[2] Brightman was born at Nottingham in 1562, and admitted a pensioner at Queens' College, Cambridge, in 1576, where he became Fellow in 1584.

Brightman frequently discussed in his college church ceremonies with George Meriton, afterwards dean of York.

[4] Riding on a coach with John Osborne, and reading a book (for he would lose no time), he fainted, and died, on 24 August 1607.

His funeral sermon was preached by Edward Bulkley, D.D., sometime fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and rector of Odell in Bedfordshire.

The main object of his system of prophecy in a commentary on Daniel, as well as in his book on the Apocalypse, was to prove that the pope is that anti-Christ, whose reign is limited to 1290 years, and who is then foredoomed by God to utter destruction.