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Washington Irving
Oliver Goldsmith
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PREFACE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
"OLIVER GOLDSMITH.
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"OLIVER GOLDSMITH.
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
LANDING IN ENGLAND—SHIFTS OF A
MAN WITHOUT MONEY—THE PESTLE AND
MORTAR—THEATRICALS IN A BARN—
LAUNCH UPON LONDON—A CITY NIGHT
SCENE—STRUGGLES WITH PENURY—
MISERIES OF A TUTOR—A DOCTOR IN
THE SUBURB—POOR PRACTICE AND SE-
COND-HAND FINERY—A TRAGEDY IN EM-
BRYO—PROJECT OF THE WRITTEN MOUN-
TAINS
After two years spent in roving about the Con-
tinent, "pursuing novelty," as he said, "and los-
ing content," Goldsmith landed at Dover early
in 1756. He appears to have had no definite
plan of action. The death of his uncle Con-
tarine, and the neglect of his relatives and
friends to reply to his letters, seem to have pro-
duced in him a temporary feeling of loneliness
and destitution, and his only thought was to
get to London and throw himself upon the
world. But how was he to get there? His purse
was empty. England was to him as completely
a foreign land as any part of the Continent, and
where on earth is a penniless stranger more
destitute? His flute and his philosophy were no
longer of any avail; the English boors cared
nothing for music; there were no convents; and
as to the learned and the clergy, not one of
them would give a vagrant scholar a supper
and night's lodging for the best thesis that ever
was argued. "You may easily imagine," says he,
in a subsequent letter to his brother-in-law,
"what difficulties I had to encounter, left as I
was without friends, recommendations, money,
or impudence, and that in a country where be-
ing born an Irishman was sufficient to keep me
unemployed. Many, in such circumstances,
would have had recourse to the friar's cord or
the suicide's halter. But, with all my follies, I
had principle to resist the one, and resolution to
combat the other."
CHAPTER SEVEN
LIFE OP A PEDAGOGUE—KINDNESS TO
SCHOOLBOYS—PERTNESS IN RETURN—
EXPENSIVE CHARITIES—THE GRIFFITHS
AND THE "MONTHLY REVIEW"—TOILS OF
A LITERARY HACK—RUPTURE WITH THE
GRIFFITHS
Among the most cordial of Goldsmith's inti-
mates in London during this time of precarious
struggle were certain of his former fellow-
students in Edinburgh. One of these was the
son of a Dr. Milner, a dissenting minister, who
kept a classical school of eminence at Peckham,
in Surrey. Young Milner had a favorable opin-
ion of Goldsmith's abilities and attainments,
and cherished for him that good will which his
genial nature seems ever to have inspired
among his school and college associates. His
father falling ill, the young man negotiated
with Goldsmith to take temporary charge of the
school. The latter readily consented; for he was
discouraged by the slow growth of medical
reputation and practice, and as yet had no con-
fidence in the coy smiles of the muse. Laying by
his wig and cane, therefore, and once more
wielding the ferule, he resumed the character of
the pedagogue, and for some time reigned as
vicegerent over the academy at Peckham. He
appears to have been well treated by both Dr.
Milner and his wife, and became a favorite with
the scholars from his easy, indulgent good na-
ture. He mingled in their sports, told them droll
stories, played on the flute for their amuse-
ment, and spent his money in treating them to
sweetmeats and other schoolboy dainties. His
familiarity was sometimes carried too far; he
indulged in boyish pranks and practical jokes,
and drew upon himself retorts in kind, which,
however, he bore with great good humor. On-
ce, indeed, he was touched to the quick by a
piece of schoolboy pertness. After playing on
the flute, he spoke with enthusiasm of music, as
delightful in itself, and as a valuable accom-
plishment for a gentleman, whereupon a
youngster, with a glance at his ungainly per-
son, wished to know if he considered himself a
gentleman. Poor Goldsmith, feelingly alive to
the awkwardness of his appearance and the
humility of his situation, winced at this un-
thinking sneer, which long rankled in his mind.
As usual, while in Dr. Milner's employ, his be-
nevolent feelings were a heavy tax upon his
purse, for he never could resist a tale of dis-
tress, and was apt to be fleeced by every sturdy
beggar; so that, between his charity and his
munificence, he was generally in advance of his
slender salary. "You had better, Mr. Goldsmith,
let me take care of your money," said Mrs. Mil-
ner one day, "as I do for some of the young gen-
tlemen."—"In truth, madam, there is equal
need!" was the good-humored reply.
CHAPTER NINE
HACKNEY AUTHORSHIP—THOUGHTS
OF LITERARY SUICIDE—RETURN TO PEC-
KHAM—ORIENTAL PROJECTS—LITERARY
ENTERPRISE TO RAISE FUNDS—LETTER
TO EDWARD WELLS—TO ROBERT BRYAN-
TON—DEATH OF UNCLE CONTARINE—
LETTER TO COUSIN JANE
CHAPTER TEN
"OLIVER GOLDSMITH.
"OLIVER GOLDSMITH."
CHAPTER TWELVE
ORIENTAL PROJECTS—LITERARY
JOBS—THE CHEROKEE CHIEFS—MERRY
ISLINGTON AND THE WHITE CONDUIT
HOUSE—LETTERS ON THE HISTORY OF
ENGLAND—JAMES BOSWELL—DINNER OF
DAVIES—ANECDOTES OF JOHNSON AND
GOLDSMITH
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"OLIVER GOLDSMITH."
The unexpected circulation of the Vicar of Wa-
kefield enriched the publisher, but not the au-
thor. Goldsmith no doubt thought himself enti-
tled to participate in the profits of the repeated
editions; and a memorandum, still extant,
shows that he drew upon Mr. Francis Newbery,
in the month of June, for fifteen guineas, but
that the bill was returned dishonored. He con-
tinued therefore his usual job-work for the
booksellers, writing introductions, prefaces,
and head and tail pieces for new works; revis-
ing, touching up, and modifying travels and
voyages; making compilations of prose and
poetry, and "building books," as he sportively
termed it. These tasks required little labor or
talent, but that taste and touch which are the
magic of gifted minds. His terms began to be
proportioned to his celebrity. If his price was at
anytime objected to, "Why, sir," he would say,
"it may seem large; but then a man may be ma-
ny years working in obscurity before his taste
and reputation are fixed or estimated; and then
he is, as in other professions, only paid for his
previous labors."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THEATRICAL MANEUVERING—THE
COMEDY OF FALSE DELICACY—FIRST
PERFORMANCE OF THE GOOD-NATURED
MAN—CONDUCT OF JOHNSON—
CONDUCT OF THE AUTHOR—
INTERMEDDLING OF THE PRESS
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
DINNER AT BICKERSTAFF'S—
HIFFERNAN AND HIS IMPECUNIOSITY—
KENRICK'S EPIGRAM—JOHNSON'S CON-
SOLATION—GOLDSMITH'S TOILET—THE
BLOOM-COLORED COAT—NEW AC-
QUAINTANCES—THE HORNECKS—A
TOUCH OF POETRY AND PASSION—THE
JESSAMY BRIDE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
"January, 1770.
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NOTE
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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
"OLIVER GOLDSMITH.
"OLIVER GOLDSMITH."
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
"I was only five years old," says the late George
Colman, "when Goldsmith one evening, when
drinking coffee with my father, took me on his
knee and began to play with me, which amiable
act I returned with a very smart slap in the face;
it must have been a tingler, for I left the marks
of my little spiteful paw upon his cheek. This
infantile outrage was followed by summary
justice, and I was locked up by my father in an
adjoining room, to undergo solitary imprison-
ment in the dark. Here I began to howl and
scream most abominably. At length a friend
appeared to extricate me from jeopardy; it was
the good-natured doctor himself, with a lighted
candle in his hand, and a smile upon his coun-
tenance, which was still partially red from the
effects of my petulance. I sulked and sobbed,
and he fondled and soothed until I began to
brighten. He seized the propitious moment,
placed three hats upon the carpet, and a shil-
ling under each; the shillings, he told me, were
England, France, and Spain. 'Hey, presto, cock-
olorum!' cried the doctor, and, lo! on uncover-
ing the shillings, they were all found congre-
gated under one. I was no politician at the time,
and therefore might not have wondered at the
sudden revolution which brought England,
France, and Spain all under one crown; but, as I
was also no conjurer, it amazed me beyond
measure. From that time, whenever the doctor
came to visit my father,
"'I pluck'd his gown to share the good man's
smile';
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
TO DR. GOLDSMITH
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
INVITATION TO CHRISTMAS—THE
SPRING VELVET COAT—THE HAYMAKING
WIG—THE MISCHANCES OF LOO—THE
FAIR CULPRIT—A DANCE WITH THE JES-
SAMY BRIDE
"O. G."
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
THEATRICAL DELAYS—NEGOTIATIONS
WITH COLMAN—LETTER TO GARRICK—
CROAKING OF THE MANAGER—NAMING
OF THE PLAY—SHE STOOPS TO CON-
QUER—FOOTE'S PRIMITIVE PUPPET-
SHOW, PIETY ON PATTENS—FIRST PER-
FORMANCE OF THE COMEDY—
AGITATION OF THE AUTHOR—SUCCESS—
COLMAN SQUIBBED OUT OF TOWN
The gay life depicted in the two last chapters,
while it kept Goldsmith in a state of continual
excitement, aggravated the malady which was
impairing his constitution; yet his increasing
perplexities in money matters drove him to the
dissipation of society as a relief from solitary
care. The delays of the theater added to those
perplexities. He had long since finished his new
comedy, yet the year 1772 passed away without
his being able to get it on the stage. No one,
uninitiated in the interior of a theater, that little
world of traps and trickery, can have any idea
of the obstacles and perplexities multiplied in
the way of the most eminent and successful
author by the mismanagement of managers, the
jealousies and intrigues of rival authors, and
the fantastic and impertinent caprices of actors.
A long and baffling negotiation was carried on
between Goldsmith and Colman, the manager
of Covent Garden; who retained the play in his
hands until the middle of January (1773), with-
out coming to a decision. The theatrical season
was rapidly passing away, and Goldsmith's
pecuniary difficulties were augmenting and
pressing on him. We may judge of his anxiety
by the following letter:
"OLIVER GOLDSMITH."
"OLIVER GOLDSMITH."
The negotiation of Johnson with the manager of
Covent Garden was effective. "Colman," he
says, "was prevailed on at last, by much solici-
tation, nay, a kind of force," to bring forward
the comedy. Still the manager was ungenerous;
or, at least, indiscreet enough to express his
opinion, that it would not reach a second repre-
sentation. The plot, he said, was bad, and the
interest not sustained; "it dwindled, and dwin-
dled, and at last went out like the snuff of a
candle." The effect of his croaking was soon
apparent within the walls of the theater. Two of
the most popular actors, Woodward and Gen-
tleman Smith, to whom the parts of Tony
Lumpkin and Young Marlow were assigned,
refused to act them; one of them alleging, in
excuse, the evil predictions of the manager.
Goldsmith was advised to postpone the per-
formance of his play until he could get these
important parts well supplied. "No," said he, "I
would sooner that my play were damned by
bad players than merely saved by good acting."
Quick was substituted for Woodward in Tony
Lumpkin, and Lee Lewis, the harlequin of the
theater, for Gentleman Smith in Young Mar-
low; and both did justice to their parts.
"Ride, si sapis."
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
"TOM TICKLE."
"OLIVER GOLDSMITH."
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
"OLIVER GOLDSMITH."
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
A RETURN TO DRUDGERY—FORCED
GAYETY—RETREAT TO THE COUNTRY—
THE POEM OF RETALIATION—PORTRAIT
OF GARRICK—OF GOLDSMITH—OF REY-
NOLDS—ILLNESS OF THE POET—HIS
DEATH—GRIEF OF HIS FRIENDS—A LAST
WORD RESPECTING THE JESSAMY BRIDE
OLIVARII GOLDSMITH,
Poetae, Physici, Historici,
Qui nullum ferè scribendi genus
Non tetigit,
Nullum quod tetigit non ornavit
Sive risus essent movendi,
Sive lacrymae,
Affectuum potens ac lenis dominator:
Ingenio sublimis, vividus, versatilis,
Oratione grandis, nitidus, venustus:
Hoc monumento memoriam coluit
Sodalium amor,
Amicorum fides,
Lectorum veneratio.
Natus in Hibernia Forniae Longfordiensis,
In loco cui nomen Pallas,
Nov. xxix. MDCCXXXI.;
Eblanse literis institutus;
Obiit Londini,
April iv. MDCCLXXIV.
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