1772. "shoes?" To which the uncon- of enlarging it, and chary of advinced disputant sturdily replied, mitting merit to any new-comer. "True! To be sure! That is Thus he remembered a new "very like Shakespeare." poem coming out that was sent Goldsmith had no great to Reynolds, who had instructed Et. 44. knowledge of the higher his servant Ralph to bring it in secrets of criticism, and was after dinner: when presently guilty of very monstrous and Goldsmith laid hold of it, fell very silly heresies against the into a rage with it before he had master-poet (as in his paper on read a dozen lines, and exclaimmetaphor in the Essays); but here ing "What wretched stuff is his notion was right enough. "here! what cursed nonsense He meant to say that Shake- "that is!" kept all the while cutspeare had the art possessed ting at every line almost through only by the greatest poets, of the paper with his thumb nail. placing in natural connection the "Nay, nay," said Sir Joshua, extremes of the familiar and snatching the volume, "don't do imaginative: * which Garrick "so: you shall not spoil my would have done well to remem-"book, neither."* In like manber before he began to botch ner, Northcote adds, he recolHamlet. Another impression lects their making a dead set at which remained with Northcote's Cumberland. They never adold age, derived from these mitted him as one of themselves; scenes of his youth, was that the they excluded him from the club; "set" at Sir Joshua's were some- Reynolds never asked him to what intolerant of such as did dinner; and from any room where not belong to their party; jealous he was, Goldsmith would have flung out as if a dragon had *Life of Reynolds, 1. 288. Northcote been there!** It was not until seems long to have remembered this. his life was just about to close He asked Hazlitt towards the close of his that he became tolerant of the life what he thought of the Vicar of Wakefield; Hazlitt replied characteristically, "what everybody else did;" on which *Life of Reynolds, 1. 250. In Hazlitt's Northcote added that there was that mix- Conversations of Northcote (274-5) this ture of the ludicrous and the pathetic anecdote is almost literally repeated; as running through it which particularly I find in several instances, on compardelighted him, because it gave a stronger ing the two books; and I suspect, for resemblance to nature; and went on to the most part, that it is fancy rather say that he thought this justified Shake- than memory which in the later book speare in mingling up farce and tragedy puts in the embellishment and variatogether. Life itself was a tragi-comedy. tions. Instead of being pure, everything was **Conversations, 275. This is a little chequered. If you went to an execu- overstated; but in substance perhaps cortion, you would perhaps see an apple-rect enough. Cumberland is very courwoman in the greatest distress because teous in his public mention of Reyher stall was overturned, at which you nolds in his Memoirs, but his private letcould not help smiling. See Conversations, ters exhibit a different tone. See post, chap. xx. 169-70. 1772. Æt. 44. condescending attentions of the would have us doubt, too, fretful Cumberland. whether his emphasis, even for To these recollections of North- Scrub, would always have been cote, some by Mr. Cradock may right; seeing that, being be added. When it was pro- at dinner one day with posed one day to go down to him and Johnson, he gave Lichfield, and, in honour of an example to prove that poets Johnson and Garrick, act the ought to read and pronounce Beaux' Stratagem among them- verse with more accuracy and selves there, all the famous spirit than other men, by beginpeople of the club taking part in ning the ballad At Upton on the it, "then," exclaimed Goldsmith, Hill with a most emphatic ON. * "I shall certainly play Scrub. Farquhar's humour, neverthe"I should like of all things to try less, might have gained as much "my hand at that character."** as it lost; and the private play One would have liked no less to could not have spared such an have seen him play it, and heard actor. Richard Burke reinforced the roar that would have given a the party soon after this with his personal turn to the cunning serving-man's famous assertion, "I believe they talked of me, for "they laughed consumedly." But his brogue would have been a difficulty. Even Burke's brogue was no small disadvantage to him; and Goldsmith had hardly improved his, since those Dunciad-days when he would object to the exquisite bad rhyming of key with be ("let key be called kee, "and then it will rhyme with be," said one of his criticisms for Griffiths, "but not otherwise"): indeed, says Cooke, he rather cultivated his brogue than got rid of it. *** Malone's authority *Cradock's Memoirs, 1. 209. ** Ibid. IV. 283. ... such as I have glanced at in the text, is proved an Irishman indisputably in this seldom to be relied on. Pope might be way; and it might be shown, from numberless such rhymes in his Satires, that filled from the Liffey. It is necessary to Young's Castalian spring had been largely keep in mind, too, what Johnson says: "I remember when I published the "plan for my Dictionary, Lord Chester"field told me that the word great should "be pronounced so as to rhyme to state; "and Sir William Yonge sent me word "that it should be pronounced so as to "rhyme to seat, and that none but an "Irishman would pronounce it grait. "Now here were two men of the highest "House of Lords, the other, the best "rank, the one, the best speaker in the "speaker in the House of Commons, dif"fering entirely." Boswell, III. 191. *Malone's Life of Dryden, prefixed to the prose writings, 1. 518. "He was im"mediately called upon to support his "argument by an example; a request *** "He expressed himself upon com- "with which he readily complied; and mon subjects with a plainness border-"he repeated the first stanza of the "ing upon rusticity, and often in words "ballad beginning with the words 'At very ill chosen. He rather cultivated" "Upton on the Hill,' with such false "(than endeavoured to get rid of) his "emphasis, by marking the word on very "brogue." European Magazine, XXIV. 258. "strongly, that all the company agreed At the same time the proof of a spoken "he had by no means established his brogue from a supposed written one, "position." 66 re wit and his whim;* Garrick hav-| mistaking it for The club, ing succeeded, where Edmund membered to have heard much supposed that his own influence animated talk, in which Richard had failed, in getting from Burke made himself very promi1772. Lord North another year's nent, and seemed the most free Et. 44. leave of absence from and easy of the company. Its Grenada;** and his return led members, who had the privilege to the establishment of a tem- of introducing strangers to their porary dining-club at the St. meetings, used to dine at each James's coffee-house, the limited other's houses also, less frenumbers of the Gerrard-street quently; and Goldsmith indulged club excluding both him and himself now and then in very Garrick from present member-oddly assorted assemblages at ship there. Cumberland, who his chambers after the dinner, became afterwards an occasional which, in allusion to the fashionguest, correctly attributes its able ball-rooms of the day, he origin to Burke, though he mis- called his "little Cornelys." states everything else connected More rarely, at meetings which with it;*** and here Cradock, became afterwards more famous, the titled people who jostled * "Here lies honest Richard, whose against writers and artists at fate I must sigh at; What spirits were his! what wit and what whim! Now breaking a jest-and now yet That we wish'd him full ten times a day at Old Nick; able vein, As often we wish'd to have Dick Retaliation. 66 Shelburne-house, in Berkeleying or smiling at the simple-looksquare, might be seen wondering Irishman who had written the Deserted Village. There were Mrs. Vesey's parties, too, more choice and select than Mrs. Montagu's, her friend and imitator; and at both we have traces of Goldsmith: "your wild genius," as Mrs. Vesey's statelier friend Mrs. Carter calls him.* These ladies had got the notion of their coffee-house must, however, with the ** See the Letter of Sir Grey Cooper,"exception of Johnson's conversation, in Garrick Correspondence, 1. 418. "have made him amends for any ex*** I quote the remark of Northcote "clusion from the other: for here were (Life of Reynolds, 1. 214) on Cumberland's "Foote, Fitzherbert, Garrick, Macpherinflated account of it. "Such a society "son; Doctors Carlisle, Robinson, and "might no doubt have been highly agree-"Beattie; Caleb Whitefoord; and though "able; but its description, thus strongly "last, not least, Sir Joshua Reynolds, "marked by Mr. Cumberland, seems "who introduced Goldsmith as a member "rather drawn up in contradistinction to "immediately previous to the represen"the Literary Club, of which he was not "tation of She Stoops to Conquer." 66 a member. This society at the British Letters, IV. 110. Æt. 44. blue-stocking routs from the Du supper by themselves at an adDuffands and L'Espinasses, at joining tavern in Soho. This the last French peace; but alas! was that once famous Jack's, the Montesquieus, Voltaires, and since Walker's, in Dean- 1772. Du Châtelets, the De Launays, street, kept by a singer of Hainaults, De Choiseuls, and Garrick's company (Jack Condorcets, were not always Roberts), and patronised by Garforthcoming in Hill-street or rick and his friends; which, in all Portman-square. In truth, they but the life that departed from seem to have been dull enough, it when they departed, to this day those much-talked-about ré-exists unchanged; quite unvexed unions; though sometimes en- by disturbance or improvement, livened by Mrs. Vesey's forget- haunted by the ghosts of guests fulness of her own name, and that are gone, but not much sparkling at all times with Mrs. visited by guests that live, a Montagu's diamonds and bows.* venerable relic of the still life of Mrs. Thrale's were better; and Goldsmith's age possessed by an though the lively little lady made owner who is venerable as itself, a favourite jest of Goldsmith's and whose memory, faithful to simple ways, he with Johnson the past, now lives altogether passed happy days both in South- with the shades that inhabit wark and Streatham. there. Of many pleasant "tête Still, perhaps, his happiest "à-tête suppers" this was the time was when he had Johnson scene; and here Goldsmith would to himself; when there were no seem boldly to have perpetrated listeners to talk for; when, to his very ancient sallies of wit, to half-childish frolicking absurdi- half-grumbling half-laughing acties, Johnson lowered all that companiment from Johnson. was predominant or intolerant “Sir,” said the sage one night, in his great fine nature; and to- as they supped off rumps and gether they came sporting from kidneys, "these rumps are pretty Gerrard-street to the Temple, or, when the club did not meet, had See Wraxall's Memoirs, I. 144-68. I must quote that admirable distinction which Johnson made a few years later, when a coolness arose between himself and Mrs. Montagu, and he lost even the moderate satisfaction of these réunions. "Mrs. Montagu has dropt me," he said to Boswell. "Now, sir, there are people "whom one should like yery well to drop, but would not wish to be dropped "by. He certainly was vain, adds his biographer, of the society of ladies, and could make himself very agreeable to them when he chose it. VIII. 46-7. "little things; but then a man "must eat a great many of them "before he fills his belly." "Aye, * 1848. It exists (1852) no longer; and I fear that the venerable Walker, from whom I had received attentions before writing those lines in the text, and who was supposed to be fabulously rich, died not long ago in the parish workhouse. To the last, however, on his card inviting custom, he had courteously informed his friends that it was here "Johnson, "Garrick, Goldsmith, and other literary "characters of eminence" found entertainment in old days. "but how many of them," asked and, mentioning that he had Goldsmith innocently, "would written a comedy about which "reach to the moon?" "To the the manager seemed to have "moon!" laughed John- great doubts, asked him to listen 1772. son; "ah, Goldy, I fear to the plot and give him his Et. 44. "that exceeds your calcu- candid opinion of it. The Doc"lation." "Not at all, sir," says tor, Cooke proceeds, then began Goldsmith, “I think I could tell." to tell the particulars of his plot, “Pray then, sir,” says the other, in his strange, uncouth, deranged "let us hear." "Why," and manner, from which his friend here Goldsmith instinctively, no the critic could only make out doubt, got as far from Johnson that the principal part of the as he could, "one, if it were long business turned upon one gen"enough." "Well, sir, I have tleman mistaking the house of "deserved it," growled the phi- another for an inn; at which the losopher. "I should not have critic shook his head, and said "provoked so foolish an answer "he was afraid the audience, "by so foolish.a question."→ "under their then sentimental But Goldsmith's mirth is from "impressions, would think it too a heart now ill at ease. Every "broad and farcical for comedy." day's uncertainty as to his Goldsmith looked very serious at comedy is become fraught with this; paused for some time; and serious consequence to him, and at last, taking the other by the Colman still delays his answer. hand, "piteously" exclaimed, "I The recollection of former mor-❝am much obliged to you, my tifications no doubt sadly re- "dear friend, for the candour of curred, and with it came back "your opinion: but it is all I can the old distrusts and bitter self-"do; for alas I find that my misgivings. Cooke informs us "genius, if ever I had any, has of that Goldsmith accidentally, at "late totally deserted me."* this time, met with an old ac- Alas, poor Goldy! It was the quaintance in a chop-house (most feeling that prompted this, and probably himself, for he else- no other, which also prompted where complains that the Doc- his innocent, vain absurdities; tor's acquisition of more im- and which made him even think, portant friends had latterly made if the same friend's account is their intercourse infrequent), ** to be accepted gravely, that "speechifying" was all a knack, *European Magazine, XXIV. 262. and that he knew of nothing to ** I should add, that this feeling of their altered relations betrays itself in prevent himself making any day the remark with which he introduces the quite as good a speech as Edanecdote in the text, to the effect that Goldsmith at this time was "by turns "vain and humble, coarse and refined, "judicious and credulous," and that the incident occurred "in one of his humiliat"ing moments." * See Cooke's Memoirs of Foote, 111. 77-8. |