Francis Godwin

, a passing great lover of venerable antiquity and of all good literature, Son of Thom. Godwin D. D. sometimes Bishop of B. and Wells, was born at Hannington in Northamptonshire, 4. of Q. Elizabeth, elected Student of Ch. Ch. in 1578. took the degrees in Arts, holy Orders, and became Rector of Samford-Orcais in Somersetshire, Prebendary of S. Decuman in the Church of Wells, Residentiary there, and Vicar of Weston in Zoyland in the same County; which last he resigning, became Vicar of Bishops Lidiard in 1595. being then Sub-dean of Exeter, and about that time Doctor of Divinity. In the year 1601. he was nominated to the See of Landaff by Q. Elizabeth, to which being consecrated 22. Nov. the same year, sate there about 16 years, being a Bishoprick rather proportionated to his modesty than merits, because much impaired by one of his Predecessors named Anth. Kitchin alias Dunstan, whom I shall elsewhere mention; and therefore had liberty allowed to him to keep one of his Dignities in Commendam with it, and to take upon him the Rectory of Kingston-Scymour in the Dioc. of Wells. Afterwards for the respect that K. James had for him and his learning, he gave him the Bishoprick of Hereford, to which he was translated the tenth, and confirmed the 28. of Nov. an. 1617. and kept it to his dying day. He was a good Man, a grave Divine, skilful Mathematician, excellent Philosopher, pure Latinist, and incomparable Historian, being no less critical in Histories than the learned Selden. A person also he was so celebrated by many in his time, whether at home or beyond the Seas, 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, nor pretermitting such of the British Church, or any that have been remembred by the care and diligence of preceeding writers, or had been kept in memory in any old monument or record. But as he hath in those his infinite labours endeavoured, out of a Puritanical peak, to bring a scandal on the ancient Cath. Bishops, and to advance the credit of those that were married since the Reformation (he being one of that number) for the credit of the Protest. cause; so comes one afterwards, by name W. Prynne, the most inveterate Enemy to the Bishops that ever appeared in our Horizon, who thence (from his labours) takes all (d)(d) In his Antipathy of the English [〈…〉] &c. Lond. 1641. qu. advantages, whether truth or not truth, to raise arguments against, or bring a scandal upon, the prelatical function. 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 your own Throat. But to return: to give therefore our author Godwin a farther character (as I have received it from his (e)(e) Char C [•] dwin M. A. and Minister of Monmouth. Son) 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 ’twere a stranger to the world and the things thereof. His works are these.

Concio Lat. in Luc. 5. 3. Printed 1601. qu.

A Catalogue of the Bishops of England, since the first planting of Christian Religion in this Island, together with a brief History of their Lives and memorable actions, so near as can be gathered out of antiquity. Lond. 1601. qu. in an English character. For the writing of which, Q. Elizabeth immediately preferr’d him to the Bishoprick of Landaff. But this book being imperfect, for therein are omitted the Bishops of Bangor, S. Asaph, &c. the Author came out with another Edition, with many additions, an. 1615. qu. and thereunto joyned,

A Discourse concerning the first conversion of this Island of Britaine unto the Christian Religion—which is set before it, and

Discourse concerning such Englishmen, as have either been, or in our histories reputed, Cardinals of the Church of Rome.—which is put at the end of it. But this Edition of 1615. with the said two additional discourses, being very full of faults, and not to be endured by any ordinary Reader, he put them forthwith into Latine, entitling them De Praesulibus Angliae commentarius, &c. Lond. 1616. qu. The Reader is now to understand, that after the first Edition of the said Catalogue of Bishops came out, in 1601. Sir John Harrington of Kelston near the City of Bathe, Son of John Harrington of the said place Esquire, (who dying near to the Bishops Pallace of, and in, London, 1. Jul. 1582. was buried in the Church of S. Gregory near to Pauls Cathedral) and he the Son of Alex. Harrington, descended from a younger brother of the Harringtons of Brierley in Yorkshire, I say that the said Sir John Harrington sometimes an Eaton Scholar, and afterwards M. of Arts of Camb. being minded to obtain the favour of Prince Henry, wrote a discourse for his private use intit. A brief view of the state of the Church of England, as it stood in Qu. Elizabeths and King James’s raign, to the year 1608. &c. This book is no more than a character and History of the Bishops of those times, and was written to the said Prince Henry, as an additional supply to the before mention’d Catalogue of Bishops of Dr. Fr. Godwin, upon occasion of that Proverb.

Henry the eighth pulled down Monks and their Cells.

Henry the ninth shall pull down Bishops and their Bells.

In the said book the author Harrington doth, by imitating his Godmother Qu. Elizabeth, shew himself a great enemy to married Bishops, especially to such that had been married twice, and many things therein are said of them, that were by no means fit to be published, being, as I have told you before, written only for private use. But so it was, that the book coming into the hands of one John Chetwind, (Grandson by a Daughter to the author,) a person deeply principled in presbyterian tenents, did, when the Press was open, print it at London 1653. in oct. And no sooner it was published, and came into the hands of many, but ’twas exceedingly clamour’d at by the Loyal and orthodox Clergy, condemning him much that published it. The truth is, that tho it did not give offence so much as Sir Anthony Weldons book intit. The Court and character of K. James, which was publish’d three years before, yet it was exceedingly pleasing to the Presbyterians and other Diffenters. And there is no doubt, but that if it had come into the hands of Prynne before mentioned, he would have raked out many things thence, and aggravated them to the highest, to furnish his Common Place book, when he was about to publish The Antipathy of the English Lordly Prelacy, &c. Our author Godwin wrote also,

Appendix adcommentarium de Praesulibus Angliae. Lond. 1621. 22. in two sh. in qu.

R [•] rum Anglicaerum Henrico VIII. Edwardo VI. & Maria regnantibus Annales. Lond. 1616. 28. 30. in qu. and fol. Translated into English by his Son Morgan Godwin Bac. of Arts of Ch. Ch. afterwards Bach. of the Civil Law of Pembr. coll. Master of the Free-School at Newland in Glocestershire, Canon of Hereford and Doctor of his Faculty. Which English translation hath been several times printed.

The man in the Moon: or, a discourse of a Voyage thither. Lond. 1638. and 57. oct. written while he was a Student of Ch. Ch. under the seigned name of Domingo Gozales, and published, some years after the authors death, by E. M. (of Ch. Ch.) This book, (which hath before the title of it the picture of a man taken up from the top of a Mountain, by an Engine drawn up to the Moon by certain flying Birds) was censured to be as vain as the opinion of Copernicus, or the strange discourses of the Antipodes when first heard of. Yet since by a more inquisitive search in unravelling those intricacies, men of solid judgments have since found out a way to pick up that which may add a very considerable knowledge and advantage to posterity. Among which Dr. Wilkins, sometimes Bishop of Chester, composed by hints thence given, (as ’tis thought) a learned piece called, A discovery of a new World in the Moon.

Nuncius inanimatus. Utopiae 1629. Lond. 1657. oct. Translated into English, by Anon. who intitles it The mysterious Messenger, unlocking the secrets of mens hearts. Printed with The man in the Moon. Lond. 1657. oct. in two sheets only. At length after our authors many labours, wherein he aimed mostly at the publick, he was taken with a long lingring disease, which bringing him to his desired haven, 1633 in the beginning of the year (in Apr. as it seems) sixteen hundred thirty and three, was buried in the Chancel of his Church of Whitborne, (which, with the mannour thereof, belongs to the Bishops of Hereford) situate and being about 14. miles distant from the said City. To the said See, after his death, was elected Dr. William Juxon, but before he was consecrated, he was translated to London, as I shall tell you elsewhere. That which I have forgot to let the Reader know, is, that whereas there goes under the name of the Bishop of Landaff, A treatise on the blessed Sacrament, printed in oct. and one or more Sermons on the sixth Psalm, they are not be attributed to Dr. Godwin, but to his predecessor, as I suppose in Landaff, called Gerv. Babington: Sed de hoc quaere.