GODWIN, William, English writer and political philosopher: b. Wisbeach, Cambridge shire, England, 3 March 1756; d. London, 7 April 1836. He attended various schools and in 1771 became an usher in that of Robert Akers at Hindolveston. The next year his father, John Godwin, a dissenting minister, died, and in 1773 William removed with his mother to London, where he entered Hoxton Academy. Four years later he began preach ing and between 1777 and 1783 he was minister at Ware in Hertfordshire, at Stowmarket in Suffolk, and, for a brief trial, at Beaconsfield.
Unsuccessful as a minister, he turned in 1783 to literary work. In the 10 years that followed he supported himself —not over-successfully — by hack work, made many friends, especially among Whig politicians and sympathizers with the French Revolution and formulated those radical opinions which he embodied in his !Po litical Justice? (1793). He had for some years been satisfied, he says in his Preface, that monarchy was a species of government essen tially corrupt.° He owed this conviction to the political writings of Swift and to a perusal of the Latin Historians. Nearly at the same time he derived much additional stimulus from sev eral French productions on the nature of man — the 'Systeme de la Nature,' the works of Rousseau and those of Helvetius. The work, he says, was projected in the month of May, 1791; the composition was begun in the fol lowing September, and . . . occupied a space of 16 months.° The book appeared in February 1793, when England was at a white heat over the execution of Louis XVI and the French declaration of war against England and Hol land. Godwin feared, not without cause, that he would be prosecuted for such a publication; but the government seems to have Judged that a book costing three guineas would prove harm less. The book met immediate success, running through three editions within five years; but its author, repenting the radicalism of the first edi tion, made the second and third editions increas ingly moderate. Godwin's political philosophy attracted wide attention; and although he never again attempted so large a subject as in his 'Political Justice,' yet he continued to have a following, especially among young men. Of these, a few years later, Shelley is a notable instance.
Godwin's first and ablest novel, 'Caleb Wil liams,' appeared one year after 'Political Jus tice' (1794). The story, although since ridiculed by DeQuincey, enjoyed high success at the time. 'Saint Leon, a Tale of the 16th Century' (1799), was also successful. Meanwhile, in
1796, Godwin had become intimate with Mary Wollstonecraft, then known as Mrs. Imlay. Both held that a legal marriage was undesir able; but, lacking the courage of their convic tion, they were married 29 March 1797. Mrs. Godwin died 10 September after giving birth to a daughter, the future Mrs. Shelley. Four ye s later, having been rejected by at least two other women, Godwin married a Mrs. Clair mont. The union brought unhappiness and financial difficulties. In 1805, his wife under took a publishing business. Under the name of Baldwin, he wrote children's books for her; and the Lambs gave them their 'Tales from Shakespeare.> By 1807, increasing business warranted a removal to a larger shop in Skin ner street, Holborn. Godwin's circle of ac quaintances included Coleridge, the Lambs, and Wordsworth. In 1811, the young Shelley was added. When, however, in 1813, Shelley put some of Godwin's moral theories into practise by eloping with Mary Godwin, the philosopher was enraged. A check for i1,000 silenced him. When Shelley and Mary were married, three years later, Godwin was openly reconciled. He had need of the financial countenance of so wealthy a son-in-law. The publishing busi ness was becoming less remunerative. In 1822, Godwin became bankrupt. Literary and politi cal friends tried to aid him, but succeeded only in part. In 1833 they secured him the position ofyeoman usher of the exchequer—an office without duties. He died 7 April 1836. Nine years later, DeQuincey wrote of him : °Godwin's name seems sinking out of remembrance; and he is remembered less by the novels that suc ceeded, or by the philosophy that he abjured, than as the man that had Mary Wollstonecraft for his wife, Mrs. Shelley for his daughter, and the immortal Shelley as his son-in-law.° His works include 'Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and its Influence on Morals and Happiness' (1793) • !Things as they are; or the Adventures of Caleb Williams' (1794); The Enquirer ... a series of Essays' (1797); 'Memoirs of the Author of a Vindication of the Rights of Women> (1798) ; 'Saint Leon, a Tale of the 16th Century' (1799); 'Antonio, a Tragedy in Five Acts in Verse> (1800); 'Life of Geoffrey Chaucer' (1803) !Lives of Edward and John Philips> (1815) • 'Mande ville, a Tale of the 17th Century' (1817) Population . . . in answer to Mr. Maithus> (1820); 'History of the Commonwealth . to the Restoration of Charles IP (4 vols. 1824-28).