postman as he passed, and be- as plainly revealed itself in Wilcame at last so wretched with liam's increased air of importdisappointment that Goldsmith ance, as formerly was shadowed

1757.

goodnaturedly devised an forth in the young lady of Mr. attempt to cure these un- Bickerstaff's acquaintance, who At. 29. founded expectations. In held up her head higher than a servant-girl's hand elaborately ordinary from having on (as was imitated, and with such language afterwards discovered) a pair of and spelling as would exactly hit striped garters. Nevertheless, off the longed-for letter out of for the rest of the day, GoldYorkshire ("the lady who told me smith let the potion work which "the anecdote," interposes the was to effect the cure; and not narrator, "saw it before it was till night did he disturb it by the "sent"), Goldsmith prepared an startling question, addressed to epistle from Phillis which was to the servant-man on his walking convey to William, in effect, that into the kitchen, "So, William, she had for various reasons de-"you have had a letter from Yorklayed writing, but was now to "shire? Well, what does she inform him that a young man, "say to you? Come, now, tell by trade a glass-grinder, was "me all about it." William repaying his addresses to her, that covered his surprise, confessed she had not given him much en- the letter, but would say nothing couragement, but her relations more. "Yes," nodding his head; were strongly for the match, that "but I shall not tell you, Mr. she, however, often thought of "Goldsmith, anything about it; William, and must conclude by "no, no, that will never do." saying that something must now "What, nothing?" No. "Not be done one way or another,&c.&c. "if she says she'll marry you?" Properly sealed and directed, No. "Not if she has married one of the young gentlemen had "anybody else?" No. "Well it in charge from Goldsmith to "then," says Goldsmith, "suptake in the letters on the post-"pose, William, I tell you what man's next visit, place this among "the contents of the letter are. them, and hand them all to the "Come," he added, looking at a footboy; "the young gentlemen newspaper he held in his hand, "being in the habit of running "I will read you your letter just "towards the door whenever the "as I find it here;" and he read "postman made his appearance." it accordingly, word for word, to Everything fell out as desired; his amazed listener, who at last the letter was seized, read, and cried out very angrily, "You use secreted by its supposed owner; "me very ill, Mr. Goldsmith! you and though nothing was said of "have opened my letter." The its contents to anybody, the fact sequel was a full explanation by of something having happened the goodnatured usher, and such

kindly advice not in future to lenged by the usher to display expect any letter more real than what he had so often boasted of, that which had been written to in a trial with himself. "You

Æt. 29.

cure him of his folly, that, ac-"eat yonder piece of 1757. cording to Miss Milner, "poor "candle,” said he, taking "William was then induced to down the cheese, "and I "believe it the wisest way." "will eat this." William asThis anecdote sufficiently im- sented rather drily. "I have no plies that poor William had ob-"objection to begin," continued stinate notions of his own, which Goldsmith, "but both must finish it was not very easy to dissipate "at the same time." William by ordinary modes of persua- nodded, took his portion of sion. One of these, Miss Milner candle, and, still reluctant, told our informant, was a pre-looked ruefully on with the other posterous estimate of his capa- servants while Goldsmith began city to do astonishing things, gnawing away at his supposed which nobody else could attempt, share, making terrible wry faces. in the eating and drinking way. With no heart or stomach for a The whole kitchen laughed at like unsavoury meal, his adhim; but of course refused to ac-versary beheld with amazement cept his challenge for a trial at the progress made, and not till some poisonous draught, or fare Goldsmith had devoured all but unfit for a Christian. They en- the very last morsel, did he take listed Goldsmith at last, how-sudden courage, open his mouth, ever, who, having promised to and "fling his own piece down administer correction to this very "his throat in a moment." This eccentric vanity, thus commenced had the seeming effect of a sudpreparations. He procured a den triumph over the challenger, piece of uncoloured Cheshire which made the kitchen ring with cheese, rolled it up in the form laughter; and William, less disof a candle about an inch in tressed with his real sufferings, length, and, twisting a bit of now that all was over, than white paper to the size of a wick, elated by his fancied victory, and blacking its extremity, thrust took upon him to express symit into one of the ends of the pathy for the defeated usher, cheese, which he then put into and really wondered why he a candlestick over the kitchen had not, like himself, swallowed fireplace, taking care that in an- so nauseous a morsel all at other, by the side of it, there once. "Why truly," replied the should be placed the end of a usher, with undisturbed grareal candle, in size and ap-vity, "my bit of candle, Wilpearance exactly the same. Every-"liam, was no other than a bit thing thus ready, in came Wil-"of very nice Cheshire cheese, liam, and was straightway chal-"and therefore, William, I was

"unwilling to lose the relish old friend very innocently one "of it." day, in a common proverbial Nor were these the only stories phrase; but Goldsmith reddened, related of the obscure and asked if he meant to affront 1757. usher at Doctor Milner's him. * Nor can we fail to recall t. 29. school. Others were told, the tone in which he afterwards though less distinctly remem- alluded to this mode of life. bered, having less mirth and When, two years later, he tried more pathos in their tone; but to persuade people that a schoolthe general picture conveyed by master was of more importance Miss Milner's recollections was in the state than to be neglected that of a teacher as boyish as the and left to starve, he described boys he taught. With his small what he had known too well. salary, it would seem, he was al-"The usher," he wrote, in the ways in advance. It went for the sixth number of the Bee, "is most part, Miss Milner said, on "generally the laughing-stock of the day he received it, in relief to beggars, and in sweetmeats for the younger class. Her mother would observe to him at last: "You had better, Mr. Gold"smith, let me keep your money "for you, as I do for some of the "young gentlemen:" to which he would goodhumouredly answer, "In truth, madam, there is "equal need."

*Europ. Mag. XXIV. 92. He would tell many stories of his own distresses, says Cooke, "but the little story of Peckham "school he always carefully avoided." Let me not quit these recollections of Mrs. Hester Milner without allusion to the Gentleman's Magazine, on the occasion what was written of her by Mr. Evans in of her death at a most advanced age, in January 1817. His mention of the fact

of her attending the discourses of two dissenting ministers, "not alike in their "religious creed," but with neither of whom she quarrelled, seems to imply that she had profited by the early advice

of her father's old usher in these matters, and put it to practical use. "She never

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All this, at the same time, is very evidently putting the best face upon the matter, as it was troubled herself much with speculative natural Miss Milner should. But points, and was most commendably dis"posed to receive instruction from good in sober fact, and notwithstand-"men of every denomination." Mr. ing the tricks on William, not-Evans adds that she had also a talent for withstanding these well-remem-poetical composition, had gracefully translated many of Petrarch's sonnets, bered childish or clownish games, was well acquainted both with French and a certain cheerfulness of and Italian, and showed the singularity temper even in gravest things, it and excellence of her taste by the books she selected to read. For instance, he was Goldsmith's bitterest time, had himself purchased at her request, for this Peckham time. He could her amusement on winter nights at Islingthink in after years of his beg-writings, Samuel Richardson's and Anna ton, the works of Lord Bacon, Paley's gary, but not of his slavery, with- Seward's Correspondence, Fuller's Worthies, out shame. "Oh, that is all a and Raleigh's History of the World. "holiday at Peckham," said an left very considerable property, the most part for charitable purposes. Gent. Mag. Watkins's Literary Anecdotes, 515.

LXXXVII. 278.

She

"the school. Every trick is there is quite sufficient reason "played upon him; the oddity of in fact for adoption of the same "his manners, his dress, or his tone.

"language, is a fund of eternal Mr. Samuel Bishop, 1757.

Et. 29.

"ridicule; the master himself whose sons have had dis"now and then cannot avoid join- tinction in the church, was "ing in the laugh, and the poor a Peckham scholar, and the story "wretch, eternally resenting this is told as it was received from “ill-usage, lives in a state of war one of the sons. "When amus"with all the family. This is a "ing his younger companions "very proper person, is it not, "during play-hours with the flute, "to give children a relish for "and expatiating on the plea"learning? They must esteem "sures derived from music, in "learning very much, when they "addition to its advantages in "see its professors used with "society as a gentlemanlike ac"such ceremony!" So, too, and "quirement, a pert boy, looking with more direct reason, it was "at his situation and personal understood to refer to the Peck-"disadvantages with something ham discomforts, when he talked "of contempt, rudely replied to of the poor usher obliged to "the effect that he surely could sleep in the same bed with the "not consider himself a gentleFrench teacher, "who disturbs "man: an offence which, though "him for an hour every night in "followed by chastisement, dis"papering and filleting his hair; "concerted and pained him ex"and stinks worse than a carrion "tremely." That the pain of "with his rancid pomatums, when this period of his life, which even "he lays his head beside him on at its time of pressure we have "the bolster." Who will not seen relieved by the love of jest think, moreover, of George Prim- and game, could also on occarose and his cousin? "Ay," sion be forgotten in what a happy cried he, "this is indeed a very nature found better worth re"pretty career that has been membering, may be gathered "chalked out for you. I have from the same authority. When "been an usher at a boarding- the despised usher was a cele"school myself; and may I die brated man, young Bishop, walk"by an anodyne necklace, but I ing in London with his newly“had rather be under-turnkey in married wife, met his old teacher. "Newgate. I was up early and Goldsmith recognised him in"late: I was browbeat by the stantly, as a lad he had been "master, hated for my ugly face fond of at Peckham, and em"by the mistress, worried by the braced him with delight. His "boys." Finally, in the only joy increased when Mr. Bishop anecdote that rests on other safe made known his wife; but the authority than Miss Milner's, | *Prior, 1. 219, 220.

introduction had not unsettled | Hamilton the bookseller, with the the child's image in the kind powerful aid of Smollett, had set man's heart. It was still the boy afloat the Critical Review; the talk before him; still Master of the table turned upon this, 1757. Bishop; the lad he used and some remarks by the usher

Æt. 29. to

cram with fruit and attracted the attention of Grifsweetmeats, to the judicious fiths. He took him aside: "Could horror of the Milners. "Come, "he furnish a few specimens of "my boy," he said, as his eye "criticism?" The offer was acfell upon a basket-woman stand-cepted, and the specimens ;* and ing at the corner of the street, before the close of April 1757, "come, Sam, I am delighted to Goldsmith was bound by Grif"see you. I must treat you to fiths in an agreement for one "something. What shall it be? year. He was to leave Doctor "Will you have some apples? Milner's, to board and lodge with "Sam," added Goldsmith, sud-the bookseller, to have a small denly, "have you seen my pic- regular salary, and to devote "ture by Sir Joshua Reynolds? himself to the Monthly Review.** "Have you seen it, Sam? Have One sees something like the "you got an engraving?" Not transaction in the pleasant talk to appear negligent of the rising of George Primrose and fame of his old preceptor, says friend. "Come, I see you are a the teller of the story, "my father "lad of spirit and some learning, "replied that he had not yet pro- "what do you think of com"cured it; he was just furnishing "mencing author, like me? You "his house, but had fixed upon "have read in books, no doubt, "the spot the print was to oc-"of men of genius starving at the cupy as soon as he was ready "trade; at present I'll show you "to receive it." "Sam," re-"forty very dull fellows about turned Goldsmith with some emo-"town that live by it in opulence. tion, "if your picture had been "All honest, jog-trot men, who "published, I should not have *The most important of those sent was "waited an hour without having a notice of a book by Professor Mallet, to "it." be hereafter described, which was printed in the April number of the review, with this note prefixed: "The following paper

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his

But let me not anticipate these better days. He is still the Peck-“was sent in by the gentleman who signs ham usher, and humble sitter at Doctor Milner's board, where it chanced that Griffiths the bookseller, who had started the Monthly Review eight years before, dined one day. Doctor Milner was one of his contributors; there was opposition in the field; Archibald

"D, and who, we hope, will excuse our

striking out a few paragraphs, for the "sake of brevity." In the next number of the review Goldsmith's contribution is prefatory notice. He had become part of of course not marked by any signature or the establishment.

**The agreement is correctly enough dated a year later than when it was really described in the Percy Memoir (60), but is entered into.