Godeau, Antoine

Godeau, Antoine, a Roman Catholic bishop, was born at Dreux in 1605. He was destined by his parents for public life, but, heaving been disappointed in hove, entered the ministry. He was one of the ornaments of the Hotel Rambouillet at Paris, where his talent for verse gained him distinction. Richelieu made him bishop of Grasse in 1636. After his consecration he retired to his diocese, and devoted himself to its duties. He subsequently quitted the see of Grasse for that of Vence, where he died April 21, 1672. He wrote Morale Chretienne (1705, 3 volumes, 12mo): Paraphrases des Epitres de St. Paul et des Epitres Canoniques (1640, 1641, 4to): — Psaumes de David, traduits en vers Francais: — Nouveau Testament traduit et expliq. (1668, 2 volumes, 8vo), besides other smaller works, chiefly biographical. The most important of his productions is the Histoire de l'Eglise, from the commencement of the World to the end of the 9th century (Paris, 1653- 1678, 5 volumes, fol.). He left MSS. continuing the work. The first volume exposed the author to a charge of heresy, and the threats of a powerful ecclesiastic induced his to write the rest of his work with less impartiality. — Dupin, Eccles. Writers, 17th cent.; Hook, Eccles. Biog. volume 5, Nicéron, Memoires, 18-20; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gener. 20:885.