~ 
394 
Another time, Goldsmith wishing to 
have a little innocent merriment with 
William, hit on the following scheme, 
which he accomplished. William had 
fallen in love with a young woman, who 
lived in the neighbourhood as a servant, 
and they for some time kept each other 
company. The young woman soon after 
left her situation and went back into 
Yorkshire, her native county. But she 
promised to write to William, though, for 
some reason or another, that promise was 
never fulfilled. © This circumstance 
gave him no little uneasiness, and having 
so often enquired of the postmen to no 
purpose, he had nearly sunk into despair. 
Goldsmith availing himself of poor Wil- 
liam’s condition, took upon him to imi- 
tate a bad hand, and to indite a letter, 
which for sentiment and expression 
might be taken for a real epistle out of 
Yorkshire. This being done with exact- 
ness, (for the lady who told me the anec- 
dote saw it before it was sent) Goldsmith 
gave it one of the young gentlemen, with 
the request that-he would deliver it next 
morning immediately after the postman 
had called at the house. The young gen- 
tlemen were in the habit of running to- 
wards the door when the postman made 
his appearance; of course, one of the 
group returned from the door with this 
said letter,and gave it directly to William ; 
who, snatching it with eagerness, thrust 
it into his bosem, and withdrew to make 
himself acquainted with the contents. 
The substance of the epistle was, that 
she had for various reasons delayed writ- 
ing, but had to intorm*him that a young 
man, hy trade a ylass-grinder, had paid 
his addresses to her, that she had not 
given much encouragement, though her 
relations were for the match; that she, 
however, often thought of William, and 
he was not lone out of her mind, for she 
did not forget the pleasant moments they 
had passed together on former occasions. 
She concluded by saying, that something 
must now be done one way or another, &c. 
This gratified William, thongh not with- 
out a mixture of the painfél passion of ' 
jealousy, which, however, was not so 
great as to destroy the pleasure arising 
from this fresh token ef her attachment 
to him. When in the evening he came 
into the kitchen, with features expressive 
of an accession to his happiness, Gold- 
smith accosted him in these words: “ So 
William vou have had a letter from York- 
shire, what does she say to you? come 
tell me all about it.” “Yes, (returned 
Anecdotes of Dr. Goldsmith 
[June 1, 
William, nodding his head) I have had 
a letter from Yorkshire, but I. shall not 
tell you, Mr. Goldsmith, any thing about ° 
it; no, no, that will never do.” Well 
then, (said Goldsmith, after putting a few 
more questions, which were all negatived) 
suppose, William, I tell you what the 
contents of the letter are ;” when, looking 
upon a newspaper which he had in his 
hands, he adds, “ Come I will read you 
your letter just as [ find it here;” read- 
ing aloud the several words of which the 
letter was composed, with a steady coun- 
tenance, and without the least faultering 
or hesitation. William was thunder-struck, 
became very angry, and exclaimed, * You 
use me very ill, Mr. Goldsmith, you have 
opened my letter!” Upon this, Gold- 
smith immediately unravelled the diffi- 
culty, by telling him that he himself had 
the preceding evening written the letter, 
and thus made poor William believe that 
it was his wisest way never to expect any 
epistle from his dudcinea, who had evi- 
dently forsaken him, and ought not there- 
fore to be suffered for the tune to come, 
to disturb his repose! 
These, Sir, are the two anecdotes of 
the humour and cheerfulness of Gold- 
smith, whichI lately received from Miss 
Milner, when drinking tea with her, and 
which I wrote down immediately on my 
return home. However trivial they may 
be, there are some young persons to whom 
they may prove acceptable. They are 
naturally inquisitive respecting every par- 
ticular in the history of a man to whom 
they are mnuch indebted for the perusal 
of his‘ Grecian and Roman Histories,” 
of his “ Animated Nature,” of his “ Chi- 
nese Letters,” and of his exquisite 
«¢ Poems,” and which must have contri- 
buted in nosmall degree to their intel- 
lectual improvement. Your's, &c. 
Pullin’s-row, Islington, | Joun Evans. 
| April 4, 1808. 
2S a 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
ye the season approaches where many 
of the favourites of fortune indulge 
themselves in the high gratification of 
exploring distant parts of this island, in 
pursuit of the beauties of natural roman- 
tic scenery, it may perhaps Not be unac- 
ceptable to furnish, through the medium 
of your Magazine, a concise description 
of Richmond in Yorkshire, a place which, 
though infinitely less noticed, is much 
superior to Richmond in Surry, im all that 
i) Fag 
a 
