[146] From 1504 to 1638 the Sheriff of Cornwall was frequently a
Godolphin. One of them was also Lord Warden of the Stannaries, and two
other members of the family were Vice-Wardens.
[147] Notably in the adjoining parish of St. Hilary, where, in the S.E.
corner, forming the floor of a pew, is, or rather was, a Godolphin
monument inscribed with a turgid Latin epitaph consisting mainly of a
play upon the word 'delphinus.'
[148] Lipscombe, in his 'History of Buckinghamshire,' says of him that
'he was very ingenious, and entertained a Dutch mineral man, by whose
instructions he practised a more saving way of making tin. He also
undertook the coinage of silver out of the mines of Wales and Cornwall.'
[149] No doubt Carew here refers to Sir Francis's invention of mine
stamps for crushing the ore. An earlier Godolphin seems to have also
given attention to this branch of mining, for Leland says: 'From
Mr. Godolcan's to Trewedenek about a 4 miles. Wher Thomas Godalcan
(yonger) sun to Sir Willyam buildith a praty House, and hath made an
exceeding fair blo House Mille in the Rokky Valley thereby.' In fact
the neighbourhood of Godolphin seems to have been the birthplace of
many important mining inventions. Near here the first steam-engine
for draining the mine was put to work, early in the present century,
at Wheal Vor; and the following is recorded in the Register of Breage
Church: 'James Epsley sen^r of Chilchampton Parish Bath and Wells
Summersetshire he was the man that brought that rare invention of
shooting the rocks (viz., blasting them with gunpowder) which came
heare in June 1684 and he died at the Bal (the mine) and was buried at
breage the 16th day of September in the yeare of our Lord Christ 1689.'
[150] According to a passage in the 'Epistolary Curiosities of Rebecca
Warner,' the House of Commons voted an address to the King praying for
the recall of Sir William Godolphin on a charge of high treason, 'for
he is one of the plotters,' and Godolphin was accordingly recalled in
1678 or 1679.
[151] For information as to one of these Godolphins I am indebted
for the following notes to a source to which I am under the deepest
obligations--the 'Bibliotheca Cornubiensis':
'Letter from John Verney to sir R. Verney.
'"Capt: Godolphin, govenor of Scilly, was this week killed at the
Cockpit ordinary in Drury Lane by Mr. Duncombe who also received 3
wounds. Godolphin was a wild young gentleman and tho' he usually came
to church yet 'tis said as he lay dying none but papist priests were
in his room 9 Nov 1682. (_MS. penes Sir Harry Verney, bart. Clayden
house, Bucks._)"
'"The gentleman who killed Mr. Godolphin, governor of Scilly, is
lately dead of his wounds which he received in that duel 11 Decr.
1682. (_News Letter MS. penes Sir F. Graham, bart., Netherby hall,
Cumberland._)"'
Mr. Godolphin, Governor of Scilly, whose death is above spoken of, was
possibly William, eldest son of Fras. Godolphin, of Coulston, Wilts.
[152] According to Sir J. Maclean, in his 'Deanery of Trigg Minor.'
[153] Sidney was born at Godolphin. He was M.P. for Helston, 1640, and
supported Lord Strafford against the majority of the House. He wrote,
amongst other poems, a song on Thos. Killigrew and Wm. Murray, so Wood
says. He was buried at Okehampton.
[154] In his preface to the 'Leviathan,' which Hobbes dedicated to
Sidney's brother, Francis.
[155] Cf. Lyte's 'Eton College,' p. 356. 'A legacy of £5,550 from Lord
Godolphin did little to amend the fare of the unfortunate collegers,
for only a part of the interest was annually expended in providing
pudding on Sundays, the remainder of the money being allowed to
accumulate for the benefit of a future generation.'
[156] Evelyn's 'Life of Mrs. Godolphin' is well worth the perusal of
those who have not made its acquaintance. Enthusiastic it undoubtedly
is, but it is full of interest; especially, to my mind, the share which
his heroine so reluctantly took in the Court play of 'Calisto,' wherein
she represented, with the most perfect grace and propriety, 'Diana,
Goddess of Chastity.' Evelyn says the ladies 'were all cover'd with
jewells.'
[157] A pedigree of this family, and short accounts of some of its more
distinguished members, are given in Bishop Wilberforce's edition of
Evelyn's 'Life,' 1847.
[158] In the Crace Collection (Small Catalogue No. 898) is a
water-colour drawing, 'View of Old Devonshire House, formerly Berkeley
House, about 1730.' This was the house which passed from the Berkeleys
to the first Duke of Devonshire, and was destroyed by fire 16th Oct.,
1733. It stood where Devonshire House stands now.
[159] Lady Silvius, to whom Evelyn dedicates his book, written long
after Margaret's death. The original MS. was sold at Puttick and
Simpson's, in 1861.
[160] In the sense of having depressed spirits.
[161] The entry in the Register is that she was buried on the 27th
Sept., 1678. On the north side of the church is a door, now blocked up,
which is said to have been the entrance to the Godolphin pew.
[162] In the familiar correspondence of the period between the
Marlborough and Godolphin clique, the Queen was referred to as 'Mrs.
Morley,' Marlborough as 'Mr. Freeman,' the Duchess as 'Mrs. Freeman,'
and Godolphin as 'Mr. Montgomery.' Most of this correspondence is
preserved at Blenheim; many parts of it are in cypher, and the cypher
is frequently changed.
[163] It was under this name that Sacheverell attacked Godolphin in his
celebrated sermon.
[164] He wears the collar and jewel, (recalling the line which refers
to the star 'That gleam'd on Wise Godolphin's breast,') in his portrait
by Sir Godfrey Kneller, and carries in his hand his white wand of
office.
[165] An event to which it may be remembered Andrew Fairservice
referred 'every symptom of depravity or degeneracy which he remarked
among his countrymen, more especially the inflammation of reckonings,
the diminished size of pint-stoups, and other grievances.'
[166] Especially that 'fiery, forward tool's' (as he was called by one
of his opponents) sermon at St. Paul's, on 5th Nov., 1709, for which he
was ordered to appear at the bar of the House of Commons.
[167] It is curious and instructive to notice how Marlborough himself
had suffered from the attacks of his assailants. Green, in his 'Short
History of the English People,' says: 'In the bitter moments before
his fall, he bade _Godolphin_ burn some querulous letters which the
persecution of his opponents had wrung from him. 'My desire is that
the world may continue in their error of thinking me a happy man,
for I think it better to be envied than pitied.' Yet he could write
philosophically enough, and in somewhat similar vein, from Tirlemount,
to his irritated Duchess, who had been deeply stung by one of the many
libellous pamphlets which were now making their appearance: 'The best
way of putting an end to that villany is not to appear concerned. The
best of men and women in all ages have been ill-used. If we can be
so happy as to behave ourselves so as to have no reason to reproach
ourselves, we may then despise what rage and faction do.'
[168] Godolphin's only son married Lady Henrietta Churchill, the Duke's
daughter.
[169] William Congreve, the poet, who died 19th Jan., 1728-9, left a
legacy to the Duchess of Marlborough of about £10,000, with a portion
of which money she erected a monument to his memory in Westminster
Abbey. Cf. Sam. Johnson's 'Lives of the Poets' (P. Cunningham's ed.,
1854), ii. 240.
[170] He was buried in the chancel of St. Mary Abbots, Kensington, in
1766, aged seventy-seven. Mrs. Delany tells us that he gave his two
nieces, the Miss Owens, £5,000 apiece.
[171] Toland's 'Invitation to Dismal.' There was no love lost between
the Godolphins and the ferocious satirist. Lady Henrietta Godolphin
cut him dead at a card-party at Lady Clarges'. 'She's a fool for her
pains,' wrote Swift to Stella, 'and I'll pull her down for it!'