GODWIN, FRANCIS, son of Thomas Godwin, bishop of Bath and Wells, was born at Haviogton, in Northamptonshire, in 1561. He was elected student of Christchurch College, Oxford, in 1578, while his father was dean ; became B.A. in 1580, M.A. in 1583, RD. in 1593, and D.D. in 1595. His earliest preferments were the rectory of Samford Orcais, in Somersetshire, and the vicarage of Weston in Zoyland, in the same county ; he was also collated to the sub•deanery of Exeter in 1587. Afterwards, on the resignation of the vicarage of Weston, he became rector of Bishop's Lidiard. His favourite study was the ecclesiastical biography of his country, his collections for which he published in 1601, under the title of '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 memo rable actions, as near as can be gathered from antiquity.' It was dedicated to Lord Buckhurst, who, being in high credit with Queen Elizabeth, immediately procured him the bishopric of LlandaiŁ He published another edition of this catalogue in 1615, with great additions; but partly in consequence of the errors of the press which it contained, and partly to please James I., who was now on the throne of England, he put it into a Latin dress in the following year, dedicating it to the king, who in return gave him the bishopric of Hereford, to which be was translated in 1617. The Latin 'Catalogue' was reprinted, with a continuation to the time of publication, by Dr.
William Richardson, folio, Cambridge, 1743.
In 1616 Bishop Godwin published a folio volume, entitled 'Rerum Anglicarum Henries) VIII., Edwerdo VL, et Maria Regmentibus Annales,' which his son Morgan Godwin translated and published in English, foL, ]630. Other editions of the Latin were, 4to, London, 1623, and 12me, Hag., 1653. ln 1630 he published a email treatise entitled 'A Computation of the value of the Roman Sesterce and Attie Talent.' This was the latest of his productions.' He died in the month of April 1633.
Exclusive of the above-mentioned works, he wrote two pieces of a different kind, one of which, in Latin, partook of a scientific character, entitled Nunclue Inenimatue in Utopia,' 8vo, 1629, the design of which was to communicate various methods of conveying intelligence secretly, speedily, and safely. It is supposed to have given rise to Bishop Wilkins's ' Mercury, or Secret and Swift Messenger.' The other was a posthumous work of imagination, written while he was a student of Christchurch, celebrated in its day, and even not yet forgotteu, entitled ' The Mau in the Moon, or a Discourse of a Voyage thither by Domingo Gonsales,' 8vo, 1633. To a later edition of this work, in 1657,R translation of the 'Nuucius Inanimatus' was appended by Dr. Thomas Smith, of Magdalen College, Oxford.