Nor could the un

rived in England, from his "done?"* foreign tour, three months be- easy little great actor bring himfore; his old weaknesses coming self to make his journey home back as he verged nearer and until he had privately sent 1765. nearer home, and, for his last on, for anonymous publicaEt. 37. few days in Paris, disturbing tion at the moment of his him with visions of Powell. arrival, a rhymed satirical fable "I'll answer for nothing and in anticipation and forestalment "nobody in a playhouse," he of expected Grub-street attacks, wrote to Colman; "the devil has wherein he humbly depicted him'put his hoof into it, and he self as The Sick Monkey, and the 66 'was a deceiver from the begin- whole race of other animals as "ning of the world. Tell me railing at the monkey and his "really what you think of Powell. travels. But it was labour all "I am told by several that he thrown away. The finessing and "will bawl and roar. Ross, Itrick ** were of no use, the hearts "hear, has got reputation in of his admirers being already I don't doubt it. The securely his without such miser"Town is a facetious gen-able help. Grub-street, when he "tleman." ""* A few days later, came, showed no sign of disSterne wrote to him from Bath composure; and there was but "strange" things of Powell; one desire in London and Westand when himself on the point minster, to see their favourite of starting from Paris for Lon-actor again.

"Lear.

**

don, he met Beauclerc, who Let us not be surprised if reported of the new tragedian these intolerable vanities and not less strangely. "What, all self-distrusts weighed, with con'my children!' I fear he has temporaries of his own grade, "taken a wrong turn. Have you against the better qualities of "advised him?" he wrote again this delightful man, and pressed to Colman. "Do you see him? down the scale. Johnson loved "Is he grateful? is he modest? him, but could not always show "Or, is he conceited and un-it for hatred of his foppery;

"length fallen on my fortune." It was indeed but a transient gleam, for the administration passed away in a month!

* March 10, 1765. Peake's Memoirs, I. 141.

*Letter dated 7th April, 1765. Peake's Memoirs, 1. 149-50.

**"Though secure of our hearts, yet confoundedly sick,

If they were not his own by finessing and trick."

Retaliation.

**"Powell," Sterne adds,-"good "heaven! give me some one with less "smoke and more fire. There are who, See Colman's Posthumous Letters, 271-8, "like the Pharisees, still think they shall for the instructions to Colman to puff "be heard for much speaking. Come-"our little stage hero" in his absence, come away, my dear Garrick, and teach received from the little stage hero him'us another lesson." Letter dated Bath, self. See also Murphy's Life, II. 14, and April 6, 1765, Davies's, II, 332,

Goldsmith admired him, yet was recklessly a line of Pope's, as in always ready to join in any self-defence one might pick up scheme for his mortification and a stone by the wayside, without Two things regard to its form or fitness. 1765. had been done in his ab-"Why, sir, I love my little sence to which he ad-"David dearly, better than all or dressed himself with great an-"any of his flatterers do; but xiety on his return. The Covent-"surely one ought to sit in a garden actors had established a "society like ours

Æt. 37.

annoyance.

voluntary benefit-subscription, to "Unelbow'd by a gamester, pimp or relieve their poorer fellows in player."*

*Piozzi Letters, 11. 887. **Life of Johnson, 425.

distress; and, jealous of such a Still the subject was not sufproposal without previous con- fered to let drop, and the next sultation with himself, he was who undertook it was Hawkins. now throwing all his energy into "He will disturb us, sir, by his a similar fund at Drury-lane, "buffoonery," was the only and which should excel and overrule obdurate answer. ** Garrick saw the other. Without him, too, that for the present it was hopethe Club had been established; less (though not long after, as but as he could not hope to suc- will be seen, Percy, Chambers, ceed in setting up a rival to that, and Colman obtained their eleche was using every anxious tion); and, with his happier tact means to secure his own im- and really handsome spirit, *** mediate election. Johnson resolutely opposed it. Reynolds first conveyed to him Garrick's *** In the midst of Garrick's uneasy wish, to the effect that he liked little vanities let me show him in his betthe idea of the club excessively, the present year), as the benefactor and ter character (also from an incident of and thought he should be of friend of worth and virtue. It will enable them. "He'll be of us!" ex-me too, as I have already illustrated claimed Johnson; "how does he Goldsmith's Doctor Marrowfat by comparison with a living dignitary of the "know we will permit him? The church (ante, 192), to offer a not un"first duke in England has no worthy companion picture to Goldsmith's "Doctor Primrose, in the person of a liv'right to hold such language." ing vicar. Garrick is writing to one of To Thrale, the next intercessor, his great friends on behalf of the Rev he threw out even threats of a Mr. Beighton, and "the worthy parson" black-ball; but this moved the is happily sketched by him. "The honest "vicar of Egham might be made the worthy brewer to remonstrate "happiest man upon earth with a small warmly, and Johnson, thus hard-"addition to his present income... He is pressed, picked up somewhat gouty and turned of sixty, yet has not

66

*Boswell, II. 274-5. Boswell relates this by way of contradicting Hawkins, whose account, however, it plainly confirms.

66 only the severe duty of Egham upon "him, but is obliged to ride five or six "miles through much water, and often to "swim his horse, for the sake of about "thirty pounds a-year. I entered lately "into a very serious conversation with

1765.

visited Johnson as usual, and to Langton, written shortly seemed to withdraw his claim. after, Johnson specially menBut he could not conceal his un- tions him as remiss in atteneasiness. "He would often stop dance, while he admits "at my gate," says his good- that he is himself not natured friend Hawkins, who over-diligent. "Dyer, Doc- t. 37. lived at Twickenham, "in his "tor Nugent, Doctor Goldsmith, "way to and from Hampton, with "and Mr. Reynolds," he adds, "messages from Johnson relat-"are very constant."* "ing to his Shakespeare, then in Without its dignified doctorial "the press, and ask such ques-prefix, Goldsmith's name is now "tions as these: 'Were you at seldom mentioned; even New"the Club on Monday night? bery is careful to preserve it in ""What did you talk of? Was his memoranda of books lent for "Johnson there? I suppose he the purposes of compilation; and "said something of Davy?- he does not seem, himself, to "that Davy was a clever fellow have again wholly laid it aside. ""in his way, full of convivial Indeed, he now made a brief 'pleasantry, but no poet, no effort, at the suggestion of Rey'writer, ha!'"* Hawkins might nolds, to make positive profeshear all this, however, with bet- sional use of it. It was much to ter grace than any one else; for have a regular calling, said the that worthy magistrate took little successful painter; it gave a man interest in the club. In a letter social rank, and consideration in the world. Advantage should be "him about his affairs, and he confessed taken of the growing popularity "to me that he found a curate was neces- of the Traveller. To be at once "sary for him; I made him an offer of

66 6

666

"little library and garden; but I defy

"money for that purpose till something physician and man of letters was "might happen, but he absolutely refused the most natural thing possible: "me... I assure you, upon my word and there were the Arbuthnots and "honour, that this step is taken without "his knowledge or concurrence. My Garths, to say nothing of Cowley "friend is a great dabbler in curiosities, himself, among the dead; there "and he has collected some few in his were the Akensides, Graingers, "him to show me a greater rarity than Armstrongs, and Smolletts, still "himself, for he is a generous, modest, among the living; and where was "ingenious, and disinterested clergy- the degree in medicine belong"man." Two years later, this application having failed, he wrote to the wife of ing to any of them, to which the the chancellor, Lord Camden, with better degree in poetry or wit had not effect. "The good man," he writes to given more glad her, acknowledging her answer, "hapacceptance? "pened to dine with me at Hampton Out came Goldsmith accordingly

"when I had the honour of receiving 66 your Ladyship's letter. He could not "refrain from tears of joy." Gar. Cor. I. 190-1, 263.

*Life of Johnson, 427.

*Boswell, II. 321. In the same letter he writes, "Mr. Lye is printing his Saxon "and Gothic dictionary: all The Club "subscribes."

(in the June of this year, accord-|poses Cooke, who relates the ing to the account-books of Mr. anecdote), one has to make vast William Filby the tailor),* in sacrifices for good company's

1765.

purple silk small-clothes, sake; "for here am I shut out of a handsome scarlet roque- "several places where I used to Æt. 37. laure buttoned close under "play the fool very agreeably." the chin, and with all the addi- Nor is it quite clear that the tional importance derivable from most moderate accession of good a full dress professional wig, a company, professionally speaksword, and a gold-headed cane. ing, rewarded this reluctant graThe style of the coat and small- vity. The only instance rememclothes may be presumed from bered of his practice was in the the "four guineas and a half" case of a Mrs. Sidebotham, depaid for them; and, as a child scribed as one of his recent acwith its toy is uneasy without swift quaintance of the better sort; renewal of the pleasurable ex- whose waiting-woman was often citement, Goldsmith amazed his afterwards known to relate with friends with no less than three what a ludicrous assumption of similar suits, not less expensive, dignity he would show off his in the next six months. Yet cloak and his cane, as he strutted greatly was the enjoyment of with his queer little figure, stuck these fine clothes abridged by through as with a huge pin by the dignity he was obliged to his wandering sword, into the put on with them; and, easy as sick-room of her mistress. At he had found it to blot from his last it one day happened, that, now genteeler page the names of his opinion differing somewhat innocent but vulgar haunts once from the apothecary's in atso familiar there, he had found tendance, the lady thought her it much harder to give up the apothecary the safer counsellor, actual reality of those old humble and Goldsmith quitted the house haunts, of his tea at the White- in high indignation. ** He would conduit, of his ale-house club at leave off prescribing for his Islington, of his nights at the friends, he said. “Do so, my Wrekin or St. Giles's. In truth, "dear Doctor," observed Beauhe would say (in truth was a clerc. "Whenever you underfavourite phrase of his, inter-"take to kill, let it only be your "enemies." Upon the whole cated to Mr. Prior by the son of William this seems to have been the close Filby (miscalled John in Boswell), Mr. of Doctor Goldsmith's profesJohn Filby, “a respectable member of sional practice. "the Corporation of London," and will hereafter be quoted in detail. They complete the picture of which I furnish the beginning on a previous page (38), in the extracts there first printed from the Edinburgh tailor's ledger,

These account-books were communi

*Europ. Mag. XXIV.

**Told on the relation of Mrs. Gwyn. Prior, II, 105,

CHAPTER XII.

News for the Club from Various Places.

1765-1766.

1765.

to have contributed sundry reports and disquisitions on its proceedings and affairs to a new commercial and agricultural magazine in which THE literary engagements of the busy publisher had en- Æt. 37. Doctor Oliver Goldsmith were gaged. It was certainly not an meanwhile going on with New idle year with him, though what bery; and towards the close of remains in proof of his employthe year he appears to have com- ment may be scant and indifpleted a compilation of a kind ferent enough. Johnson's blind somewhat novel to him, induced pensioner, Miss Williams,, had in all probability by his concur- for several months been getting rent professional attempts. It together a subscription volume was A Survey of Experimental of Miscellanies, to which GoldPhilosophy, considered in its smith had promised a poem; and "present state of improvement;' she complains that she found and Newbery paid him sixty him always too busy to redeem guineas for it.* He also took his promise, and was continually great interest at this time in the put off with a "Leave it to me." proceedings of the Society of Nor was Johnson, who had made Arts; and is supposed, from the like promises, many small advances entered in "Well, we'll think about it." was Newbery's memoranda as made his form of excuse.* With Johnin connection with that Society, ** son, in truth, a year of most un* I give the memorandum of books usual exertion had succeeded his lent to Goldsmith for the purpose of this year of visitings, and he had at compilation. "Sent to Dr. Goldsmith, last completed, nine years later "Sept. 11th, 1765, from Canbury (Canon"bury) House the Copy of the Philosophy than he promised it, his edition "to be revised, with the Abbé Nollet's of Shakespeare. It came out in "Philosophy, and to have an account October, in eight octavo volumes; "added of Hale's Ventilator, together with "the following Books. 1. Pemberton's and was bitterly assailed (nor, it "Newton, Quarto. 2. Two pamphlets of may be admitted, without a cer"Mr. Franklin's on Electricity. 3. 1 of tain coarse smartness) by Ken"Ferguson's Astronomy, Quarto. 4.

much better.

"D'Alembert's Treatise of Fluids, Quarto. rick, who, in one of the notes to "5. Martin's Philosophy, 3 vols. 6. Fergu- his attack, coupling "learned "son's Lectures, Do. 7. Helsham's Do.

"S. Kiel's Introduction, Do. 9. Kiel's entries there given, others exist having "Astronomy, Do. 10. Nature Displayed, reference to 1765, as for example: "Lent "7 vols, 12mo. 11. Nollet's Philosophy," Dr. Goldsmith, at the Society of Arts, "3 vols. 12mo." (Nollet is called Nola "and to pay arrears 31. 3s." And see and Noletus, Ferguson figures as Furga-post, one of the notes in chap. XIX. son and Furgeson, and D'Alembert is transformed into Darlembert, in worthy Mr. Newbery's orthography). Newbery MSS. in Mr. Murray's possession.

** See ante, 284, note. Besides the

*Boswell, III. 9. The poor old lady was more nervous about having received and spent her subscription half-crowns than Johnson felt about his subscription guineas (ante, 152),