
- ^ This containing only a catalogue of the bishops of Bath and Wells, was published by Mr. Thomas Hearne, at the end of Johannes de Wethamftede's chronicle from a MS, in the library of Trinity college Cambridge, of our author's own hand-writing, &c. at the end of which is this date, December 15, 1594. Mr, Hearne had published a part of it before in Johannes de Trokelowe's annales, Edward II. p 381. It is larger and more accurate than the catalogue of the bishops of this see even in the last edition of his book de presulibus, &c.
- ^ He succeeded Dr. William Morgan translated to St. Asaph, to whose pious care he always professed himself obliged, for having made the bishopric what it was, and for having opened a path to him to make it better, de preful. p 443. It had been much impaired by one of his predecessors named Anthony Kitchen, alias Dunstan, Ath, Ox, vol. i. col. 581
- ^ It was drawn purely for the private use of that celebrated prince, without any intention to publish it, which was done afterwards, with the title of, A brief View of the State of the Church of England. It is carried on only to the year 1608, (when it was written) from the close of our author's work.
- ^ To the former title there was now added; “whereunto is prefixed, A Discourse concerning the first Conversion of our Britain unto Christian Religion.
- ^ It is well known how unprincely fond king James was of being esteemed a Latin scholar. The title is, De prefulibus Angliae “ Commentarius. &c.”
- ^ Here finding the houses both at Whitbourne and Hereford in excellent repair, by the cave of the doctors Bennet and Weftphaling, his two immediate predecessors, he takes particular notice of it to their honour, in the appendix to his history, p. 11.
- ^ See the edition in 1743.
- ^ It was printed again in 1657, as was also the same year a translation of it, with the title of “The Mysterious Messenger,” by Dr. Thomas Smith, who, in a letter to Mr. Heaine, declares he was satisfied the original was designed only in the way of wit and fancy, as an amusement, and that he had thrown out his translation, which was made at the request of the bookseller who printed it, as a trivial and puerile sort of exercise. Notwithstanding these censures, our author expressly declares, That he thought the use of this art to be very great, as well in times of peace as war, upon which account he thought it his duty to take some pains in the delivery thereof, which, continues he, “I will not do so willingly, lest that when it shall be made known to many, we cannot use or practice these things in their due times;” agreeably to this, he deals only in generals, without producing any particular examples. But the subject having been pursued since by Dr. Wilkins, several methods of performing it are related by him in his “ Secret and Swift Messenger.”
- ^ They were first published in Oxon.” 1616, and again in 1628, 4to The title is Rerum Anglicarum Henrico VIII.Edwardo VI. & Maria regnantibus Annales. The English was done, corrected, and enlarged, with the author's consent. The reign of queen Mary is inferred in Kennet's general history of England, vol. 1. They are commended for the stile by Degory Wheare, in Reiadones hyemales, 30. p. 144. edition 1637, and in bishop Nicolson's hist. library^ “ part 1, p. 229. Lond 1696.
- ^ Wood's history and antiq. Ox. 1. ii. p. 272;. from the following entry in the register of that church* Fran. Ep. Heref. beatae memoriae sepoltus suit vicefimo nono Aprilis 1633. Yet Dr. Willis seems to incline to what, he says, is commonly reported that he was buried in the church of Hereford, where there is a monument shewn for him. Survey of cathedrals, vol. iii. p, 515.
- ^ Where last cited in Ath* Oxon
- ^ Brief view, Sec. p. 166, 167. “Concio Latina in Luc Cap. v. ver. Our author never published any fer- ““3.” 1601, 4to. mons besides one in Latin, intituled.
- ^ Willis'* Survey, vol. ii. p. 552, 554 555,
- ^ Ibid. p. 525.
- ^ Brief view, &c. p. 168.
- ^ Willis where last cited.
