nons. Here he wrote his "History of England, in a Series of Letters from a Nobleman to his Son," a work which has been generally attributed to Lyttleton, and, which is rather singular, never contradicted either directly or indirectly by that nobleman or any of his friends. "Of all his compilations," he used to say, "his 'Selection of English Poetry' showed most the art of profession." Here he did nothing but mark the particular passages with a red-lead pencil, and for this he ob tained two hundred pounds; but then he used to add, ८८ a man shows his judgment in these selections, and he may be often twenty years of his life in cultivating that judgment." In the year 1767, our author, who had now assumed the title of Doctor, made his first, and, probably, his only effort, towards obtaining a permanent establishment. On the death of Mr Mace Gresham, Professor of Civil Law, he became a candidate to succeed him; but with out success. In 1768, his first play, "The good-natured Man," was acted at Covent-Garden, with less approbation than it deserved Many parts of it exhibit the strongest indications of comic talents. There is, perhaps, no cha racter on the stage more happily imagined and more highly finished than Croaker's. In the succeeding year he had the honorary Professorship of History of the Royal Academy conferred on him. About this time he compiled a "Roman History," vol. 8vo, and a "History of England," in 4 vol. 8vo. He also was concerned in a periodical publication, called "The Gentleman's Journal," in conjunction with Dr. Kendrick, Bickerstaff, &c., which was soon discor tinued. The estimation in which he was held by the booksellers was at this time so great, that he was solicited to engage in a variety of works. His emoluments were very considerable; and, had he possessed only a small portion of prudence, he might have ensured that independence, the want of which embittered his latter days, and contributed, in some measure, to shorten his life. His next original publication was "The Deserted Village," which came out in the spring of 1770, and had a very rapid sale. He was, by his own confession, four or five years collecting materials, in all his country excursions, for this poem, and was actually engaged in the construction of it during two years. In 1771, he prefixed a "Life of Parnell," to a new edition of his "Poems on several Occasions," by T. Davies, 8vo. His next original work was his comedy of "She Stoops to Conquer." He cleared 8001. by this comedy; and though this year was very successful to him, by "The History of Greece," 2 vol. "The Life of Bolingbroke," prefixed to a new edition of "The Patriot King," and other publications; yet what with his liberality to poor authors, Purdon, Jack Pilkington, Dr. Hiffernan, &c., and a ridiculous and unfortunate habit of gaming, with the arts of which he was very little acquainted, he found himself at the end of it considerably in debt. Besides his "Histories of England," "of Greece," and "of Rome," he compiled "A History of the Earth and Animated Nature," 8 vol. 8vo, 1774, which procured for him more money than fame. Just before his death, he had formed a design for executing" An Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences ;" a plan which met with no encouragement. B The poem of "Retaliation" was his last performance, which he did not live to finish. It was written in answer to some illiberal attacks in a club of literary friends. When he had gone as far as the character of Sir Joshua Reynolds, he read it to his associates. He however did not mean to publish this poem, but to keep it, as he expressed himself to a friend," as a rod in pickle upon a future occasion:" but this occasion never presented itself: for a more awful period was approaching, "when kings as well as poets cease from their labours." Goldsmith's generosity, not to call it profusion, was without bounds. He was so humane in his disposition, that his last guinea was the general boundary of his munificence. Besides two or three poor authors always as pensioners, he had several widows and poor housekeepers; and when he had no money to give, he sent the latter away with shirts or old clothes, and sometimes with the whole contents of his breakfast-table, saying, after they were gone, with a smile of satisfaction, now let me suppose I have ate a hearty breakfast, and am nothing out of pocket His habit of gaming, and general carelessness with respect to money-matters, appear to have been his predominant failings. Though in the course of fourteen years, the produce of his pen is said to have amounted to more than eight thousand pounds, yet his income bore no proportion to his expenses. He became embarrassed" in his circumstances, and in consequence uneasy, fretful, and peevish. To this was added a violent strangury, with which he was some years afflicted, and which, with other misfortunes, brought on a kind of habitual despondency, wherein he used to express a great indifference to life. In this state he was attacked, March, 1774, by a nervous fever, which, being improperly treated, ter minated in his dissolution the 4th of April, 1774, after an illness of ten days, in the forty-third year of his age. He was buried in the Temple Church-yard, the 9th of the same month. A pompous funeral was intended; but a slight inspection into his affairs showed the impropriety of that design, and most of his friends sent excuses. few coffee-house acquaintance, rather suddenly collected, attended his remains to the grave. A A few years after his death, a monument, by Nollikens, was erected in Westminster Abbey, at the expense of the literary club to which he belonged; and upon it is inscribed the following epitaph, written by Dr. Samuel Johnson: OLIVARII GOLDSMITH, qui nullum fere scribendi genus nullum quod tetigit non ornavit; affectuum potens, at lenis dominator; sodalium amor, lectorum veneratio, Natus Hibernia, Forneiæ Lonfordiensis, Nov. 29, 1731. Eblanæ literis institutus, Apr. 4, 1774. Translation. This monument is raised to the memory of Poet, Natural Philosopher, and Historian, whether to move laughter, or draw tears: he was a powerful master over the affections, though, at the same time, a gentle tyrant ; of a genius at once sublime, lively, and equal to every subject: in expression at once noble, pure, and delicate. will last as long as society retains affection, and reading wants not her admirers. He was born in the kingdom of Ireland, at Fernes, in the province of Leinster, Where Pallas had set her name, Nov 29, 1731. He was educated at Dublin, and died in London, Goldsmith's Miscellaneous Essays, in prose and verse, were collected into one volume, 8vo, 1775; and again much enlarged in 3 vol 12mo, by the late Mr. Thomas Wright, printer, and published in 1798. His poetical and dramatic works were collected, and printed in 2 vol. 8vo, 1780. An edition of his Miscellaneous Works was printed at Perth, 3 vol. 8vo, 1793. His Traveller and Deserted Village have been frequently reprinted, and with his Retaliation and other pieces were received into the edition of the "English Poets," 1790. |