1760.

able a place as ever he was in, in should have first derived its all his life: who fought the fame. So popular in France was French in six pitched battles, the "humble optimist," as his and verily believed, that, but for translator called him, that some good reason or other, his he is not unlikely to have captain would have given him visited even the halls of t. 32. promotion and made him a cor- Les Délices; to be read there, as poral: who was beaten cruelly everywhere, with mirth upon the by a boatswain, but the boat- face and tenderness at the heart; swain did it without considering perhaps to reawaken recollecwhat he was about: who slept on tions of the ungainly, wandering a bed of boards in a French scholar. prison, but with a warm blanket Of upwards of twenty essays about him, because, as he re- thus contributed to Smollett's marked, he always loved to lie magazine, few were republished well: and to whom, when he by Goldsmith; but from other came to sum up and balance his causes, certainly, than lack of life's adventures, it occurred that merit. One was a criticism of had he had the good fortune to two rival singers, two Polly have lost his leg and the use of his Peachums then dividing Vauxhand on board a king's ship, and hall, so pleasantly worded that not a privateer, he should have neither could take offence; but had his sixpence a week for the of temporary interest chiefly. rest of his days; but that was not Another was a caution against his chance; one man was born violent courtships, from a true with a silver spoon in his mouth, story in the family of his uncle and another with a wooden ladle: Contarine; perhaps thought too "however, blessed be God, I private for reappearance in more "enjoy good health." This was permanent form. A third (not philosophy as wise as Candide's, reproduced, it may be, lest at which Europe was then laugh- the wooden-legged philosopher ing heartily; and it is worthy of should lose in popularity by a mention that from the country- companion less popular than men of Voltaire this little essay himself) described, as a contrast "O liberty! liberty! liberty! that is to the happiness of the maimed "the property of every Englishman, and and luckless soldier, the miseries “I will die in its defence; I was afraid, of a healthy half-pay officer from "however, that I should be indicted for a vagabond once more, so did not much unexpected good fortune, unable care to go into the country, but kept to bear the transition from "about town, and did little jobs when I moderate to extravagant means, could get them. I was very happy in "this manner for some time; till one and rendered so insensible by evening, coming home from work, two unused indulgences that he had "men knocked me down, and then de"sired me to stand still. They belonged come to see Falstaff without a "to a press-gang." smile and the Orphan without

46

II. 465.

emotion. A fourth was a little were at the Wow-wow, from the history of seduction, hasty, ab- apothecary to the drawer of the rupt, and not very real; but in tâvern; and there he found, inwhich the hero bore such spired by pipes and newspapers,

1760. a general though indis- such a smoke and fire of political At. 32. tinct resemblance to the discussion, such a setting right immortal family of the Prim- of all the mistakes of the generals roses, as to have fitly merged in the war, such a battle, conand been forgotten in their later ducted with chalk, upon the glory.* blunders of Finck and Daun, and The last of these detached es- such quidnunc explosions against says which I shall mention for the the Dutch in Pondicherry, that present, did not appear in the infallibly the Wow-wow must British Magazine, but much con- have come to a war of its own cerned it; and, though not "had not an Oxford Scholar, led reckoned worthy of preservation "there by curiosity, pulled a new by its writer, is evidence not to "magazine out of his pocket, in be omitted of his hearty feeling "which he said there were some to Smollett, and his ready re- "pieces extremely curious and source to serve a friend. It was "that deserved their attention. in plain words a puff of the "He then read the Adventures of British Magazine and its projector; "Sir Launcelot Greaves to the enand a puff of as witty pretension "tire satisfaction of the audience,

as

ever visited the ingenious "which being finished, he threw brain of the yet unborn friend of "the pamphlet upon the table; Mr. Dangle. It purported to de-"That piece, gentlemen,' says scribe a Wow-wow; a kind of "he, 'is written in the very spirit newspaper club of a country "and manner of Cervantes; town, to which the writer amus-"there is great knowledge of ingly described himself driven, "human nature, and evident by his unavailing efforts to find "marks of the master in almost anybody anywhere else. All "every sentence; and from the "'plan, the humour, and the exe*The "History of Miss Stanton" is in-cution, I can venture to say cluded in the edition of the Miscellaneous Works, (1. 214) published with Mr. Prior's "that it dropped from the pen but in reality (as Mr. Murray's of the ingenious Doctor papers show) edited by Mr. Wright: this, "Every one was pleased with lected, rendering the book by far the best "the performance, and I was parof the collections that have yet appeared, "ticularly gratified in hearing all though it is by no means carefully or ac- "the sensible part of the comcurately edited. The other three papers mentioned above are in 1. 201, 205, 224; 'pany give orders for the British and for the Wow-wow, see 1. 322. Mr. "Magazine." Wright's has since been superseded by a

name,

with many other pieces not before col

66

much more careful edition, also pub- So said a not less ingenious in that newspaper

lished by Mr. Murray (1870).

Doctor

1760.

32.

venture of good Mr. Newbery's of the time, nor as a full inwhich started but twelve days former or lofty improver of the after Smollett's, and in which time, did a daily journal yet also had been enlisted the ser- put forth its claims; and vices of the Green-arbour-court neither to prompt or cor- Æt. lodger. War is the time for rect intelligence, or to newspapers; the inventive head great political or philanthropic which planned the Universal aims, did it assume to devote itChronicle, with the good taste that self. The triumphs or discomenlisted Johnson in its service, fitures of Freedom were not yet now made a bolder effort in the its daily themes: and distant same direction; and the first still were the days in which it number of The Public Ledger was was to ride on the whirlwind, and published on the 12th of January direct the storm, of great poli1760. Nothing less than a Daily tical passions; to grapple resistNewspaper had the busy pub-lessly with social abuses; or to lisher of children's books pro- take broad and philosophic views jected. But a daily newspaper of the world's contemporaneous was not an appalling speculation, history, the history which is athen. Not then, morning after making from day to day.* It morning, did it throw its eyes of was content with humbler duties. Argus over all the world. No It called itself a daily register of universal command was needed commerce and intelligence, and for it then, over sources of foreign fell short of even so much modest intelligence potent to dispose pretension. The letter of a Proand to control the money trans- bus or a Manlius sufficed for actions of rival hemispheres. discussion of the war; and a There existed with it, then, no modest rumour in some dozen costly arts for making and mar- lines, for what had occupied parring fortunes; cultivated to a liament during as many days. perfection high as the pigeon's "We are unwilling," said the flight, swift as the courier's horse, editor of the Public Ledger (Mr. or deep as the secret drawer Griffith Jones, who wrote chilof the diplomatist's bureau. In dren's books for Mr. Newbery) ** those days it was no more es

sential to a paper's existence *This rather high-flown passage was that countless advertisements written at the time of a struggle to should be scattered broadcast which Mr. Dickens and myself took establish a new daily paper in London, through its columns, than to a part in. city's business that puffing-vans "that to Mr. Griffith Jones, and a brother **"It is not perhaps generally known, should perambulate its highways, "of his, Mr. Giles Jones, in conjunction and armies of placard-bearing paupers seize upon its pave- merous and popular little books for the ments. Neither as a perfect spy

"with Mr. John Newbery, the public are "indebted for the origin of those nu

'amusement and instruction of children,

1760.

in his first number, "to raise ex- ture; the one defending the "pectations which we may per- war, the other commencing the "haps find ourselves unable to "Ranger," and both very mildly "satisfy: and therefore justifying the modest editorial "have made no mention of announcements. The fifth numEt. 32. "criticism or literature, ber was not so common-place. "which yet we do not profess- It had a letter (vindicating with "edly exclude; nor shall we re- manly assertion the character "ject any political essays which and courage of the then horribly 66 are apparently calculated for unpopular French, and humor"the public good." Discreetly ously condemning the national avoiding thus all undue expecta- English habit of abusing rival tion, there quietly came forth nations) which implied a larger into the world, from Mr. Bristow's spirit as it showed a livelier pen. office "next the great toy-shop The same hand again appeared "in St. Paul's-churchyard," the in the next number but one; and first number of the Public Ledger. the correspondent of GreenIt was circulated gratis: with an- arbour-court became entitled to nouncement that all future num-receive two guineas from Mr. bers would be sold for twopence Newbery for his first week's conhalfpenny each. tributions to the Public Ledger. The first four numbers were His arrangement was to write enlightened by Probus in politics twice in the week, and to be paid and Sir Simeon Swift in litera- a guinea for each article.

"shoes,

66

CHAPTER IV.

The Citizen of the World.
1760.

"the Lilliputian histories of Goody TwoGiles Gingerbread, Tommy "Trip, &c. &c. which have been ever 'since received with universal approba"tion." Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, III. 466. Hereafter are given some reasons for suspecting that Newbery may have had a more distinguished fellow-labourer engagement on the Public Ledger, than Mr. Jones; but I think that too Goldsmith had taken greater much stress has been laid on them, and I

moral of these books. He did not thrust

WITH the second week of his

believe that to Newbery himself the Courage. The letter which apgreat merit is due of having first sought peared on the 24th of January, to reform in some material points the though without title or numberall naughty boys into the jaws of the ing to imply intention of condragon, nor elevate all good boys to ride tinuance, threw out the hint of a in King Pepin's coach. Goldsmith did series of letters, and of a kind of undoubtedly say, however, more than narrative as in the Lettres Persanes once, that he had a hankering to write for children; and if he had realised his or those pages of the Spectator intention of composing the fables in which Swift suggested to Steele.*

which little fishes and other creatures should talk our children's libraries "The Spectator is written by Steele would have had one rich possession the "with Addison's help: 'tis often very "pretty. Yesterday it was made of a

more.

series went on.

1760.

Æt. 32.

The character assumed was that cause to its successful establishof a Chinese visitor to London: ment. Sir Simeon Swift and his the writer's old interest in the "Ranger," Mr. Philanthropy Canflowery people having received did and his "Visitor," new strength, of late, from the struggled and departed as Chinese novel on which his dig- newspaper shadows are nified acquaintance Mr. Percy wont to do; Lien Chi Altangi behad been recently engaged.* came real, and lived. From the The second letter, still without ephemeral sprang the immortal. title, appeared five days after the On that column of ungainly-lookfirst; some inquiry seems to have ing, perishable type, depended been made for their continuance; not alone the paper of the day, and thence uninterruptedly the but a book to last throughout Not until some- the year, a continuous pleasure what advanced, were they even for the age, and one which was numbered; they never received for all time. It amused the hour, a title, until republished; but was wise for the interval beyond they were talked of as the it, is still diverting and instructChinese Letters, assumed the ing us, and will delight generaprincipal place in the paper, and tions yet unborn. At the close contributed more than any other of 1760, ninety-eight of the let"noble hint I gave him long ago for his ters had been published; within Tatlers, about an Indian supposed to the next few months, at less re"write his travels into England. I re-gular intervals, the series was "pent he ever had it. I intended to have "written a book on that subject. I be brought to completion; and in lieve he has spent it all in one paper, the following year, the whole "and all the under hints there are mine were republished by Mr. New"I will endeavour," writes Shen-bery "for the author"* in two stone in the following year (Nichols's Il-duodecimo volumes, but without lustrations, VII. 222),. "to procure and any author's name, as "The you a copy of Percy's translation" Citizen of the World; or, Letters of a genuine Chinese novel in four "small volumes, printed months ago, but *This specification, which appears "not to be published before winter." upon no other book written by GoldPercy was the editor, and wrote the pre- smith, appears to imply either some reface and notes; but the actual translation luctance on Newbery's part to undergo of Hau Kiou Choaan from the Chinese was the risk of the republication, or some executed by Mr. Wilkinson, and all that quarrel as to terms; but whichever it Percy did in this respect was to translate may have been, it is clear that a very the translator "into good reading Eng- small payment a few months later put the "lish." It may be worth remarking, that, bookseller in possession of the whole three years before, some noise had been "copy" (copyright) of the book. "Remade by a smart political squib of Horace "ceiv'd of Mr. Newbery five guineas Walpole's, which he protested he had writ" which, with what I have receiv'd at difin an hour-and-a-half, and which passed "ferent times before is in full for the through five editions in a fortnight, the 66 copy of the Chinese letters as witness Letter from Xo Ho, a Chinese Philosopher at 66 my hand OLIVER GOLDSMITH. March 5, London, to his friend Lien Chi at Pekin. "1762." Newbery MSS. in Mr. Murray's See Coll. Lett. IV. 289, 290. possession.

"too."

"send