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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



twice married, first in 1757, to Miss Mary Howard, 

 who died in 1770. She seems to have been a woman 

 of tact and affection, for they lived very happily 

 until her death. His second wife, whom he 

 wedded in 17S1, was the widow of Colonel Chandos- 

 Pole, of Radbourne Hall, whose acquaintance he 

 had made during his medical practice, and he is 

 said to have been passionately attached to her 

 before her husband's death. His new wife, dis- 

 liking town life at Lichfield, they removed to 

 Radbourne Hall, thence to Derby, and later to 

 Breadsall Priory, where Dr. Erasmus Darwin died 

 of heart-disease in 1802, having been in his latter 

 years of great bodily size, even to unwieldiness. 

 Although irritable of temper to a degree, and 

 dictatorial in his manner, Dr. Darwin was sur- 

 prisingly beloved by those who knew him intimately. 

 As a worker he was insatiable, even having his 

 carriage fitted for writing and reading in the 

 intervals between his visits to patients. 



Dr. Erasmus Darwun's earliest 

 literary w-ork was poetic. His 

 first poem, although written in 

 his Cambridge undergraduate 

 days, appeared in the "European 

 Magazine" for 1795. A collection 

 of his poems was published in 

 1807. It is strange to find the 

 poems of a man who was by 

 no means of an effeminate or 

 handsome type, infused with 

 eroticisms and to hear of his love 

 adventures ; for few men have 

 shown more vigour, at times 

 approaching to roughness. 



Dr. Erasmus Darwin's chief 

 scientific reputation was founded 

 on his knowledge of medicine and botany. In a 

 public-spirited manner, rare at the time, he pur- 

 chased and laid out as a botanical garden, in 

 1778, eight acres of land near Lichfield. His pro- 

 fessional reputation extended over the country, 

 until George III. invited him to come to London 

 as his physician. Dr. Darvvin, however, refused. 



The painting of Dr. Erasmus Darwin in the 

 National Portrait Gallery is by J. Wright, A.R.A., 

 and represents the head and shoulders only. 



Oliver Goldsmith {1728-1774). 



So much has been written about this versatile 

 and convivial Irishman, the author of "An History 

 of the Earth and Animated Nature," that it seems 

 to be only covering too familiar ground to give any 

 long account of his life. 



From the point of view of a writer on scientific 

 subjects, Oliver Goldsmith based his reputation 

 upon his "Animated Nature," for the rest of his 

 long list of literary productions are on topics far 

 from the dry bones of Science. They cover a great 



Oliver Goldsmith. 



range of subjects, from political economy through 

 history to fiction, the drama and poetry. Many 

 are the stories about his talent, indiscretions, 

 poverty and conviviality. 



Oliver Goldsmith was second son and fifth child 

 of Charles and Ann Goldsmith. He was born at 

 Pallas, near Ballymahon, in co. Longford, on 

 November loth, 1728. His father was curate of a 

 country church, but perhaps most occupied in 

 cultivating the glebe farm, until he became rector 

 of Kilkenny West, two years after Oliver was born. 

 Oliver, like many another brilliant man, was 

 considered in his childhood to be densely stupid, 

 though he early showed indications of clever 

 versification. After a desultory course of some- 

 what varied schools, on account of his father's 

 straitened circumstances, Oliver was sent to 

 Trinity College, Dublin. There he did little good, 

 and after leaving entered upon one of the most 

 remarkable careers on record; always in poverty, 

 ever merry and full of Bohemian 

 adventure. Unfortunately it is 

 well-nigh impossible to separate 

 . the ficticious from the true history 

 of his life, for few people have 

 more delighted to astonish their 

 friends with travellers" tales than 

 Oliver Goldsmith. One fact seems 

 to be established, viz., that he did 

 much of his wanderings on foot, 

 without money, but with merry 

 song, story, or his flute to en- 

 courage hospitality. He said he 

 travelled through Europe, from 

 Holland to Italy and back, but 

 where he really went will never 

 be know-n, for Goldsmith's love of 

 fiction in time perverted even his own memory. 



Suflice it to say that Goldsmith's literary 

 remains are among the most delightful of the 

 English classics. Some will live for ever, such 

 as the "Vicar of Wakefield,'" "The Deserted 

 Village," "She Stoops to Conquer"; not forget- 

 ing the story of "Little Goody Two-Shoes." His 

 "Animated Nature" was published after his 

 death, which occurred on April 4th, 1774. 



The picture in the National Portrait Gallery is a 

 copy of one by Reynolds, but the best likeness is 

 said to be at Knole Park, near Sevenoaks, in Kent. 

 As an incentive to many people to take an 

 interest in natural history, "Animated Nature" 

 doubtless fulfilled its mission a century ago. It 

 was never a scientific work, and was probably a 

 compilation when the author had become a 

 literary hack in sore need of the money doled out 

 for its production. It was, however, considered a 

 remarkable work in its time, but is now relegated 

 to an upper shelf, where it still remains in a 

 modern library. fTo be continued.) 



