no man's quarrels, at all times, were so much lovers' quarrels. 'Sir,' he said to Boswell, with a faltering voice, when Beauclerc was in his last illness, 'I would walk to 'the extremity of the diameter of the earth to save Beau'clerc:' yet with no one more bitterly than with Beauclerc, did he altercate in moments of difference. Nor was his fervent tribute 'The earth, sir, does not bear a worthier 'man than Bennet Langton,' less sincere, because one of his most favourite topics of talk to Boswell was the little weaknesses of their worthy friend.

The first volume of the Grecian History seems to have been finished soon after Boswell left London, and Griffin, on behalf of the 'trade,' was then induced to make further advances. An agreement dated on the 22nd of June, states £250 as the sum agreed and paid for the two volumes; but from this payment had doubtless been deducted some part of the heavy debt, for which the author was already in arrear. The rest of that debt, it seemed hopeless to satisfy by mere drudgery of his own, never more than doubtfully rewarded at best; and the idea now occurred to him of a work he might edit, for which he might procure contributions from his friends, and in which the mere influence of his name and repute might suffice to bring a liberal return. It is pleasant to find Garrick helping him in this. 'Dear sir,' writes Goldsmith to him on the 10th of June, 'To be thought of by 'you, obliges me; to be served by you, still more. It makes 'me very happy to find that Dr. Burney thinks my scheme ' of a Dictionary useful; still more that he will be so kind

as to adorn it with anything of his own. I beg you will 'also accept my gratitude for procuring me so valuable an 'acquisition. I am, dear sir, Your most affectionate servant, 'OLIVER GOLDSMITH.' Garrick had induced Doctor Burney to promise a paper on Music for the scheme, which was that of a Popular Dictionary of Arts and Sciences.

In exertions with a view to this project, and in other persevering labours of the desk, the autumn came on. 'Here,' he said exultingly to Cradock, on the latter entering his chambers one morning, 'are some of my best prose 'writings. I have been hard at work ever since midnight, 'and I desire you to examine them. They are intended 'for an introduction to a body of arts and sciences.' Cradock thought them excellent indeed, but for other admiration they have unluckily not survived. With these proofs of application, anecdotes of carelessness as usual alternate; and Cradock relates that, on one occasion, he and Percy met by appointment in the Temple, at Goldsmith's earnest request, and found him gone away to Windsor, after leaving an earnest entreaty (with which they complied) that they would complete for him a half-finished proof of his Animated Nature, which lay upon his desk. His once trim chambers had then fallen into grievous disorder. Expensive volumes (which, as he says in his preface to the book just named, had sorely taxed his scanty resources) lay scattered about the tables, and tossing on the floor. But of books he had never been careful. Hawkins relates that when engaged in his historical researches about music, Gold

smith told him some curious things one night at the Club, which he asked him to reduce to writing: he promised he would; desired Hawkins to call at his chambers; and on the latter doing so, stepped into a closet and tore out of a printed book six leaves, containing the facts he had mentioned. The carelessness, however, was not of books only. Such money as he had, might be seen lying exposed in drawers; to which his occasional man-servant' would resort as a mere matter of course, for means to pay any small bill that happened to be applied for: and on a visitor once pointing out the danger of this, 'What, my dear 'friend,' exclaimed Goldsmith, 'do you take Dennis for a 'thief?' One 'John Eyles' had lately replaced Dennis ; and was inheritor of the too tempting confidence reposed in his predecessor, at the time of Percy's good-natured visit to the Temple. The latter incident, I may add, shows us how fleeting the Rowley dispute had been; and it was followed by a mark of renewed confidence from Goldsmith, which may also show the fitful despondency with which he was at this time struggling. He asked Percy to be his biographer; told him he should leave him his papers; dictated several incidents of his life to him; and gave him a number of letters and manuscript materials, which were not afterwards so carefully preserved as they might have been. There is no doubt that his spirits were now unusually depressed and uncertain, and that his health had become visibly impaired. Even his temper failed him with his servants; and uncustomary bursts of passion showed

the disorder of his mind. These again he would repent and atone for on the instant; so that his laundress (one Mary Ginger) used to contend with John Eyles which of them on such occasions should first fall in his way, knowing well the profitable kindness that would follow the intemperate reproval. From such as now visited him, even men he had formerly most distrusted, he made little concealment of his affairs. I remember his showing 'me his Animated Nature in the Temple,' says Cumberland, who had called upon him there, but it was ' with a sigh, such as genius draws, when hard necessity 'diverts it from its bent to drudge for bread, and to talk ' of birds and beasts and creeping things, which Pidcock's 'showmen would have done as well.' Cumberland had no such necessity. His was not the life of the author militant. He could eat his daily bread without performing some daily task to procure it. I am writing for 'money,' said Goldsmith sorrowfully; 'while you write 'for fame.' His own distress, too, had made even more acute his sensibility to the distress of others. He was playing whist one evening at Sir William Chambers', when, at a critical point of the game, he flung down his cards, ran hastily from the room into the street, as hastily returned, resumed his cards, and went on with the game. He had heard an unfortunate woman attempting to sing in the street; and so did her half-singing, half-sobbing, pierce his heart, that he could not rest till he had relieved her, and sent her away. The other card-players had been

conscious of the woman's voice, but not of the wretchedness in its tone which had so affected Goldsmith.

It occurred to some friends to agitate the question of a pension for him. Wedderburne had talked somewhat largely, in his recent defence of Johnson's pension, of the resolve of the ministry no longer to restrict the bounty of the crown by political considerations, provided there was 'distinction in the literary world, and the prospect of 'approaching distress.' No living writer now answered those conditions better than Goldsmith; yet application on his behalf was met by firm refusal. His talent was not a marketable one. A late nobleman who had been a member ' of several administrations,' says poor Smollett, 'observed 'to me that one good writer was of more importance to 'the government than twenty placemen in the house of commons:' but the good writer must have the qualities of the placeman, to enable them to recognize his importance, or induce him to accept their livery. They had lately managed to pension Arthur Murphy, and Hugh Kelly had been some years in their pay: but Goldsmith had declined the overtures which these men accepted; such political feeling as he had shown in his English History was decidedly anti-aristocratic; and though, with this, he may have exhibited a strong leaning to the monarchy, he had not the merit which with the king was still a substitute for most other merit, of being a Scotchman. While the matter was in discussion, there had come to London the Scotch professor who had written the somewhat trumpery Essay