the Letters of the alleged Nobleman, which by not being seen in such company, appeared to be tacitly disclaimed. He received, we are told by Davies in the Life of Garrick, for his three Histories of England, this being one of the number, 750%. or 8007; a sum which is considerably exaggerated. He had himself indeed in his character of publisher, paid 5527. for the work in four volumes, and the abridgment of it in one; this would leave 2007. as the produce of the "Letters." Twenty-five sheets only of letter-press form the two volumes; and as Dodsley allowed only three guineas for an octavo sheet on a subject requiring more inquiry and research, a less sum would probably have been considered sufficient for a duodecimo sheet on history, although the quantity of matter might have been as great. Whether this was experienced, the following receipt renders questionable; no other acknowledgment connected with the volumes can be found, and excepting he experienced further liberality in succeeding reprints of them, the whole amount paid him was probably under 501. "Oct. 11, 1763.-Received of Mr. John Newbery twenty-one pounds, which with what I received before is in full for the copy of the History of England in a series of Letters two volumes in 12mo. "OLIVER GOLDSMITH." To such as have not seen the work, or perused it more carelessly from not knowing who was the author, the introductory portion touching generally on the subject of history, will be new and give a good idea of his general manner. He recants here the contemptuous censure passed on the study of mathematics in a preceding publication; the results no doubt of further reflection and experience; logic and metaphysics however stand no higher in his estimation than his friend Beatty said they did when at College. Examples of his repetitions of a favourite sentiment occasionally occur; in the first letter we find one which he had previously used in the Inquiry into Polite Learning,* and again put into the mouth of Croaker in the Good-natured Man:†-" When all is done, human life is at the greatest and the best, but like a froward child that must be played with and humoured a little to keep it quiet till it falls asleep, and then the care is over." It seems to be taken from Sir William Temple's Heads for an Essay upon the different Conditions of Life and Fortune. "After all life is but a trifle, that should be played with till we lose it, and then it is not worth regretting." Another used in three of his pieces, that "passions, like fermentation in liquors, disturb the youthful breast only to refine it," is in part applied to our Government connected with the great struggle of Charles 1. with his Parliament:" The laws became more precise, and the subjects more ready to obey, as if a previous fermentation in the constitution was necessary to its subsequent refinement." In the • See Works, vol. i. † Act I. Scene iv. See Works, vol. iv. thirty-fifth letter, when speaking of the murder of David Rizzio, the favourite of Mary Queen of Scots, he repeats of him what he had said in a paper on the different "Schools of Music" printed in the British Magazine:* "Thus ended Rizzio, a man who has been more spoken of perhaps than any other who rose from so mean a station. What his other talents to please might have been, is unknown; but certain it is, that several indications of his skill in music remain even to the present time: all those pleasing Scotch airs which are set in such a peculiar taste, being universally allowed to be of his composition." To these "Letters" his subsequent History of England in four volumes, is pretty largely indebted. CHAPTER XIV. Oratorio of the Captivity.—His threatened Arrest.—The Traveller. His poetical powers, which had lain in some degree dormant, at least in compositions of length, by the continued struggle for existence that works in prose enabled him better to maintain, were about this time called into action in the composition of an Oratorio. Two copies in his own hand-writing are still extant, though without a name, but it has been usually known to the few who possessed any information on the matter, as the "Captivity;" and that which appears the most correct transcript is given in the last English edition of his Works. One of the inducements to the undertaking was the prevailing popularity of such performances, in consequence of the admiration excited by the music of Handel. Another was perhaps the success of his friend Christopher Smart, in a similar composition named "Hannah," which with the music by Mr. Worgan, was performed at the King's Theatre on the 3d April 1764. A third and more probable cause was an acquaintance formed shortly before with Doctor Boyce, the eminent musician, by whom he had been either promised, or led to expect, it would be set to music, and whose compositions in this way enjoyed a just celebrity. Whatever ground there may have been for this expectation it was not fulfilled, from what cause is not known. Neither is any notice taken of the work by his friends or by memoir writers, not even by Dr. Percy or by Isaac Reed, the latter of whom wrote two sketches of his life, one for the Biographia Dramatica, and another for the edition of Essays collected by Wright; yet the fact of his having written it was well known to both. Their accounts indeed being cursory, it was not probably deemed necessary to enumerate all his productions. See Works, vol. i. The manuscript, now lying before the writer, seems to be a clean copy, having few erasures, but two of the songs vary slightly from what they appear in the first collection of his poetical works. To the Poet it probably proved, what he no doubt considered it from the labour employed and the little return received, an indifferent speculation. He retained it in his own possession for some months, when being either pressed for money, or despairing of having it introduced to the world in the manner originally designed, he sold the copy to Dodsley, with a right also to Newbery, as appears by the following receipt, transcribed from the original, now in the possession of Mr. Murray. It thus became of no more value to him than the small sum which the mere copyright produced :— "Received from Mr. Dodsley ten guineas for an Oratorio, which he and Mr. Newbery are to share. "Oct. 31st, 1764." "OLIVER GOLDSMITH. The composition of an Oratorio is not perhaps a very difficult thing in itself, for though dramatic in form, it is not so in spirit; we expect no involvement of plot, exhibition of character, or working of passion; neither the pomp of tragedy, nor the verisimilitude of life expected from comedy; neither is the poetry usually of the highest order, because the first consideration in all such compositions is the music. Without this be excellent, or at least of a superior description, all efforts of the poet will be vain; and the consciousness of being dependent upon the labours of another for the success of his own, may render him more careless of excellence. Besides, musicians think themselves authorized to take great liberties with verses; and no writer would willingly permit such as have cost him much thought and labour, to be excruciated upon even a musical bed of torture. Such works therefore seldom exhibit, and possibly do not require, the display of pre-eminent genius. The subject is the captivity in Babylon, and the period of time that immediately preceded the capture of the city by Cyrus. It is in three acts; the persons are,-First and second Jewish ProphetsIsraelitish Woman-First and second Chaldean Priests-Chaldean Woman-Chorus of Youths and Virgins. The Scene,-The Banks of the River Euphrates near Babylon. It opens in a strain of lamentation for their lost country and captive state by the Jewish prophets, who although in bondage by a nation of idolaters, find consolation in the knowledge and worship of the true God. While occupied by their griefs, the Chaldean priests enter with an invitation to strike the lyre in honour of a festival day to their gods, and join in the general revelry; the invitation is scornfully declined. The second act continues the attempt of the Chaldeans to persuade the Jews to join in their worship, when the chief prophet at length pouring a strain, imprecates the judgment of Heaven on the blasphemers of Babylon, and in return is threatened with more ponderous chains and a darker dungeon than such as encircle his blind and captive king Zedekiah. In the third act the Chaldeans express assurance of the continuance of their empire, notwithstanding the Jewish denunciations of wo; in the meantime a corse is seen borne to the bank of the river, which proves to be that of Zedekiah, and while the Jews are praying for signal punishment on the authors of his sufferings and death, a loud shout is heard, the army of Cyrus suddenly pours into the city, and the kingdom of Babylon is overthrown. The two songs which were not so connected with the business of the piece as to prevent being detached from it, found their way into circulation previous to his death. By comparing their construction in the Oratorio with the state in which they were afterwards printed, it will be seen by the lines in Italics that the same judicious revision applied to more elaborate productions, was not neglected even in songs: on what occasion the alterations were made, does not appear, probably for some compilation of Davies, as he possessed the corrected copies. "Oh Memory, thou fond deceiver, To former joys recurring ever. "Hence intruder, most distressing, Seek the happy and the free; The wretch who wants each other blessing, "To the last moment of his breath, And e'en the pang preceding death "Hope, like the gleaming taper's light, Adorns and cheers our way; And still, as darker grows the night, The silence of Bishop Percy regarding not only the Captivity but other works, is to be attributed to forgetfulness, or the displacement of his papers, as it appears he was fully informed on the subject by Mr. George Steevens. When directing the miscellaneous works to be prepared for the press, doubts had arisen in his mind, without reasonable cause as it proved, of the authenticity of one of the epilogues, although it had been put into his hands by the Poet himself, and under this impression, he wrote to that gentleman to apply to Mrs. Bulkley, the actress, for whom it was written, to inquire whether she remembered the lines and the occasion for which they were intended, but that lady had long been dead. The Bishop likewise omits to notice the other productions mentioned in the reply of Steevens; as if having once finished the memoir, he was indisposed to make additions which might branch out into more extensive in quiries, and be productive of more labour than his plan, or leisure, or time of life permitted. Another of his omissions, or what seems like such, is more accountable. In writing to Steevens, it will be observed, he says, "I have another unprinted poem of Dr. G's, in his own hand writing, that is undoubtedly his, which is of more consequence." No such additional poem appears in the edition of the works with which he was connected, except the quarrelling epilogue, intended at one time for She Stoops to Conquer, and to be spoken in dialogue by Mrs. Bulkley and Miss Catley. Had he meant this epilogue by the "unprinted poem of more consequence," some allusion would proba bly have been made to its nature when inquiring respecting the origin of a similar composition from the same hands. But the subject of it is not mentioned, nor can an explanation be obtained now, the nearest relative* of the Prelate declaring to the writer that nothing respecting Goldsmith either in letters or manuscript pieces exists among his papers; but had such a production been by accident omitted by him in the first edition of the works, it is not probable, from the unfortunate irritation which existed between him and the publishers, he would have given it in a second. The application to Mr. Steevens and his reply are dated September 1797. The Bishop writes "Your obliging letter was received this morning and merits my best thanks, which I could not defer presenting a moment. Yet I fear you will have reasons to repent of your readiness to serve your friends, when you find it has encouraged me to trouble you again. "The epilogue, of which I sent the exordium and conclusion, I find (by an endorsement which escaped me when I copied them for you) was intended to be spoken by Mrs. Bulkley. I wish she could by some means be asked if she remembers for what play it was intended. It may possibly, after all, be not written by Goldsmith, but only given for him to correct, though I think he would scarce have adopted the four lines in his epilogue to his printed comedy from it, had it not been his own. "He gave it me among a parcel of letters and papers some written by himself and some addresed to him without much explanation. But I have always considered it as his. Yet it would be awkward if after being inserted in his works, some other author should prove his claim to it, and therefore before I close with the booksellers who are impatiently pressing, I wish if possible to ascertain this point. "I have another unprinted Poem of Dr. G's, in his own handwriting that is undoubtedly his, which is of more consequence, together with many original and some very curious letters; so that I shall not abate of my terms with the booksellers even if this should be withdrawn. However, neither to them nor to the actress would I in the present stage of the business, excite any doubt concerning that Mrs. Isted of Ecton, Northamptonshire, surviving daughter of Dr. Percy.— Since this was written her death has been announced. |