1744. days, long subsisted on his stories owner of the guinea, who, with of "Master Noll." The narrative a lofty confident air, inquired of masterpiece of this ancient Jack a person passing the way to the Fitzsimmons related to a raid or town's best house of enforay made upon the orchard of tertainment. The man adTirlicken, by the youth and his dressed was the wag of Et. 16. companions.* Fitzsimmons also Ardagh, a humorous fencingvouched to the reverend John master, Mr. Cornelius Kelly, and Graham for the entire truth of the schoolboy swagger was irthe adventure so currently and resistible provocation to a jest. confidently told by his Irish Submissively he turned back with acquaintance which offers an horse and rider till they came agreeable relief to the excess of within a pace or two of the great diffidence heretofore noted in Squire Featherston's, to which he him, and on which, if true, the respectfully pointed as the "best leading incident of She Stoops to "house," of Ardagh. Oliver rang Conquer was founded. at the gate, gave his beast in At the close of his last charge with authoritative rigour, 1744. holidays, then a lad of and was shown, as a supposed Et. 16. nearly seventeen, he left expected guest, into the comhome for Edgeworthstown mount-fortable parlour of the squire. ed on a borrowed hack which a Those were days when Irish innfriend was to restore to Lissoy, and keepers and Irish squires more with a guinea, store of unaccus-nearly approximated than now; tomed wealth, in his pocket. The and Mr. Featherston, unlike the delicious taste of independence excellent but explosive Mr. Hardbeguiled him to a loitering, castle, is said to have seen the lingering, pleasant enjoyment of mistake and humoured it. Oliver the journey; and instead of find- had a supper which gave him so ing himself under Mr. Hughes's much satisfaction, that he ordered roof at nightfall, night fell upon a bottle of wine to follow; and him some two or three miles out the attentive landlord was not of the direct road, in the middle only forced to drink with him, of the streets of Ardagh. But but, with like familiar connothing could disconcert the descension, the wife and pretty daughter were invited to the "In this adventure," Mr. Graham supper-room. Going to bed, he writes, "which Jack detailed minutely, stopped to give special instruc"both he and Oliver were engaged; de-tions for a hot cake to break"tection, however, either at the moment "or soon afterwards, ensued; and had it fast; and it was not till he had dis"not been for the respectability of Gold- patched this latter meal, and smith's connections, which secured im- was regarding his guinea with a "munity also to his companions, the “consequences might have been unplea-pathetic last look, that the truth was told him by the good-natured "sant." squire.* The late Sir Thomas sisting the family resources with Featherston, grandson to the such employment of his college supposed inn-keeper, had faith distinction. The good Charles in the adventure; and told Goldsmith was greatly indignant 1744. Mr. Graham that as his at the marriage, and on reÆt. 16. grandfather and Charles proaches from the elder Hodson Goldsmith had been college ac-"made a sacrifice detrimental quaintance, it might the better "to the interests of his family." be accounted for. ** He entered into a legal engage It is certainly, if true, the ear-ment, still registered in the liest known instance of his dis- Dublin Four Courts and bearing position to swagger with a grand date the 7th of September 1744, air which afterwards displayed "to pay to Daniel Hodson, Esq. itself in other forms, and strutted "of St. John's, Roscommon, £400 about in clothes noted rather for "as the marriage portion of his fineness than fitness. 1745. CHAPTER II. "daughter Catherine, then the "wife of the said Daniel Hod"son." But it could not be effected without sacrifice of his tithes and rented land; and it was a sacrifice, as it seems to BUT the school-days of Oliver me, made in a spirit of very Goldsmith are now to close. simple and very false pride. The Within the last year there had writer who discovered this marbeen some changes at Lis- riage settlement attributes it to soy, which not a little af-"the highest sense of honour;"* Et. 17. fected the family fortunes. but it must surely be doubted if Catherine, the elder sister, had an act which, to elevate the preprivately married a Mr. Daniel tensions of one child, and adapt Hodson, "the son of a gentle-them to those of the man she had "man of good property, residing married, inflicted beggary on the "at St. John's, near Athlone." rest, should be so referred to. The young man was at the time Oliver was the first to taste its availing himself of Henry Gold- bitterness. It was announced to smith's services as private tutor; him that he could not go to colHenry having obtained a scholar- lege as Henry had gone, a penship two years before, and as- sioner; but must consent to enter it, a sizar. Percy Memoir, 6, 7. The first thing exacted of **"The story," said Mr. Graham, at a a sizar in those days (it has public meeting in Ballymahon for a monument to the Poet (reported in the been altered since) was to give Gent. Mag. for 1820, xc. 620), was con- proof of classical attainments. "firmed to me by the late Sir Thomas He was to show himself, to a * Prior, 1. 49. "Featherston Bart. a short time before "his death." certain reasonable extent, a good have prompted only the struggle scholar; in return for which, that triumphs over the meanest being clad in a black gown of circumstance, proved to him the coarse stuff without sleeves, he hardest lesson yet in his 1745. Et. 17. was marked with the servant's life's hard school. He rebadge of a red cap, and put to sisted with all his strength; the servant's offices of sweeping for little less than a whole year, courts in the morning, carrying it is said, he made a resolute up dishes from the kitchen to stand against the new contempts the fellows' dining-table in the and loss of worldly consideration afternoon, and waiting in the hall thus bitterly set before him. He till the fellows had dined. This, would rather have gone to the commons, teaching, and cham- trade chalked out for him as his bers, being on the other. hand rough alternative, when uncle greatly reduced, is called by one Contarine interfered. of Goldsmith's biographers "one This was an excellent man; "of those judicious and con- and with some means, though "siderate, arrangements of the very far from considerable, to do "founders of such institutions, justice to his kindly impulses. In "that gives to the less opulent youth he had been the college "the opportunity of cultivating companion of Bishop Berkeley,* "learning at a trifling expense; "and was worthy to have had so but it is called by Goldsmith divine a friend. He too was a himself, in his Enquiry into the clergyman; and held the living of Present State of Polite Learning, Kilmore near Carrick-on-Shana contradiction suggested by mo- non, which he afterwards changed tives of pride and a passion to that of Oran near Roscomwhich he thinks absurd, "that mon; where he built the house of "men should be at once learning Emblemore, changed to that of "the liberal arts, and at the same Tempe by its subsequent posses"time treated as slaves; at once sor Mr.Edward Mills, Goldsmith's "studying freedom and practis-relative and contemporary. Mr. "ing servitude." ** To this contradiction he is now himself doomed; and that which to a stronger judgment and more determined purpose *** might * Prior, 1. 59. Contarine had married Charles bridge exactly ten years after this date, thus writes in the Anecdotes of his Life:"Perceiving that the sizars were not so "respectfully looked upon by the pen "sioners and scholars of the house, as "they ought to have been, inasmuch as ** Chap. XIII. Johnson himself con- "the most learned and leading men in demns the practice not less severely; and "the University have ever arisen from as pompously, on the other hand, Sir"that order, I offered myself for a John Hawkins supports it. "scholarship a year before the usual for "time of the sizars sitting, and suc"ceeded, &c., &c." *** Such judgment and purpose, example, as animated Bishop Watson (Llandaff), who, himself a sizar at CamOliver Goldsmith's Life and Times. I. *See note to Percy Memoir, 17, 18. 2 Goldsmith's sister (who died there most speedily to learn that at about this time, leaving one experience, which, on his elder child), and was the only member brother afterwards consulting of the Goldsmith family him as to the education of his 1745. of whom we have solid son, prompted him to answer Æt. 17. evidence that he at any thus: "If he has ambition, strong time took pains with Oliver, or "passions, and an exquisite senfelt anything like a real pride in "sibility of contempt, do not him. He bore the greater part "send him to your college, unless of his school expenses;* and "you have no other trade for him was used to receive him with de-") except your own. light in holidays, as the playfel- Flood was then in the college, low of his daughter Jane, a year and being some years younger or two older than Oliver, and than Goldsmith, and a fellow some seven years after this mar-commoner, it is not surprising ried to a Mr. Lawder. How little that they should have held no the most charitable of men will intercourse; but a greater than make allowance for differences Flood, though himself little noof temper and disposition in the table at college, said he perfectly education of youth, is too well recollected his old fellow-student known: Mr. Contarine told Oliver when they afterwards met at the that he had himself been a sizar, house of Mr. Reynolds. Not that and that it had not availed to there was much for an Edmund withhold from him the friendship Burke to recollect of him. Little of the great and the good. I went well with Goldsmith in his His counsel prevailed. The student course. He had a menial youth went to Dublin, showed position, a learned savage for by passing the necessary exami- his tutor, and few inclinations to nation that his time at school had the study exacted. He was not not been altogether thrown away, indeed, as perhaps never living and on the 11th of June 1745 was creature in this world was, withadmitted, last in the list of eight out his consolations; he could who so presented themselves, sing a song well, and, at a new a sizar of Trinity College;**. insult or outrage, could blow off excitement through his flute with "The Rev. Mr. Greene," the son a kind of desperate "mechanical of the rector of Kilkenny West, "also "vehemence." At the worst he "liberally assisted, as Dr. Goldsmith "used to relate, in this beneficent pur- had, as he describes it himself, pose." Percy Memoir, 6. a "knack at hoping;" and at all times, it must with equal cer 66 **Percy Memoir, 14, 15. "His being ad"mitted a sizar in Trinity College, "Dublin, at that early age, denotes a re"markable proficiency. Sizars there are sizarship might in other words be called "expected to come better prepared than an inferior scholarship, disposed of in "other boys, and therefore usually apply like manner to the best answerer. "for admission somewhat later in life." A * See post, Book II. Chap. v. tainty be affirmed, a knack_at and Edward Purdon, whom he getting into scrapes. Like Sa- lived to befriend; James Willingmuel Johnson at Oxford, he ton, whose name he afterwards avoided lectures when he in London had permission could, and was a lounger to use for low literary work 1746. 1746. Æt. 18. at the college gate.* The he was ashamed to put his Et. 18. popular picture of him in these own to;* Wilson ** and KearDublin University days is little ney, subsequently doctors and more than of a slow, hesitating, fellows of the college; Wolfen, somewhat hollow voice, heard also well known; *** and Lauchseldom and always to great dis- lan Macleane, whose political advantage in the class-rooms; pamphlets, unaccepted challenge and of a low-sized, thick, robust, to Wilkes, and general party ungainly figure, lounging about exertions made a noise in the the college courts on the wait world twenty or thirty years later. for misery and ill-luck. When a man becomes famous it His Edgeworthstown school- is to be expected that wonderful fellow, Beatty, had entered feats of memory should be peramong the sizars with him, and formed respecting him; but it for a time shared his rooms. seems tolerably evident that, They were the top-rooms ad- with the exception of perhaps joining the library of a building Bryanton and Beatty, not one numbered 35, where might be owner of the names recounted seen, until the building itself was had ever put himself in friendly taken down, the name of Oliver relation with the sizar, to cheer Goldsmith scratched by himself or help him on. Richard Malone, upon a window-pane. Visible afterwards Lord Sunderlin, Barstill indeed is the actual piece of nard and Marlay, afterwards glass, on which, with the name, worthy bishops of Killaloe and appears the date of "March Waterford; found nothing more "1746;" for I saw it not long pleasant than to talk of "their ago, when the University did me "old fellow-collegian Doctor the honour to make me one of "Goldsmith," in the paintingits doctors of laws, framed and room of Reynolds: but nothing placed in the manuscript room I suspect more difficult, thriving of the college library. Marshall, lads as they were in even these also a sizar, is said to have *See post, Book II. Chap. II. been another of Oliver's chums. **Wilson communicated to Malone Among his occasional associates, the various entries to be found respecting were certainly Edward Mills, his *** Wolfen told Dr. Percy that transrelative; Robert Bryanton, a Bal-lations from the classics occasionally lymahon youth, also his relative, made by his fellow-student at this period of whom he was fond; Charles were long remembered by his contemporaries with applause. Percy Memoir, * Percy Memoir, p. 19. him. 16, 17. |