hat he considered
the fondling of a cat a profanation of the Lord's day." Mrs. Godwin in
her earlier years was gay, too much so for the wife of a minister, some
people thought, but after her husband's death she joined a Methodistical
sect, and her piety in the end grew into fanaticism. A Miss Godwin, a
cousin, who lived with the family, had perhaps the greatest influence
over William Godwin when he was a mere child. She was not without
literary culture, and through her he learnt something of books. But her
religious principles were severely Calvinistic, and these she impressed
upon him at the same time.

His first school-mistress was an old woman, who was concerned chiefly
with his soul, and who gave him, before he had completed his eighth year,
an intimate knowledge of the Bible. The inevitable consequence of this
training was that religion became his first thought. Thanks to his
cousin, however, and to his natural cleverness and ambition, he was saved
from bigotry by his interest in wider subjects, though they were for many
years secondary considerations. From an early age he had, as he says of
himself, developed an insatiable curiosity and love of distinction. One
of his later tutors was Mr. Samuel Newton, an Independent minister and a
follower of Sandeman, "a celebrated north country apostle, who, after
Calvin had damned ninety-nine in a hundred of mankind, has contrived a
scheme for damning ninety-nine in a hundred of the followers of Calvin."
Godwin remained some years with him, and was so far influenced by his
doctrines, that when, later, he sought admission into Homerton Academy, a
Dissenting institution, he was refused, because he seemed to the
authorities to show signs of Sandemanianism. But he had no difficulty in
entering Hoxton College; and here, in his twenty-third year, he finished
his religious and secular education. During these years his leading
inspiration had been a thirst after knowledge and truth.

This was in 1778. Upon leaving college he began his career as minister,
but he was never very successful, and before long his religious views
were much modified. His search for truth led him in a direction in which
he had least expected to go. In 1781, when he was fulfilling the duties
of his profession at Stowmarket, he began to read the French
philosophers, and by them his faith in Christianity was seriously shaken.
1783 was the last year in which he appeared in the pulpit. He gave up the
office and w