drinking, to which he was never addicted; and besides a critic of acknowledged taste and acumen. when he retired to his bed-chamber, took up his His reluctance to accept of our author's play, books and papers with him, where he generally therefore, and his decided condemnation of it at its wrote the chapter, or the best part of it, before he last rehearsal, was almost considered decisive of its went to rest. This latter exercise, he said, cost fate. Goldsmith, however, did not despair of it him very little trouble; for having all his materi- himself; and the opinion of Dr. Johnson, without als duly prepared, he wrote it with as much ease as being sanguine, leaned to the favourable side. In a common letter. The mode of life and study thus a letter to Mr. Boswell he says, "Dr. Goldsmith described, Goldsmith, however, only pursued by has a new comedy, which is expected in the spring. fits. He loved the gaieties, amusements, and so- No name is yet given to it. The chief diversion ciety of London; and amongst these he would oc- arises from a stratagem, by which a lover is made casionally lose himself for months together. To to mistake his future father-in-law's house for an make up for his lost time he would again retire to inn. This, you see, borders upon farce. The dithe farm-house, and there devote himself to his la- alogue is quick and gay, and the incidents are so bours with such intense application, that, for weeks prepared as not to seem improbable." And aftersuccessively, he would remain in his apartments wards, when Colman had actually consented to without taking exercise. This desultory system is bring it out, Johnson wrote thus to the Rev. Mr. supposed to have injured his health, and to have White: "Dr. Goldsmith has a new comedy in rebrought on those fits of the strangury to which he hearsal at Covent Garden, to which the manager was subject in the latter part of his life. He used predicts ill success. I hope he will be mistaken: to say, that "he believed the farmer's family with I think it deserves a very kind reception." Others whom he lodged thought him an odd character, simi- of Goldsmith's friends also entertained favourable lar to that in which the Spectator appeared to his opinions of the piece; and a few of them even prolandlady and her children: he was The Gentleman." phetically anticipated a triumph over the judgment About this period he was concerned in a work of the manager. Perhaps, however, the strong and called "The Gentleman's Journal," published once decided interest taken by these friends in the fate a fortnight. It was conducted under the joint ma- of the play was one great cause of its success. A nagement of Kenrick, Bickerstaff, and others; but large party of them, with Johnson at their head, was soon discontinued. When a friend was talk- attended to witness the representation, and a scheme ing to our author one day on the subject of this to lead the plaudits of the house, which had been work, he concluded his remarks by observing, preconcerted with much address, was carried into what an extraordinary sudden death it had. "Not execution with triumphant effect. This contriat all, sir," said Goldsmith; "a very common case; vance, and the circumstances which led to it are it died of too many doctors." detailed by Mr. Cumberland in his Memoirs. "It His next performance was his second attempt was now," says Mr. Cumberland, "that I first met as a dramatist. Not discouraged by the cold re-him at the British Coffee-house. He dined with ception which his first play had met with, he re- us as a visiter, introduced, as I think, by Sir Joshua solved to try his fate with a second, and, maugre a Reynolds, and we held a consultation upon the host of adverse critics, succeeded. In his letter to naming of his comedy, which some of the company Mr. Langton he mentions, that he had been occu- had read, and which he detailed to the rest after pied in writing a comedy, "trying these three his manner with a great deal of good humour. months to do something to make the people laugh," Somebody suggested-She Stoops to Conquer; and and "strolling about the hedges, studying jests, that title was agreed upon. When I perceived an with a most tragical countenance." This was the embarrassment in his manner towards me, which drama which he afterwards christened "She Stoops I could readily account for, I lost no time to put to Conquer; or, The Mistakes of a Night." Al- him at his ease; and I flatter myself I was successthough then just finished, its publication was de- ful. As my heart was ever warm towards my conlayed till it should be acted at one of the theatres; temporaries, I did not counterfeit, but really felt a and from the various obstacles and delays which cordial interest in his behalf; and I had soon the are there thrown in an author's way, it was not pleasure to perceive, that he credited me for my produced till March, 1773. Much difference of sincerity.-'You and I,' said he, 'have very differopinion existed as to the probability of its success. ent motives for resorting to the stage. I write for The majority of critics to whom it had been sub-money, and care little about fame."—I was touched mitted were apprehensive of a total failure; and it by this melancholy confession, and from that mowas not till after great solicitation, that Mr. Col- ment busied myself assiduously amongst all my man, the manager of Covent Garden theatre, con- connexions in his cause. The whole company sented to put it in rehearsal. That gentleman had pledged themselves to the support of the ingenuhimself given incontestable proofs of dramatic ge-ous poet, and faithfully kept their promise to him. nius, in the production of various pieces, and was In fact, he needed all that could be done for him, as Mr. Colman, then manager of Covent Garden grossed by his person and performances, that the theatre, protested against the comedy, when as yet progress of the play seemed likely to become a se he had not struck upon a name for it. Johnson condary object, and I found it prudent to insinuate at length stood forth in all his terrors as champion to him that he might halt his music without any for the piece, and backed by us, his clients and re- prejudice to the author; but, alas! it was now too tainers, demanded a fair trial. Colman again pro-late to rein him in: he had laughed upon my sigtested; but, with that salvo for his own reputation, nal where he found no joke, and now unluckily he liberally lent his stage to one of the most eccentric fancied that he found a joke in almost every thing productions that ever found its way to it; and that was said; so that nothing in nature could be 'She Stoops to Conquer' was put into rehearsal. more mal-a-propos than some of his bursts every now and then were. These were dangerous moments, for the pit began to take umbrage; but we carried our point through, and triumphed not only over Colman's judgment but our own.” "We were not over sanguine of success, but perfectly determined to struggle hard for our author: we accordingly assembled our strength at the Shakspeare Tavern in a considerable body for an early dinner, where Samuel Johnson took the The victory thus achieved was a source of infichair at the head of a long table, and was the life nite exultation to Goldsmith, not more from the and soul of the corps: the poet took post silently pride of success, than from the mortification he by his side, with the Burkes, Sir Joshua Reynolds, imagined it caused to the manager, at whom he Fitzherbert, Caleb Whitefoord, and a phalanx of was not a little piqued in consequence of the folNorth British predetermined applauders, under lowing circumstance. the banner of Major Mills, all good men and true. On the first night of performance he did not Our illustrious president was in inimitable glee: come to the house till towards the close of the reand poor Goldsmith that day took all his raillery presentation, having rambled into St. James's as patiently and complacently as my friend Bos- Park to ruminate on the probable fate of his piece; well would have done any day, or every day of his and such was his anxiety and apprehension, that life. In the mean time we did not forget our du- he was with much difficulty prevailed on to repair ty; and though we had a better comedy going, in to the theatre, on the suggestion of a friend, who which Johnson was chief actor, we betook our-pointed out the necessity of his presence, in order selves in good time to our separate and allotted to mark any objectionable passages, for the purpose posts, and waited the awful drawing up of the cur- of omission or alteration in the repetition of the tain. As our stations were preconcerted, so were performance. With expectation suspended beour signals for plaudits arranged and determined tween hope and fear, he had scarcely entered the upon in a manner that gave every one his cue passage that leads to the stage, when his ears were where to look for them, and how to follow them up. shocked with a hiss, which came from the audience "We had amongst us a very worthy and efficient as a token of their disapprobation of the farcical member, long since lost to his friends and the supposition of Mrs. Hardcastle being so deluded world at large, Adam Drummond, of amiable me as to suppose herself at a distance of fifty miles mory, who was gifted by nature with the most so- from home while she was actually not distant fifty norous, and at the same time the most contagious, yards. Such was our poor author's tremor and laugh that ever echoed from the human lungs. agitation on this unwelcome salute, that running The neighing of the horse of the son of Hystaspes up to the manager, he exclaimed, "What's that? was a whisper to it; the whole thunder of the thea- what's that?"-"Pshaw, doctor!" replied Colman, tre could not drown it. This kind and ingenu- in a sarcastic tone, "don't be terrified at squibs, ous friend fairly forewarned us, that he knew no more when to give his fire than the cannon did that was planted on a battery. He desired, therefore, to have a flapper at his elbow, and I had the honour to be deputed to that office. I planted him in an upper box, pretty nearly over the stage, in The play of "She Stoops to Conquer" is foundfull view of the pit and galleries, and perfectly well ed upon the incident already related, which befel situated to give the echo all its play through the the author in his younger days, when he mistook hollows and recesses of the theatre. The success a gentleman's house for an inn. Although, from of our manœuvres was complete. All eyes were the extravagance of the plot, and drollery of the upon Johnson, who sat in a front row of a side incidents, we must admit that the piece is very box; and when he laughed, every body thought nearly allied to farce, yet the dialogue is carried on themselves warranted to roar. In the mean time in such pure and elegant language, and the strokes my friend followed signals with a rattle so irresisti- of wit and humour are so easy and natural, that bly comic, that, when he had repeated it several few productions of the drama afford more pleasure times, the attention of the spectators was so en- in the representation. It still keeps possession of when we have been sitting these two hours upon a barrel of gunpowder." The pride of Goldsmith was so mortified by this remark, that the friendship which had before subsisted between him and the manager was from that moment dissolved. "FOR THE LONDON PACKET. "TO DR. GOLDSMITH. the stage as a stock play, and is frequently acted; | Packet" of the 24th March, 1773, published by a circumstance which proves the accuracy of the Mr. Thomas Evans, bookseller in Paternosteropinion expressed by Dr. Johnson, "that he knew row. Both the manner and the matter are un. of no comedy for many years that had so much worthy of Kenrick, who was a man of talents. It exhilarated an audience; that had answered so was probably the work of a more obscure hand. much the great end of comedy-that of making an audience merry." In publishing this play, Goldsmith paid his friend Johnson the compliment of a dedication, and expressed in the strongest manner the high regard he entertained for him. "By inscribing this slight performance to you," said he, "I do not mean so much to compliment you as myself. It may do me some honour to inform the public, that I have lived many years in intimacy with you. It may serve the interests of mankind also to inform them, that the greatest wit may be found in a character without impairing the most unaffected piety." "Vous vous noyez par vanité. "SIR,-The happy knack which you have learnt of puffing your own compositions, provokes me to come forth. You have not been the editor of newspapers and magazines, not to discover the trick of literary humbug: but the gauze is so thin, that the very foolish part of the world see through it, and discover the doctor's monkey face, and The good fortune which attended this drama cloven foot. Your poetic vanity is as unpardona. was productive of its usual concomitants-a mixed ble as your personal. Would man believe it, and portion of applause and censure, with instances of will woman bear it, to be told, that for hours the fulsome flattery and furious detraction. While great Goldsmith will stand surveying his grotesque from less fortunate bards, whose poverty induced orang-outang's figure in a pier glass? Was but the them to solicit his bounty, he received the incense lovely H―k as much enamoured, you would not of adulation in a torrent of congratulatory address-sigh, my gentle swain, in vain. But your vanity is es; from others, more independent, who were preposterous. How will this same bard of Bedlam jealous of his reputation, and envied his success, he experienced all the virulence of malignant criticism and scurrilous invective. A single instance of each may gratify the curiosity of our readers. "ON DR. GOLDSMITH'S COMEDY SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER.' "Quite sick in her bed Thalia was laid, A sentiment puke had quite kill'd the sweet maid, When a regular doctor, one Goldsmith by name, "Oh! doctor, assist a poor bard who lies ill, Without e'er a nurse, e'er a potion, or pill: ring the changes in the praise of Goldy! But what has he to be either proud or vain of? The Traveller' is a flimsy poem, built upon false principles— principles diametrically opposite to liberty. What is 'The Good-natured Man' but a poor, water-gruel, dramatic dose? What is the 'Deserted Village' but a pretty poem, of easy numbers, without fancy, dignity, genius, or fire? And pray what may be the last speaking pantomime, so praised by the doctor himself, but an incoherent piece of stuff. the figure of a woman with a fish's tail, without plot, incident, or intrigue? We are made to laugh at stale dull jokes, wherein we mistake pleasantry for wit, and grimace for humour; wherein every scene is unnatural, and inconsistent with the rules, the laws of nature, and of the drama: viz. two gentlemen come to a man of fortune's house, eat, drink, etc. and take it for an inn. The one is intended as a lover for the daughter: he talks with her for some hours: and when he sees her again in a different dress, he treats her as a bar-girl, and swears she squinted. He abuses the master of the doors. The 'squire, whom we are told is to be a house, and threatens to kick him out of his own fool, proves the most sensible being of the piece; and he makes out a whole act, by bidding his mother lie close behind a bush, persuading her that The other instance exhibits an attempt to check his father, her own husband, is a highwayman, the author's triumph on the ninth night after the and that he has come to cut their throats, and, to representation of his play. It was a most illiberal give his cousin an opportunity to go off, he drives personal attack, in the form of a letter (supposed his mother over hedges, ditches, and through ponds. to be written by Dr. Kenrick,) addressed to Gold- There is not, sweet sucking Johnson, a natural smith himself, and inserted in "The London stroke in the whole play, but the young fellow's From your kindness he hopes for some ease. You're a 'good-natured man' all the world does allow, O would your good-nature but shine forth just now, In a manner-I'm sure your good sense will tell how, Your servant most humbly 'twould please! "The bearer is the author's wife, and an answer from Dr. Goldsmith by her, will be ever gratefully acknowledged by his humble servant, "Saturday, March 27, 1773." 'JOHN OAKMAN.' "TO THE PUBLIC. giving the stolen jewels to the mother, supposing her to be the landlady. That Mr. Colman did no justice to this piece, I honestly allow; that he told his friends it would be damned, 1 positively aver; "Lest it may be supposed, that I have been wiland, from such ungenerous insinuations, without a ling to correct in others an abuse of what I have dramatic merit, it rose to public notice; and it is been guilty myself, I beg leave to declare, that in now the ton to go and see it, though I never saw all my life I never wrote or dictated a single paraa person that either liked it, or approved it, any more than the absurd plot of Home's tragedy of 'Alonzo.' Mr. Goldsmith, correct your arrogance, "Brise le miroir le infidèle, "TOM TICKLE." graph, letter, or essay in a newspaper, except a few moral essays, under the character of a Chinese, about ten years ago, in the 'Ledger;' and a letter, to which I signed my name, in the 'St. James's Chronicle.' If the liberty of the press, therefore, has been abused, I have had no hand in it. "I have always considered the press as the protector of our freedom;-as a watchful guardian, capable of uniting the weak against the encroachments of power. What concerns the public most properly admits of a public discussion. But, of late, the press has turned from defending public Indignant at the wanton scurrility of this letter, interest to making inroads upon private life; from which was pointed out to him by the officious kind- combating the strong to overwhelming the feeble. ness of a friend, and enraged at the indelicacy of in- No condition is now too obscure for its abuse; and troducing the name of a lady with whom he was ac- the protector is become the tyrant of the people. In quainted, Goldsmith, acccompanied by one of his this manner, the freedom of the press is beginning countrymen, waited on Mr. Evans, and remonstrat-to sow its own dissolution; the great must oppose ed with him on the malignity and cruelty of such an it from principle, and the weak from fear; till at unmerited attack upon private character. After ar- last every rank of mankind shall be found to give guing upon the subject, Evans, who had really no up its benefits, content with security from its inconcern in the paper, except as publisher, went to sults. examine the file; and while stooping down for it, the "How to put a stop to this licentiousness, by author was rashly advised by his friend to take that which all are indiscriminately abused, and by which opportunity of using his cane, which he imme-vice consequently escapes in the general censure, diately proceeded to do, and applied it to the pub-I am unable to tell. All I could wish is, that as lisher's shoulders. The latter, however, unexpect-the law gives us no protection against the injury, edly made a powerful resistance, and being a stout, so it should give calumniators no shelter after high-blooded Welshman, very soon returned the having provoked correction. The insults which blows with interest. Perceiving the turn that mat- we receive before the public, by being more open, ters were taking, Goldsmith's hot-headed friend are the more distressing. By treating them with fled out of the shop, leaving him in a sad plight, silent contempt, we do not pay a sufficient deferand nearly overpowered by the fierce Welshman. ence to the opinion of the world. By recurring to In the mean time, Dr. Kenrick, who happened to legal redress, we too often expose the weakness of be in a private room of the publisher's, came forward the law, which only serves to increase our mortion hearing the noise, and interposed between the fication by failing to relieve us. In short, every combatants, so as to put an end to the fight. The man should singly consider himself as a guardian author, sorely bruised and battered, was then con- of the liberty of the press; and, as far as his influveyed to a coach; and Kenrick, though suspected ence can extend, should endeavour to prevent its lito be the writer of the libel, affecting great com-centiousness becoming at last the grave of its freepassion for his condition, conducted him home. dom. This ridiculous quarrel afforded considerable sport "OLIVER GOLDSMITH." for the newspapers before it was finally made up. The composition of this address is so much in An action was threatened by Evans for the assault, the style of Dr. Johnson, that it was at first generbut it was at length compromised. Many para-ally believed to be the production of his pen. Johngraphs appeared, however, reflecting severely on son, however, always disclaimed any participation the impropriety of Goldsmith's attempting to beat in it; and his disavowal has since been recorded in a person in his own house; and to these he con- the volumes of Mr. Boswell. "On Saturday, ceived it incumbent on him to make a reply. Ac- April 3," says that gentleman, "the day after my cordingly the following justificatory address ap-arrival in London this year, I went to his (Dr. peared in "The Daily Advertiser" of Wednesday, Johnson's) house late in the evening, and sat with March 31, 1773. Mrs. Williams till he came home. I found, in the 'London Chronicle,' Dr. Goldsmith's apology to distress always awakened his sensibility, and emp the public for beating Evans, a bookseller, on ac- tied his purse. But what contributed more than count of a paragraph in a newspaper published by any other cause to exhaust his means and embarhim, which Goldsmith thought impertinent to him rass his affairs, was the return of his passion for and to a lady of his acquaintance. The apology gaming. The command of money had unfortu. was written so much in Dr. Johnson's manner, nately drawn him again into that pernicious habit, that both Mrs. Williams and I supposed it to be and he became the easy prey of the more knowing his; but when he came home he soon undeceived and experienced in the art. Notwithstanding the us when he said to Mrs. Williams, 'Well, Dr. amount of his receipts, therefore, poor Goldsmith, Goldsmith's manifesto has got into your paper,' I from the goodness of his heart, and his indiscretion asked him if Dr. Goldsmith had written it, with an at play, instead of being able to look forward to air that made him see I suspected it was his, though affluence, was involved in all the perplexities of subscribed by Goldsmith.-Johnson, 'Sir, Dr. debt. Goldsmith would no more have asked me to write It is remarkable that about this time he attemptsuch a thing as that for him, than he would have ed to discard the ordinary address by which he asked me to feed him with a spoon, or to do any had been long recognised; rejecting the title of thing else that denoted his imbecility. I as much Doctor, and assuming that of plain Mr. Goldbelieve that he wrote it, as if I had seen him do it. smith. The motives that induced this innovation Sir, had he shown it to any one friend, he would have never been properly explained. Some have not have been allowed to publish it. He has, in- supposed that it was owing to a resolution never deed, done it very well; but it is a foolish thing well more to engage as a practical professor in the healdone. I suppose he has been so much elated with the ing art; while others have imagined that it was success of his new comedy, that he has thought prompted by his dislike to the constraint imposed every thing that concerned him must be of impor- by the grave deportment necessary to support the tance to the public.' Boswell; 'I fancy, sir, this is the appellation and character of Doctor, or perhaps first time that he has been engaged in such an adventure.' Johnson; 'Why, sir, I believe it is the first time he has beat; he may have been beaten before. This, sir, a new plume to him.'" from ambition to be thought a man of fashion rather than a mere man of letters. Whatever were the motives, he found it impossible to throw off a designation by which he had been so long and generally known; the world continued to call him Doctor (though he was only Bachelor of Medicine) till the day of his death, and posterity has perpetuated the title. Had it not been for the painful and ludicrous circumstances attending this unlucky squabble, Goldsmith, in all probability, would have felt more than sufficiently elated with the success of his new comedy. Independent of the literary triumph it "The History of the Earth and Animated Naafforded him over the judgments of Colman and ture," on which he had been engaged about four others as critics, the pecuniary advantages he reap-years, at length made its appearance in the begined from it were equally satisfactory. He cleared, ning of 1774, and finally closed the literary labours by this performance alone, upwards of eight hun-of Goldsmith. During the progress of this underdred pounds. Indeed, the emolument which at taking, he is said to have received from the publishthis period Goldsmith derived from his various pro- er eight hundred and fifty pounds of copy-money. ductions was considerable. In less than two years, Its character, as a work of literature and science, it is computed that he realised not less than eighteen we have already noticed. hundred pounds. This comprises the profits of The unfinished poem of "Retaliation," the only both his comedies, various sums received on ac-performance that remains to be noticed, owed its count of his "Animated Nature," which was still birth to some circumstances of festive merriment in progress, and the copy-money of his lives of that occurred at one of the meetings in St. James's Bolingbroke and Parnell. Nevertheless, within Coffee-house. The occasion that produced it is little more than a year after the receipt of these thus adverted to by Mr. Cumberland in his Mesums, his circumstances were by no means in a moirs: "It was upon a proposal started by Edmund prosperous condition. The profuse liberality with Burke, that a party of friends, who had dined towhich he assisted indigent authors was one of the gether at Sir Joshua Reynolds' and my house, causes which led to such a state of things. Pur- should meet at the St. James's Coffee-house; don, Pilkington, Hiffernan, and others, but parti- which accordingly took place, and was occasioncularly some of his own countrymen, hung per- ally repeated with much festivity and good fellowpetually about him, played upon his credulity, and, ship. Dr. Barnard, dean of Derry, a very amiaunder pretence of borrowing, literally robbed him ble and old friend of mine, Dr. Douglas, since of his money. Though duped again and again bishop of Salisbury, Johnson, David Garrick, Sir by some of these artful men, he never could steel Joshua Reynolds, Oliver Goldsmith, Edmund and his heart against their applications. A story of Richard Burke, Hickey, with two or three others |