Mrs Shelley | Page 7

out
of all resemblance to his original intention before the time for its
possible practical application comes. For Godwin himself it was also
well that, with these uncongenial early surroundings, he, when the time
came to think, was of the calm--most calm and unimpassioned
philosophic temperament, instead of the high poetic nature; not that the
two may not sometimes overlap and mingle; but with Godwin the
downfall of old ideas led to reasoning out new theories in clear prose;
and even this he would not give to be rashly and indiscriminately read
at large, but published in three-guinea volumes, knowing well that
those who could expend that sum on books are not usually inclined to
overthrow the existing order of things. In fact, he felt it was the rich
who wanted preaching to more than the poor.
Apart from sectarian doctrines, his tutor, Mr. Newton, seems to have
given Godwin the advantage of the free range of his library; and
doubtless this was excellent education for him at that time. After he had
acted as usher for over a year, from the age of fifteen, his mother, at his
father's death in 1772, wished him to enter Homerton Academy; but the
authorities would not admit him on suspicion of Sandemanianism. He,
however, gained admittance to Hoxton College. Here he planned
tragedies on Iphigenia and the death of Cæsar, and also began to study
Sandeman's work from a library, to find out what he was accused of.
This probably caused, later, his horror of these ideas, and also started
his neverending search after truth.
In 1777 he became, in his turn, a dissenting minister; until, with
reading and fresh acquaintances ever widening his views, gradually his
profession became distasteful to him, and in 1788, on quitting
Beaconsfield, he proposed opening a school. His _Life of Lord
Chatham_, however, gained notice, and he was led to other political
writing, and so became launched on a literary career. With his simple
tastes he managed not only for years to keep himself till he became
celebrated, but he was also a great help to different members of his

family; several of these did not come as well as William out of the
ordeal of their strict education, but caused so little gratification to their
mother and elder brother--a farmer who resided near the mother--that
she destroyed all their correspondence, nearly all William's also, as it
might relate to them. Letters from the cousin, Mrs. Sotheran, show,
however, that William Godwin's novel-writing was likewise a sore
point in his family.
In the midst of his literary work and philosophic thought, it was natural
that Godwin should get associated with other men of advanced
opinions. Joseph Fawcet, whose literary and intellectual eminence was
much admired in his day, was one of the first to influence Godwin--his
declamation against domestic affections must have coincided well with
Godwin's unimpassioned justice; Thomas Holcroft, with his curious
ideas of death and disease, whose ardent republicanism led to his being
tried for his life as a traitor; George Dyson, whose abilities and zeal in
the cause of literature and truth promised much that was unfortunately
never realised: these, and later Samuel Taylor Coleridge, were
acknowledged by Godwin to have greatly influenced his ideas. Godwin
acted according to his own theories of right in adopting and educating
Thomas Cooper, a second cousin, whose father died, ruined, in India.
The rules laid down in his diary show that Godwin strove to educate
him successfully, and he certainly gained the youth's confidence, and
launched him successfully in his own chosen profession as an actor.
Godwin seems always to have adhered to his principles, and after the
success of his _Life of Chatham_, when he became a contributor to the
_Political Herald_, he attracted the attention of the Whig Party, to
whose cause he was so useful that Fox proposed, through Sheridan, to
set a fund aside to pay him as Editor. This, however, was not accepted
by Godwin, who would not lose his independence by becoming
attached to any party.
He was naturally, to a great extent, a follower of Rousseau, and a
sympathiser with the ideas of the French Revolution, and was one of
the so-called "French Revolutionists," at whose meetings Horne Tooke,
Holcroft, Stanhope, and others figured. Nor did he neglect to defend, in
the _Morning Chronicle_, some of these when on their trial for high
treason; though, from his known principles, he was himself in danger;
and without doubt his clear exposition of the true case greatly modified

public opinion and helped to prevent an adverse verdict. Among
Godwin's multifarious writings are his novels, some of which had great
success, especially _Caleb Williams_; also his sketch of English
History, contributed to the Annual Register. His historical writing
shows much research and study of