ii LIFE OF GOLDSMITH. 



the college, he was soon delivered out of the hands of the bailiff, and took his passage on board 

 a Dutch ship to Rotterdam, where, after a short stay, he proceeded to Brussels. He then 

 visited great part of Flanders ; and, after passing some time at Strasbourg and Louvain, where 

 he obtained a degree of Bachelor in Physic, he accompanied an English gentleman to Geneva. 



It is undoubtedly a fact, that this ingenious unfortunate man made most part of his tour on 

 foot. He had left England with very little money; and being of a philosophic turn, and at 

 that time possessing a body capable ol sustaining every fatigue, and a heart not easily terrifi- 

 ed by danger, he became an enthusiast to the design he had formed of seeing the manners of 

 different-countries. He had some knowledge of the French language, and of music: heplav- 

 ed tolerably well on the German flute ; which, from amusement, became, at some times, the 

 means of subsistence. His learning produced him an hospitable reception at most of the re- 

 ligious houses he visited ; and his music made him welcome to the peasants of Flanders and 

 Germany. " Whenever I approached a peasant's house towards night-fall," he used to say, 

 "I played one of my most merry tune?, and that generally procured me not only a lodging 

 but subsistence for the next day: but, in truth" (his constant expression,) "I must own, when- 

 ever I attempted to entertain persons of a higher rank, they always thought my perfor- 

 mance odious, and never made me any return for my endeavours to please them." 



On his arrival at Geneva, he was recommended as a proper person for a travelling tutor to 

 a young man, who had been unexpectedly left a considerable sum of money by his uncle 

 Mr. S. ******. This youth, who was articled to an attorney, on the receipt of his fortune de- 

 termined to see the world. 



During Goldsmith's continuance in Switzerland, he assiduously cultivated his poetical talent, 

 of which he had given some striking proofs at the college of Edinburgh. It was from hence 

 he sent the first sketch of his delightful epistle, called the Traveller, to his brother Henry, a 

 clergyman in Ireland, who, giving up fame and fortune, had retired with an amiable wife to 

 happiness and obscurity, on an income of only forty pounds a year. The great affection 

 Goldsmith bore for this brother, is expressed in the poem before mentioned, and gives a 

 striking picture of his situation. 



From Geneva Mr. Goldsmith and his pupil proceeded to the south of France, where the 

 young man, upon some disagreement with his preceptor, paid him the small part of his salary 

 which was due, and embarked at Marseilles for England. Our wanderer was left once more 

 upon the world at large, and passed through a number of difficulties in traversing the greatest 

 part of France. At length his curiosity being gratified, he bent his course towards England, 

 and arrived at Dover, the beginning of the winter, in the year 1758. 



His finances were so low on his return to England, that he with difficulty got to the metro- 

 polis, his whole stock of cash amounting to no more than a few half-pence. An entire stranger 

 'n London, his mind was filled with the most gloomy reflections in consequence of his embar- 



