66 66 6 1764. "The lifted axe, the agonising wheel, Luke's iron crown, and Damien's bed of steel." 'sluggishness of mind which omitting the last couplet but one, comes upon a man in solitude.' the eight concluding lines. The 66 6 'Ah!' exclaimed Goldsmith, couplet so grafted on his friend's "that was what I meant.' insertion by Goldsmith himself, "Chamier," Johnson adds, is worth all that Johnson added, Et. 36. "believed then that I had though its historical allusion was "written the line, as much as if he somewhat obscure. "had seen me write it." Yet it might be, if Burke had happened to be present, that Johnson would not have been per- Who was Luke, and what was his mitted, so obviously to the satis-iron crown? is a question Tom faction of every one in the room, Davies tells us he had often to dictatorially to lay down thus answer; being a great resource expressly what the poet meant. in difficulties of that kind. "The For who can doubt that he also "Doctor referred me," he says, meant slowness of motion? The in a letter to the Reverend Mr. first point of the picture is that. Granger, who was compiling his The poet is moving slowly, his Biographical History and wished to tardiness of gait measuring the be exact, "to a book called heaviness of heart, the pensive "Géographie Curieuse, for an exspirit, the melancholy of which it "planation of Luke's iron crown." is the outward expression and The explanation, besides being sign. Goldsmith ought to have in itself incorrect, did not mend added to Johnson's remark that matters much. "Luke" had been he meant all it said, and the taken simply for the euphony of other too; but no doubt he fell the line. He was one of two into one of his old flurries when brothers Dosa, who had headed he heard the general aye! aye! a revolt against the Hungarian that saluted the great cham's nobles at the opening of the sixauthoritative version. While he teenth century; but, though both saw that superficially he had were tortured, the special horror been wrong, he must have felt of the red-hot crown that properly explained his an-flicted upon George.* "Doctor swer was substantially right; but he had no address to say so, the pen not being in his hand. was in In a note to this passage in my former edition, I explained that this Géographie Curieuse, which appeared to The lines which Johnson really have been Goldsmith's authority, was contributed he pointed out him- nevertheless itself incorrect in the family self to Boswell, when laughing have been Zeck. They were George and name of the brothers, which it reports to at the notion that he had taken Luke, as stated, and George underwent any more important part in it. the punishment of the "iron crown; They were the line which now I referred to the Biographie Universelle, XI. but the family name was Dosa. For this stands 420th in the poem; and, 604. The origin of the mistake is curious, 1764. "Goldsmith says," adds Davies, way, with even the Traveller in "he meant by Damien's iron the his hand, against these patronis"rack; but I believe the news- ing airs and charitable allowances. "papers informed us that he was "But he imitates you, sir," "confined in a high tower, and said Mr. Boswell, when, on "actually obliged to lie upon an return from his Dutch Et. 36. "iron bed."* So little was studies, he found the poem had Davies, any more than Chamier, really gone far to make its writer Johnson, or any one else, dis- for the time more interesting posed to take the poet's mean- than even Johnson himself. ing on the authority of his own "Why no, sir," Johnson anexplanation of it. swered. "Jack Hawkesworth is "Nay, sir," said Johnson very "one of my imitators; but not candidly, when it was suggested, "Goldsmith. Goldy, sir, has some years afterwards, that the "great merit." "But, sir," perpartiality of its author's friends sisted the staunch disciple, "he is might have weighed too much in "much indebted to you for his their judgment of this poem, "getting so high in the public "the partiality of his friends was "estimation." 66 "Why, sir," com"always against him. It was with placently responded the sage, 'difficulty we could give him a "he has perhaps got sooner to it "hearing." Explanation of much "by his intimacy with me."* that receives too sharp a judgWithout the reserves, ment in ordinary estimates of his merit might sometimes be alcharacter, seems to be found, as lowed; but seldom without someI have said, in this. When par- thing of a sting. "Well, I never tiality takes the shape of pity, "more shall think Doctor Goldwe must not wonder if it should "smith ugly," was the frank be met by the vanities, the con- tribute of the sister of Reynolds, ceits, the half shame and half after hearing Johnson read the bravado, of that kind of self- Traveller aloud "from the beginassertion which is but self-dis-"ning to the end of it," a few trust disguised. Very difficult days after it was published.** did Goldsmith find it to force his Here was another point of friendly and most general agreement. "Renny dear," now a mature *Boswell, III. 253. and has since been explained to me by the ** See Miss Reynolds's recollections printed in the appendix to Croker's Boswell. Of these I ought to remark, however, that several of them (as Mr. Croker himself admits of one) are manifestly fabricated out of imperfect or confused recollections of anecdotes elsewhere existing, an example of which I give in my 1764. and very fidgety little dame of Goldsmith! It was not until the seven-and-thirty, never was noted sacrifice was more complete, and for her beauty, and few would the grave had closed over it, associate such a thing with that the "partiality" of his the seamed, scarred face friends ceased to take these Et. 36. of Johnson; but the pre-equivocal shapes. "There is not ponderating ugliness of Gold-"a bad line in that poem of the smith was a thing admitted and "Traveller," said Langton, as they allowed for all to fling a stone at, sat talking together at Reyhowever brittle their own habita- nolds's, four years after the tions. Miss Reynolds founded poet's death; "not one of Dryher admiring promise about the "den's careless verses." "I was Traveller on what she had herself "glad," interposed Reynolds, said at a party in her brother's "to hear Charles Fox say it was house some days before. It was 66 one of the finest poems in the suddenly proposed, as a social "English language." "Why were game after supper, to toast" 'you glad?" rejoined Langton. ordinary women, and have them "You surely had no doubt of matched by ordinary men; where-"this before?" "No," exclaimed upon one of the gentlemen hav- Johnson, decisively: "the merit ing given Miss Williams, John-"of the Traveller is so well estabson's blind old pensioner, Miss "lished, that Mr. Fox's praise Reynolds instantly matched her "cannot augment it, nor his cenwith Goldsmith; and this whim-" 'sure diminish it."* 1807. sical union so enchanted Mrs. 831), hitherto supposed to be the only auCholmondeley (Peg Woffington's thority for it, is a writer in the Gensister, who had married an tleman's Magazine for July 1797. No sacrihonourable and reverend gen- of a friendship; it was the cessation or fice was called for at the commencement tleman well known to the set), reconciliation of strife that elicited gratithat, though she had at the time tude to the gods. Mrs. Cholmondeley, 66 a very airy some pique with Renny dear, according to Johnson, was "lady." ." Boswell, IV. 272. And see Hunt's she ran round the table, kissed Men and Books, II. 182-3. Fanny Reyher, and said she forgave her nolds, Johnson's "dearest dear," was everything for her last toast. eighty when she died, in November "Thus," exclaimed Johnson, who *Reynolds continued: "But his was present, and whose wit at "friends may suspect they had too great his friend's expense a partiality for him." JOHNSON: "Nay, was re"sir, the partiality of his friends was alwarded with a roar, "thus the "ways against him. It was with dif"ancients, on the making-up of "ficulty we could give him a hearing. "Goldsmith had no settled notions upon "their quarrels, used to sacrifice any subject; so he talked always at "a beast betwixt them."* Poor "random. It seemed to be his intention 'to blurt out whatever was in his mind, "and see what would become of it. He was angry, too, when catched in an ab"surdity; but it did not prevent him * My authority for this anecdote, the point of which is missed in Miss Reynolds's recollections (Croker's Boswell, 66 66 66 1765. Æt. 37. Not very obvious at the first, Johnson, when this saying was however, was its progress to this related to him, "is one of the decisive eminence. From the "most sensible things I have first it had its select ad-"ever heard of Goldsmith. 1765. mirers, and, as we now "It is difficult to get literÆt. 37. know from his letters, one 66 'ary fame, and it is every of the earliest was Charles Fox, "day getting more difficult." though then only a lad of seven- Nevertheless, though slowly, the teen; but their circle somewhat poem seems to have advanced slowly widened. "The beauties steadily; and, in due course, "of this poem," observed the translations of it appeared in more principal literary newspaper of than one continental language. the day, the St. James's Chronicle, A month after the notice in the two months after its publication, St. James's Chronicle, a second edi"are so great and various, that tion was published; a third was “we cannot but be surprised they more quickly called for; a fourth "have not been able to recom- was issued in August; and the "mend it more to general notice." ninth had appeared in the year Goldsmith began to think, as he when the poet died. That anyafterwards remarked to Boswell, thing more substantial than fame that he had come too late into arose to him out of these edithe world for any share of its tions is, however, very questionpoetical distinctions; that Pope able. The only payment that and others had taken up the places can with certainty be traced in in the temple of fame; and that "ont tout dit; on vient aujourd'hui trop as but few at any one period can "tard pour dire des choses nouvelles. possess poetical reputation, "a man of genius can now hardly "acquire it."* "That," said 66 Vigneul-Marvilliana, I. 336." Where is plied to this question in a letter to the the resemblance?-Lord Lyttelton reauthor. "If Goldsmith had restricted "himself to saying that he had come too "late into the world for any share of "poetical distinction, the resemblance to "La Bruyère would have been obvious. "The general sense of the two is the 66 "from falling into another the next "minute." Boswell, VII. 84-5. A little later, when Johnson was complaining of Langton being too silent at the club, and letting the whigs have it all their own same: an exaggerated complaint as if way, "Sir," said Boswell, "you will re- "the stock of possible good things was a "collect that he very properly took up "limited one, so that, the more good "Sir Joshua for being glad that Charles "things have been said, the more difficult "Fox had praised Goldsmith's Traveller, "it is for each generation to add to and you joined him." JOHNSON: "Yes, "them. It is true, Goldsmith's following "sir, I knocked Fox on the head without "words rather obscure the point, about ceremony." For Fox's earlier opinion, see post, chap. xv. 66 few at any one period' being able to "acquire poetical reputation: but the *Life, v. 303-4. What on earth can "point itself seems plain." I ought perMr. Croker mean by the subjoined note haps to have admitted a resemblance, on that saying of Goldsmith? "Gold- though it is very certain that Goldsmith "smith, who read a great deal of light neither copied La Bruyère nor was "French literature, probably borrowed in any degree indebted to him in the "this from La Bruyère, 'Les anciens matter, Newbery's papers as for "Copy remained; indignant denuncia"of the Traveller a Poem," leaves tions of the tyrannies of wealth, it in no degree doubtful that for sorrowful and angry protestings twenty guineas Goldsmith that the law," 1765. had surrendered all his in-"Laws grind the poor and rich men rule Æt. 37. terest in it, except that which, with each successive is- were still undisturbed. But words sue, still prompted the limæ quietly vanished, here and there, labor.* Between the first and that had spoken too plainly of last, thirty-six new lines had the sordid past; and no longer been added, and fourteen of the did the poet proclaim, in speakold cancelled. Some of the ing of the great, that, "inly erasures would now, perhaps, "satisfied," above their pomps raise a smile. No honest thought he held his "ragged" pride. disappeared, and no manly word The rags went the way of the for the oppressed. The "wanton confession of poverty in the "judge" and his "penal statutes" Polite Learning; and of those hints of humble habits which. I subjoin from the Newbery MSS. the account in which this payment for were common in the Busy Body the Traveller makes its appearance. Other and the British Magazine, but are items in it refer to matters already de- found no longer in Essays by Mr. scribed. "Settle Dr. Goldsmith's account, Goldsmith. "and give him credit for the following "copies: 1. The Preface to the History "of the World, and charge it to the "Partners, 31. 3s. 3 Prefaces to the Na"tural History, 61. 6s. Translation of the "Life of Christ. Ditto, the Lives of the "Fathers. Ditto, the Lives of the Philo"sophers. Correcting 4 vols. Brookes "Nat. History. 79 Leaves of the History With that title, and the motto "Collecta revirescunt," "" a threeshilling duodecimo volume of those re-published essays was now issued by Mr. Griffin for himself and Mr. Newbery, who "of England. Copy of the Traveller each paid Oliver ten guineas for "Poem, 217. Lent in Fleet Street at Mr. liberty to offer this tribute to the “15s. 6d. Lent him without receipts at growing reputation of the Tra"the Society of Art, and to pay arrears, veller. He corrected expressions, "31. 38. Get the Copy of Essays for as I have said; lifted Islington "which I paid 10/. 10s. as half, and Mr. tea-gardens into supper at Vauxhall; exalted the stroll in Whiteconduit-garden to a walk in the "Adams's to pay for the instrument, "Griffin to have the other." This ac count is written at the back of a more elaborate memorandum headed, “Settle "the following accounts," of which the sixteenth item runs thus: "Mg. Brookes's, "and charge for alterations made in the "Plates, and the printed copy yt was "obliged to be cancelled, 261, and to Dr. "Goldsmith writing Prefaces and cor"recting the work, 307, in all 561." I need not remind the reader that the success of his "prefaces" to this dull book led to his engagement to write the Animated Nature. See Percy Memoir, 83. |