ADVERTISEMENT. THERE are an hundred faults in this Thing, and an hundred things might be said to prove them beauties. But it is needless. A book may be amusing with numerous errors, or it may be very dull without a single absurdity. The hero of this piece unites in himself the three greatest characters upon earth; he is a priest, an husbandman, and a father of a family. He is drawn as ready to teach, and ready to obey-as simple in affluence, and majestic in adversity. In this age of opulence and. refinement, who can such a character please? Such as are fond of high life, will turn with disdain from the simplicity of his country fire-side; such as mistake ribaldry for humour, will find no wit in his harmless conversation; and such as have been taught to deride religion, will laugh at one whose chief stores of comfort are drawn from futurity. OLIVER GOLDSMITH. REFERENCE TO THE ENGRAVINGS. Sophia saved from the flood (in the Title) Burchell reading the ballad of Edwin and Angelina Moses returning from the fair (in Title to Vol. I.) Prison-Scene THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD. I CHAP. I. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FAMILY OF WAKEFIELD, IN WHICH A KINDRED LIKENESS PREVAILS AS WELL OF MINDS AS OF PERSONS. WAS ever of opinion that the honeft man, who married and brought up a large family, did more service than he who continued fingle, and only talked of population. From this motive, I had scarce taken orders a year, before I began to think seriously of matrimony, and chofe my wife as the did her weddinggown, not for a fine gloffy surface, but fuch qualities as would wear well. To do her justice, the was a good natured notable woman; and as for breeding, there were few country ladies who could fhew more. She could read any English book without much spelling; but for pickling, preferving and cookery, none could excel her. She prided herself alfo upon being an excellent contriver in house-keeping; though I could never find that we grew richer with all her contrivances. However, we loved each other tenderly, and our fondness increased as we grew old. There was in fact nothing that could make us angry with the world or each other. We had an elegant house, situate in a fine country, and a good neighbourhood. The year was spent in a moral or rural amufement; in visiting our B |