tc! GOLDSMITH. 
his native village, and might fit him for some mercan- 
tile mployment, But ng shewn, some marks of 
ius, it was at length resolved to. send him to the uni- 
ity ; and accordingly, having gone through the. 
studies, he was, admitted a. sizer of Trinity 
Late Fa fA 1744, While here, an unfor- 
tunate quarrel with his tutor, occasioned by, the isapeen 
; Sere SP ce Se the harshness of the other, - 
| his hopes of distinction, He engaged in a tumult, 
and escaped expulsion, only by, making a humble con 
fession, Nor, did he atone for such follies by fare eo 
eroderse eemning.. He was habitually i nit: 
he r-stood candidate for the usual. premiums, nor ! 
did he obtain a.scholarship; and it was not till Febru- 
1749, two years after the, rtime, that he was. 
i to the degree of Bachelor.of Arts. Having, 
t.his father, he was,taken under the protection of his: 
u Rev. Thomas Contarin, who had all, along, 
indeed, shewn him the utmost kindness, and who per- 
seyered in his, friendship towards him, notwithstanding 
the, most RaniP ag oyaRECiom shenerichllyondy, Gold- 
smith. He was at length, by this.worthy relative, sent. 
eg diobargts abpus she end of 1752, to study physic. 
lis attendance on the medical classes there was very: ir- 
regular ; his habits of heedlessness and folly grew-upon | 
him ; and his health, as well as his finances, was great- 
ly injured, by the dissipations in which he freely enga- 
ged. Having gone through  the.usual course of study, 
e set out for Leyden with the, consent of his uncle: af. 
ter tay bax: by the generosity of two friends at college, 
e freed from.an arrestment for, debt, contracted by 
his thoughtlessly becoming surety for a fellow-student. 
At Leyden he continued for a year, studying chemistry 
under Gaudius, and anatomy under Albinus ; but more 
heartily engaged in gambling, to which he was now uns 
iy addicted, than in the pursuits of science. Strip- 
all his money, he..determined to quit, Holland, 
to make the tour of Europe. He supported him- 
self by various means. Sometimes he had recourse to 
his musical skill, playing on his flute for what the peo- 
ple would give him ; sometimes his classical learning 
procured for him entertainment at-the monasteries ; and’ 
sometimes, by engaging in those public disputations, 
which were maintained in the universities and convents, 
he, was. so successful, as to be allowed a donation of mo- 
ney, a dinner, and a bed for the night. In this manner 
he travelled through Flanders, some parts of France and 
Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. It was while in 
“Switzerland, that he first cultivated his poetical talents, 
part of his beautiful see the Traveller having, been 
written there, as he himself tells'us. “When he was in. 
Italy, he received accounts of the death of his uncle; and: 
the pecuniary remittances failing him i of” 
hie he ng him in consequence 
‘was obliged to travel homeward.on foot. He 
landed at Dover in 1756, having spent about twelve: 
months in this strange and adventurous peregrination.. 
pi aie usher in an academy ; then assistant in 
a chemist’s laboratory; and at length commenced busi-. 
but almost. no fees. In 1758, through the 
indness. of | Dr Milner,.a dissenting clergyman, he was: 
rae physician to one of the; factories in India. 
equip him for that situation; (into which, after all, he 
never entered) he composed “ The Present State of Polite: 
Literature in Europe.” This work was printed in 1759+ 
it appeared, he. asa contributor tothe): 
M Re Review.; His, contract: with the editor was: 
= Say mee but it was dissolved by mu- 
onsent at the end of seven or eight-months.. His. 
; continued) to| bemarrows» While under. 
oa irk plasm, which procured for him plenty of © 
333 
arrest for debt, he 
May Sist 1761, he received his first: visit from the cele- 
brated Dr Johnson. Besides correcting and revising 
many. publications for Mr Newbery, he wrote: his Let- 
ters on English History, in: 2 vols. 12mo, which have: 
been by, mistake attributed to Lord Lyttleton, and other 
noble authors ; conducted. a Lady's Magazine ;' contti« 
buted:to.the “ Bee;’ and produced a:periodical paper’ 
called. «* The Ledger.” This last work was afterwards: 
collected into 2 vols. 12mo, and entitled the Citizen of 
, the World, It. is characterised) by fine sentiment, and 
exquisite humour. But: bis chief attention was bestow* 
ed,on The Traveller, which) he brought out in 1765, om 
which he intended to. build his poetical fame, and which* 
did :procure-for him: both high reputation; and’ consi-’ 
dgued pavement: His charming ballad the Hermit, 
recommended him to the Duchess of Northumberland, 
In}1764,. the famous: Literary: Club. was established ; 
Goldsmith. was one of its: first’ membersy and con+ 
tinued in it till his death, In’1768, his comedy of « The 
Good-natured Man” was first represented at Covent Gar 
den, and kept possession of the stage for nine oe ae 
And in the year following, he produced his fine and po 
pular poem of the “Deserted Village.” While =! 
ring these pieces: for the press, he undertook and coms: 
pleted his:** Roman History,” in 2 vols. 8vo,; and *his* 
‘ History of England,” in 4:vols.: 8vo,—works: intends! 
ed for the perusal: ofthe: young; and ‘certainly written? 
in an interesting manner,’ but almost:always superficial, 
and frequently inaccurate. The. History of England 
was finished-in two years, and herreceived for'it AD 
He was-employed all this time in literary efforts of an“ 
occasional and inferior: kind; such as prefiuces, intros 
ductions; and prospectuses. It was one of these that led” 
to, the publication of) the‘ History of the Earth and_ 
Animated) Nature,” a production entertaining and well: 
written, buteuntortunately abounding injerrors. He 
also wrote a‘ Life of Parnell,” of which Johnson speaks! 
in terms of high approbation. In preparing his ** Beau- 
ties of English Poetry,’ he introduced; inadvertently,’ 
an indecent tale ‘from Prior, which ‘blasted‘the  success~ 
of the selection, as:it was chiefly intended for the use of’ 
boarding schools, The life-of Lord: Bolingbroke; prefix- 
ed to that nobleman’s’ Dissertations on Parties, was the- 
production, of Goldsmith’spen, though his-name' was’ 
not affixed to, it in the-firstedition: When-the Royal‘ 
Academy. was'established; Sir Joshua ‘Reynolds’ proeu-* 
red for him the appointment of professor! of paren hin® 
,—an appointment without» salary or-trouble, but-" 
besa honiotisabblemunabusalit to him 
On: the, 15th March 1773, his':second comedy, * The* 
Mistakes of a Night, or She stoops to Conquer,” was.’ 
produced: ati Covent; Garden, was‘ received by the au« 
dience»- with great applause, kept’ possession of) the 
stage as.a stock play,:and-increased his literary reputa~* 
tion. A ‘scurrilous paper, occasioned by | his success, 
and inserted ina London:paper, so provoked him, that ' 
he went to: the: editor and-assaulted-him; bat the Docs - 
tor got himself severely bruised in the scuffle. He-was4 
led into this quarrel:by the officiousness ofa pretended 
friend.«. About this time, he wrote.‘ The Retaliation,” 
« The Haunceh of Venison,” and some other small pies > 
ees, which did not appear till after his-death. A great- 
project‘now entered ‘his mind ; it* was: An Universal’ 
| Dictionary: of Arts and Sciences.” ' He‘ had engaged his 
literary friends to: assist-himy and had actually prepared 
a prospectus of the work. But his plan was interrupted 
«by. a-fever, which terminated his ‘life’on the 4th of April” 
1744, He was privately interred in the Tenrple burial 
produced thatinimitable novel, the Goldsmith. 
Vicar of Wakefield, for which: he received £60. On == 
