6.)f> G O L 
Goldoni with a few of his companions were performers. 
Comic writers were his ftiidy as foon as iie could read, 
and li" fketched a plan of a comedy of his own inv^en- 
tion vvlien only eig'nt years of age. He was fent to leain ' 
rhetoric at Hie Jeiuits’ college of Perugia, and philo- 
fopiiy at Rimini. He attended, how'ever, more to the 
Rage than to Arillotle or Quintilian, and he made an 
elopement from the latter place with the company of 
comedians at their removal to Chiozza. His father in 
vain tried to initiate him in his own profelTion, and in 
tliat of an advocate. He deferred the bar, and went to 
Milan, where he was entertained by the Venetian refi- 
dent as his fecrctary. There he brought out his firrt: 
jiiece for the itage, entitled U Gondoliere Veneziaiio ; and 
loan after, removing to Verona, he attached himfelf to 
a company of players, for whom he corapofed feveral 
pieces. He next came to Venice, and fet himfelf feri- 
oufly to ^reform the Italian ftage, which was over-run 
witli low farce and indecent buffoonery. He (fudied the 
true charadfer of comedy, and confined his reprefenta- 
tions within the limits of natyre and decorum. Proba¬ 
bly with a view of improving his language, he vifited 
Tufcany, and refided fome time at Florence and Pifa. 
He again returned to Venice ; and fuch was liis induftry 
and fertility, that he is faid in the courfe of twelve 
months to have produced fixteen comedies, befides for¬ 
ty-two other pieces for the theatre, and among thefe are 
reckoned fome of his beft performances. The firff edi¬ 
tion of his works was printed in 1753, in 10 vols. 8vo. 
An edition under the title of the New Comic Theatre 
contained feveral more pieces, and in 1761 his new pieces 
amounted to fifty-nine. At that period he received an 
invitation from the manager of the Italian tlieatre at 
Paris to make an engagement for two years as compofer 
lor that ftage. He accordingly repaired to that capital; 
but his fiift attempt to fubftitute fober comedy to pan¬ 
tomimic drollery was not fuccefsful, and he was obliged 
to make fome facrifice to the received chara(fter of that 
tlieatre in his fubfequent compofitions, of which twenty- 
four were the produdl of his engagement. When it was 
finiftied, and he was about to depart for Italy, lie ob¬ 
tained an introduction to court, and the appointment of 
Italian mafter to the princeftes. He had lodgings in 
Verfailles, and a penfion, which, however, did not allow 
liim to lay afide writing for the ftage. He even, in his 
fixty-fecond year, ventured upon the arduous talk of 
tompofing in a foreign language, and brought out at 
the court theatre his French comedy of Le Bourru Bitn^ 
faifant, which met with extraordinary fuccefs. It was 
followed by VAvare Fajfeux. On the acceflion of Louis 
XVI. he was appointed Italian teacher to the princelfes 
Clotilde and Elizabeth. Infirmities at length obliged 
him to leave the court and retire to Paris, and lie had 
the misfortune in his old age to be deprived of his pen¬ 
fion, in confequence of the Revolution, and reduced to 
indigence. The French nation was about to make him ho¬ 
nourable amends when he died, in 1792, at the age of 
eighty-five. He has been termed the Moliere of Italy; 
but the title is too flattering. His colleCfed works were 
printed at Leghorn, in 31 vols. 8vo. 1788-91. 
GOLDS'BOROUGH, a poft-town of the American 
States, in Hancock county, diftriCl of Maine. It was 
incorporated in 1789, and is the foutli-eafternnioft town 
in the county. On the waters of its harbour is the town 
of Wafliington. It is 47 miles eafterly of Penobfeot, 
188 fouth-ealf of Portland, and 330 north-eaft of Bofton. 
■Lat. 44. I9.»N. 
GOLD'SIZE, f. A varnifti of a golden colour, ufed by 
gilders. See the article Gilding, in this volume. 
GOLD'SMITH, y. [golb and Sax.] One who 
mannfaCfures gold. A banker; one who keeps money 
for others in his hands.—The goldfmith or banker who 
takes all your fortune to difpofe of, when he has before¬ 
hand refolved to break the following day, does furely 
delerve the gallows. Swif't, 
G O L 
Goldfmith’s work is either performed in the mould, 
or beat out with the hammer or other engine. All works 
that have raifed figures are caft iii a mould, and after¬ 
wards polilhed and finiftied : plates or difties, of filver 
or gold, are beat out from thin flat plates ; and tankards, 
and other veflels of that kind, are formed of plates fol- 
dered together, and their mouldings are beat, not call. 
The bufinefs of the goldfmiths formerly required mirch 
more labour than it does at prefent; for they were 
obliged to hammer the metal from the ingot to the thin- 
iiefs they wanted: but the flatting mills now reduce 
metals to the tliinnefs that is required, at a very final 1 
expence. The goldfinith is to make his own moulds j 
and for that reafon ought to be a good defigner, and 
have a tafte in fculpture : he ought alfo to know enough 
of metallurgy to be able to affay mixed metals, and to 
mix the alloy. 
Gold and filver goods are to be aflayed by the warden 
of the goldfmiths company in London, and marked ; and 
gold is to be of a certain touch. 28 Edzu. I. c. 20. By 37 
Edw. HI. c. 7, goldfmiths were to have their own marks , 
on plate, after the furveyors have made their affay ; and 
falfe metal was to be feized and forfeited to the king. 
Work of filver made by goldfmiths, &c. is to be as fine 
as fterling, except the folder necefl'ary ; and marking 
other work, incurs a forfeiture of double value. zHezi. 
VI. c. 14. Goldfmiths ftiall not take above one ftiilffng 
the ounce of gold, befide the faftiion, more than the buyer 
may be allowed for it at the king’s exchange : and if the 
work of any goldfmith be marked and allowed by the 
mafter and wardens of the myftery, and afterwards found 
faulty, the wardens and corporation ftiall forfeit the va¬ 
lue of the thing fo fold or exchanged. 18 Eliz. c. 15. 
Molten filver is not to be tranfported by goldfin'iths 
before it is marked at goldfmiths hall, and a certificate 
made thereof on oath; and officers of the cuftoms may 
I'eize filver ffiipped olherwife. 6 and 7 IFz//. III. c. 17. 
The cities of York, Exeter, Briftol, Chefter, Norwich, 
and town of Newcaftle, are alfo appointed places for 
affaying and marking wrought plate of goldfmiths, &c. 
j2 IFi//. III. c. 4. I Anne, c. 9. A duty is granted on fil¬ 
ver plate of fixpence per ounce ; and goldfmiths are to 
make entries thereof with the weight, on pain of one 
hundred pounds, &c. And goldfmiths inuft work their 
plate according to the old ftandard; which is to be 
touched, allayed, and marked, before expofed to fale. 
6 Geo. I. c. II. 
Gold-plate made by goldfmiths ftiall contain twenty- 
two carrats of fine gold ; and filver plate eleven ounces 
and two pennyweights of filver, in every pound troy, or 
they forfeit ten pounds. And no goldfmith lhall fell 
any fuch plate, until marked with the firft letters of the 
maker’s chriftian and furname, the inaVks of the city of 
London, being the leopard’s head, lion paft'ant. See. and 
thofe made ufe of by the alTayers at York, Exeter, &c. 
All perfons making plate, are to enter their marks, 
names, and places of abode, in the aft'ay-office ; they are 
likewife to lend with the plate required to be marked, 
a particular account thereof, in order to be entered, &c. 
or forfeit five pounds. The alfayers determine what 
folder is necefl'ary about plate, and judge of tlie work- 
manlhip, and for good caufe may refufe to afl’ay it; and 
if any parcel be difeovered of a coarfer alloy than the 
ftandard, it may be broke and defaced ; alio the fees 
for allaying and marking are particularly limited by 
12 Geo. II. c. 26. 
GOLD'SMITH (Oliver), an eminent poet and mifcel- 
laneous writer, fon of the Rev. Charles Goldfmith, born 
at Pallas, near Athlone, in Ireland, 101729. His father 
had feven children, viz. five fons and two daughters. Of 
his eldeft fon, the Rev. Henry Goldfmith, to whom his 
brother dedicated his Traveller, their father had formed 
the molt fanguine hopes, as he had dillinguilhed himfelf 
both at fchool and at college; but he unfortunately mar¬ 
ried at the age of nineteen, which confined him to a 
3 : curacy. 
