SYDNEY, Earl of Godolphin, was a cadet of an ancient Saxon family of Cornwall. It is not known with certainty in what year he was born, but it was probably about 1640. He began his political career at an early age under Charles II., and was one of those who voted for the exclusion of the Duke of York from the throne in 1680. When that prince, however, became king on his brother's death, Godolphin was still continued in office, though in a subordinate situation at the treasury-board, of which during Charles's latter days he had been the head. On the accession of William of Orange, Godolphin took office under his government; and shortly after Queen Anne came to the throne, in 1702, he was made lord-high-treasurer, being the first person who had held that office since the Restoration. In 1706 Godolphin was created Viscount Rialton and Earl of Godolphin, and from this time is considered to have deserted his original party, and attached himself openly to the Whigs. In the struggle between him and Harley for the premiership, Godolphin was at first successful, but not being able to counterwork the intrigues of his rival he was suddenly and rudely expelled from office in 1710. He survived his loss of power for about two years, and died Sept. 15, 1712.

The character of Godolphin has been very variously estimated, and, indeed, presents such strange contradictions as to be scarcely intelligible. In manner he was cold and calm, and, as Tindal says, as modest and silent a man as ever was bred at a court. He had a faculty for despatching business thoroughly and rapidly, and such a command of temper that he had few or no personal enemies. He had also a real pride in his work, and sought always to have it done so that it would not require to be done again. Accordingly he was careful in the choice of his instruments, and was generally happy in searching out able men, who were at the same time men of integrity, to aid him in his undertakings. Of personal vanity he does not seem to have had much; and he was utterly inaccessible to a bribe—a somewhat rare virtue in those days. As a set-off against these good qualities, it must be stated that Godolphin was one of the keenest gamblers and horse-racers of his day, and that his intimates were often persons notable either as gamesters or jockeys. He was never charged, however, with any of the mal-practices which are supposed to be inseparable from a love of the dice-box and the turf. He used to say that he played merely because it delivered him from talking; but the great stain on the character of Godolphin is his treasonable correspondence with James, while he was for several years first lord of the treasury to William, and in the full confidence of his master. (Dalrymple's Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland; Fox's History of the Early Part of the Reign of James II.; T. B. Macaulay's History of England, &c.)