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The dcfcrlptions of life and manners, of national charaders 

 in his Traveller, of profeffional in his Deferted Village, and of 

 individual in his Retaliation, are drawn with mafterly fKill. Gold- 

 fmith wrote from adtual obfervation with the moft judicious 

 feledion. His accounts are faithful and charaderiftic fketches 

 of the hiftory of man. The fports of Auburn are defcribed with 

 the accuracy of an adual fpedator and with the feelings of one 

 who had partaken of fuch *. The charader of the French pea- 

 fantry is given con amore. Goldfmith in the moft endearing and 

 affeding tafte of true paftoral poetry gives us fimple manners 

 which yet agree with exifting nature and humble life remote 

 from vulgarity. Whatever might degrade or difguft is carefully 

 concealed, whatever could amplify is without apparent refearch 

 produced. In the defcription of the village ale-houfe, the im- 

 portance which it adds to the poor man's heart is dwelt upon, 

 and the oblivion of his care, but the idlenefs, the intoxication 



Vol. VI. ( M ) and 



♦ Mr. Anderfon in his criticifm on Goldfmith prefixed to his edition of his 

 works among the Britifli poets, makes the following obfervation : " The village 

 " direrfions are perhaps infifted on with too much prolixity and amplification. 

 " But wc are recompenfed for this generahty and redundance by the dalfical and 

 " beautiful particularity and concifenefs of the context — the Imciu^ p?,ir, the 

 " fwain miftruftlefs — the bafhful virgin," &c. This obfervation is very nearly 

 faying that we are recompenfed for Goldfmith's gemrality by his particularity, and 

 for his rtdutidance by his concifenefs^ 



