1773. Yates had quarrelled with the passed being Goldsmith's disCovent-garden manager; and covery that Newbery had failed one object of the "poetical ex- to observe his promise in con"ordium" which Gold- nection with the unpaid bill resmith had thus written for maining in Garrick's hands. This Æt. 45. her, was to put before was hardly generous; since the that fashionable audience the in-copyright of She Stoops to Conquer justice of her exclusion from the had passed in satisfaction of all English theatre. He had great claims between them, and was sympathy for Mrs. Yates, think- already promising Newbery the ing her the first of English ac- ample profits beyond his debt tresses; and it is not wonderful which it subsequently realised. that he should have lost all sym- These are said to have amounted pathy with Colman. Their breach to upwards of three hundred had lately widened more and pounds; and the play was still so more. Kenrick, driven from profitable after several years' Drury-lane, had found refuge at sale, that when the booksellers the other house; and, on the very engaged Johnson for their first night of Mrs. Yates's prologue, scheme of an edition and memoir Colman suffered a new comedy, the project was defeated by a by that libeller of all his friends, dispute about the value of the to be decisively damned at copyright of She Stoops to ConCovent-garden. If Goldsmith quer. * could have withdrawn both his The other larger debt to "the comedies upon this, he would "trade" which had suggested to probably have done it; for at Goldsmith his project of a Diconce he made an effort to remove tionary, he had now no means of the first to Drury-lane, which he discharging but by hard, drudgnow had the right to do. But ing, unassisted labour. His so Garrick insisted on his original favourite project, though he had objection to Lofty; and justified obtained promises of co-operait by reference to the comparative tion from Johnson, Burke, and coldness with which, though Reynolds, had been finally restrengthened by the zealous Lee jected. Davies, who represented Lewes in that part (Lewis had not the craft on the occasion, whose yet assumed it), the comedy had own business had not been very been received during the run of prosperous, and many of whose She Stoops to Conquer in the sum-copyrights had already passed mer. * He would play the Good- to Cadell, gives us the reason natured Man if that objection of their adverse decision. He could be obviated, not otherwise. says ** that though they had a Here the matter rested for a very good opinion of the Doctime; the only result from-what * Ante, 78. See Appendix A to this volume. **Life of Garrick, 11. 167. CHAPTER XIX. The Clouds still Gathering. 1773. Æt. tor's abilities, yet they were startled at the bulk, importance, and expense of so great an undertaking, the fate of which was to depend upon the industry of a man with whose indolence of THE cherished project, temper, and method of pro- then, of the Popular Diccrastination, they had long been tionary of Arts and Sciences, 45. acquainted. He adds, in further the scheme on which Goldsmith justification of the refusal, that had built so much, was an utter upon every emergency half-a- and quite hopeless failure; and dozen projects would present under the immediate pang of themselves to Goldsmith's mind, feeling this, the alteration of his which, straightway communi- first comedy for Garrick, even cated to the men they were to upon Garrick's own conditions, enrich, at once obtained him would seem to have suddenly money on the mere faith of his presented itself as one of those great reputation: but the money artifices of acquisition" which was generally spent long before Johnson alleges against him. He the new work was half finished, wrote to the manager of Druryperhaps before it was begun; lane. The letter has by chance and hence arose continual ex-survived, is obligingly communipostulation and reproach on the cated to me by its present posone side, and much anger and sessor, *and of the scanty colvehemence on the other. John- lection so preserved is probably son described the same transac- the worst composed and the tions, after all were over, in one worst written. As well in the of his emphatic sentences. "He manner as in the matter of it, "had raised money and squan- the writer's distress is very pain"dered it, by every artifice of before his death. And having just quoted 'acquisition and folly of ex-Johnson's mention of his extravagance, pense. But let not his frailties let me at least accompany this last ap"be remembered: he was a very pearance of poor Goldsmith's tailor's bills 'great man."* 66 66 66 ex with his friend's excellent remark at Mrs. Thrale's one day, when somebody was denouncing "showy decorations * Boswell, v. 189. Mr. Filby's account "of the human figure." "Oh," against Goldsmith, as it appeared at his claimed Johnson, "let us not be found, death, showed him indebted in the sum "when our Master calls us, ripping the of £79 14s. A portion of this (£ 48 4s. 6d.) "lace off our waistcoats, but the spirit of was the unpaid balance of the preceding" contention from our souls and tongues! account. The latest half-year's supply, from July to December 1773 (including two suits, charged respectively £915s. 6d. and £5 13s; and £2 19s. 3d. for a greatcoat) amounted to £23 14s. 9d; and there was an additional item of £7 14s. 9d. for a third suit, sent home a fortnight 66 Alas, Sir! a man who cannot get to "heaven in a green coat, will not find his "way thither the sooner in a grey one." Mrs. Piozzi's Anecdotes, 109-110. *Then, Mr. Bullock of Islington; but it has since been sold, and I do not know who now possesses it. 1773. fully visible. It has every ap-likely to have been delivered pearance, even to the wafer there by the messenger of a hastily thrust into it, of having sponging-house. A fac-simile of been the sudden sugges- its signature, which may be comtion of necessity; it is ad-pared with Goldsmith's ordinary Et. 45. dressed, without date of handwriting in a previous page, time or place, to the Adelphi will show the writer's agitation, (where Garrick had lately pur- and perhaps account for the chased the centre house of the vague distraction of his gramnewly-built terrace); nor is it un-mar. "MY DEAR SIR, Your saying you would play my Good-Natured Man makes me wish it. The money you advanced me upon Newbery's note I have the mortification to find is not yet paid, but he says he will in two or three days. What I mean by this letter is to lend me sixty pound for which I will give you Newbery's note, so that the whole of my debt will be an hundred for which you shall have Newbery's note as a security. This may be paid either from my alteration if my benefit should come to so much, but at any rate I will take care you shall not be a loser. I will give you a new character in my comedy and knock out Lofty which does not do, and will make such other alterations as you direct." The letter is indorsed in Gar-quired on Goldsmith's own acrick's handwriting as "Gold- ceptance. He had proved the "smith's parlaver." But though it small worth of the security of would thus appear to have in- one of Newbery's notes; though spired little sympathy or con- the publisher, with his experience fidence, and the sacrifice of Lofty of the comedy in hand, would had come too late and been doubtless have taken his chance too reluctant, Garrick's answer, of the renovated comedy. Poor begged so earnestly, was not un- Goldsmith's enthusiastic acknowfavourable. He evaded the al- ledgment has also survived. Nor tered comedy; spoke of the new let it be thought he is acting unone already mentioned between fairly to Newbery in the advice them; and offered the money re- which accompanies his thanks. Æt. 45. The publisher had frankly ac- much of his society on his return: cepted the chances of a certain observing, as he said afterwards, copyright, and had no right to the change in his manner; seewait the issue of those chances ing how greatly he now 1773. before he admitted the liability seemed to need the escape they imposed. The second note from his own thoughts, exhibits such manifest improve- and with what a look of distress ment in the writing as a sudden he would suddenly start from removal of a sore anxiety might the midst of social scenes he occasion; but the writer's usual continued still passionately fond epistolary neatness is still ab- of, to go home and brood over sent. It is hastily folded up in his misfortunes. Only two more three-cornered shape, is also pictures really gay or bright resealed with wafer, and also in- main in the life of Goldsmith. dorsed by Garrick, "Goldsmith's The last but one is of himself "parlaver." and Sir Joshua at Vauxhall.* "MY DEAR FRIEND, I thank you! I * See ante, 195 and 245-6. "I am just wish I could do something to serve you. "going with Sir Joshua and Doctor I shall have a comedy for you in a season "Goldsmith to Vauxhall, which will be or two at furthest that I believe will be "my first exit from home this day." worth your acceptance, for I fancy I will Thomas Fitzmaurice to Garrick, 4th make it a fine thing. You shall have the August, 1773. So it is, and continues to refusal. I wish you would not take up be, till all is over. "You are a phiNewbery's note but let Waller" (pro-"losopher, Dr. Johnson," said the dull bably a mistake for Wallis, Garrick's good man who had been a lad at college solicitor) "tease him, without however with him, and only accidentally met him coming to extremities; let him haggle after a separation of forty-nine years: after him and he will get it. He owes it "I have tried, too, in my time to be a and will pay it. I'm sorry you are ill. I "philosopher; but I don't know how, will draw upon you one month after date "cheerfulness was always breaking in." for sixty pound and your acceptance will Boswell, VII. 153. The reader sees that be ready money, part of which I want to with Oliver Goldsmith, as with the good go down to Barton with. May God pre-old Oliver Edwards, notwithstanding a serve my honest little man, for he has my heart. Ever, OLIVER GOLDSMITH." necessity to be grave, cheerfulness is always breaking in. Nevertheless, he was probably not the worse philosopher for I may here perhaps appropriately add a reminiscence of the time vouch Barton was a gleam of sun-it. shine in his darkest days. There, safed us lately by one, who was now a if nowhere else, he could still strive to be, as in his younger time, "well when he was not ill, "and pleased when he was not "angry." It was the precious maxim of Reynolds, as it had been the selectest wisdom of Sir" William Temple. Reynolds himself too, their temporary disagreement forgotten, gave him girl of sixteen and afterwards a lady in waiting at court, who has described her"foonery of Goldsmith," and gives an self in girlhood as 66 'amused by the bufexample of what entertained her. "Gold"smith was, I feel sure, very good-na"tured; and though neither his features, person, nor manners, had anything of grace to recommend them, his coun"tenance, as far as I can recollect, was "honest and open, and in his behaviour "there was something easy and natural, "removed from vulgarity no less than And not the least memorable new comedy was almost killing figures in that sauntering crowd; the poor poet with spleen. Yet though it numbered princes and it had been at Beauclerc's own ambassadors then, and on house, and on the very night 1773. its tide and torrent of when the comedy was produced, t. 45. fashion floated all the that there shone forth the last beauty of the time, and through laughter-moving picture I may its lighted avenues of trees dwell upon, in the chequered glided cabinet ministers and life now drawing quickly to its their daughters, royal dukes and close. their wives, agreeable "young Goldsmith had been invited to "ladies and gentlemen of eighty-pass the day there, with the "two," and all the red-heeled Garricks, Lord and Lady Edgemacaronies; were those of the cumbe, and Horace Walpole; President, and the ancient his- and there seems to have been tory Professor, of the Royal some promise that Garrick and Academy. A little later we trace himself were to amuse the comGoldsmith from Vauxhall to the pany in the evening with a special theatre, but any gaiety or enjoy- piece of mirth, the precise nature ment there is not so certain. of which was not disclosed. But Kelly had tried a fourth comedy unfortunately the new comedy (The School for Wives) under a was coming on at Drury-lane, feigned name, and with some- and soon after dinner the great what better success than its two actor fell into a fidget to get to immediate predecessors, though the theatre, and all had to conit lived but a few brief nights; sent to wait his return. He and Beauclerc, who writes to tell went away at half-past five, and Lord Charlemont of the round of did not reappear till ten; the pleasures Goldsmith and Joshua rest meanwhile providing what had been getting into, and which present amusement they could, had prevented their attending to relieve the dulness of amusethe club, had told him also, but ment in expectancy. The burden a few weeks before, that the fell on Walpole; and "most "from affectation. His buffoonery, of "thoroughly tired I was," says "which I have spoken, was a sort of that fastidious gentleman, "as I "childish playfulness, such as drinking "knew I should be, I who hate "off a glass of water reversed on the "the playing off a butt." Why "lar tricks. On some occasion, I forget this task should have been so "what" (perhaps one of his Vauxhall fatiguing in the special case, adventures), "he was told that he must Horace proceeds to explain by 66 wear a silk coat, and he purchased one "second-hand which had been a noble- a peculiarity in the butt referred 66 man's, without observing that there to. "Goldsmith is a fool, the “was visible on the breast a mark show-more wearing for having some "ing where a star had been." Miss Knight's Autobiography, 1. 10-11. "table without spilling a drop, and simi 66 sense. |