"effect they had upon Goldsmith | view to that proposed collection "was the more pleasing for being of all the poems to which his "so entirely unexpected... At statement was meant to be the 66 our next meeting he pro- preface. 1774- "duced his epitaphs Be this as it may, the letter is Æt. 46. "As he had served up the highly characteristic. Here, as "company under the similitude in everything of Cumberland's, "of various sorts of meat, I had it is most amusing to see to what "in the mean time figured them an alarming extent he and his "under that of liquors.*.. Gold- affairs, his writings, or the writ"smith sickened and died, and ings of which he is the object, "we had one concluding meet- occupy the scene. One might "ing at my house, when it was imagine, in reading it, that it was "decided to publish his Retalia- Richard Cumberland who had "tion." given all its interest to an in The obvious defect in all these cident which, but for Goldsmith, descriptions is, that the various would not have lived in memory meetings are carelessly jumbled for a day. It is not as the author together, and that incidents, of his own immortal epitaphs, which would be easily under- but simply as the recitator acerbus stood if separately related, be- of the temporary trash in which come mixed up in a manner quite Cumberland had carried out the unintelligible. But an unpub- notion of a feast by supplying lished letter of Cumberland's to suitable drinks thereto, that Garrick is now before me, which Goldsmith is prominent here! seems, to a great extent, to con- "We missed your society much firm what has been quoted. It "on Wednesday last, and I may was probably written after Gold-"say to me in particular it was a smith's death (the epitaph-writ-"singular loss, for in your place ing thus set on foot continued "there came Mr. Whitefoord till after Retaliation was pub-"with his pockets crammed with lished), for, besides the meeting "epitaphs. Two of them did me to which it more immediately "honour, and by implication refers, the last half of it appears "yourself; as the turn of both to describe retrospectively what "was a mock lamentation over had taken place when Cumber- "me from you, with a most land's "liquor" verses were first "severe and ill-natured invective produced, and this may have "principally collected from the been done in answer to some "strictures of Mr. Bickerstaff, question put by Garrick with a "and thrown upon me with a "dung-fork. But of myself and * See Memoirs, 1. 369-72. Cumberland's "him, enough. Doctor Goldlines were subsequently printed in the "smith's Dinner was very inGent. Mag. for Aug. 1778, and may be seen in Works (Ed. Cunningham), I. 86-7. "genious, but evidently written 66 1774. Æt. 46. "with haste and negligence. The "Beauclerc was there, and joined "Dishes were nothing to the "with every one else in conpurpose, but they were fol-"demning the tenor of Mr. White"lowed by epitaphs that had "foord's invective, who, "humour, some satire, and more "I believe, was brought "panegyric. You had your share "maliciously enough by "of both, but the former very "Sir Joshua." "sparingly, and in a strain to Cumberland characterises the "leave nothing behind, not at all famous epitaph on Garrick not "in the character of Mr. White- unfairly. This was a subject "foord's muse. My Wine was which the author of Retaliation "drank very cordially, though it had studied thoroughly; most "was very ill-poured out by Doc- familiar had he good reason to "tor Goldsmith, who proved him- be with its lights and its shadows; "self a recitator acerbus. The Dean very ample and various had been "of Derry went out and produced his personal experience of both; "an exceedingly good extempore and whether anger or adulation "in answer to my Wine, which should at last predominate, the "had an excellent effect.* Mr. reader of this narrative of his * This piece, addressed "To Oliver life has had abundant means of "Goldsmith and Richard Cumberland," determining. But neither was has been preserved, and is very pleasant. visible in the character of GarIn Goldsmith's poem, Dean Barnard rick. Indignation makes verses, figures as "Venison;' " and in Cumberland's, a bumper of "conventual Sherry" says the poet; yet will the verses is set apart for him. be all the better in proportion as the indignation is not seen. The lines on Garrick are quite perfect writing. Without anger, the satire is finished, keen, and uncompromising; the wit is adorned by most discriminating praise; and the truth is only the more "Dear Noll and dear Dick, since you've made us so merry, Accept the best thanks of the poor Dean Though I here must confess that your For Sherry's a liquor monastic, you own Now there's nothing I hate so as drink- It may do for your Monks, or your would appear that he was among the first to take alarm at the unexpected satirical faculty exhibited by Goldsmith. Не But for my part, I'm fond of more so-wrote a metrical apology for his first ciable liquors. Your Ven'son's delicious, though too Another piece of verse of the Dean's has epitaph, in which he laughs at Garrick's absenting himself from their meetings when the work of retaliation had begun, and adjures the retaliator to spare a "hapless stranger" and "set his wit at "Davy." "On him let all thy vengeance fall, On me you but misplace it; Remember how he call'd thee PollBut, ah! he dares not face it." unsparing for its exquisite good|precated Goldsmith's wrath, in manners and good taste. The verses that still exist; and the epitaph writers might well be flutter of fear became very per 1774. alarmed. Garrick returned to the charge, with a nerÆt. 46. vous desire to re-retaliate; and elaborated a longer and more malicious epitaph with some undoubtedly clever lines in it, which he afterwards did not scruple to read to his friends (among them the poet laureate Pye and his wife) as having preceded and given occasion for Goldsmith's.* Several of the other assailants submissively de With the love of a wench, let his writings be chaste; Tip his tongue with strange matter, his pen with fine taste; That the rake and the poet o'er all may prevail, Set fire to the head and set fire to the For the joy of each sex on the world The scholar, rake, christian, dupe, Though a mixture so odd he shall merit great fame, And among brother mortals be Goldsmith his name; When on earth this strange meteor no more shall appear, You, Hermes, shall fetch him-to make us sport here." A second, which also appears in Garrick's Works, is poor enough: * Mrs. Pye, the wife of the poet laureate, writes to Garrick from Dijon on the 16th May, 1774 (Gar. Cor. 1. 628), "When the Duke of Cumberland was here, he gave Mr. Pye a parcel of Public "Advertisers, which we most eagerly de"voured as you will easily believe, and "ON DR. GOLDSMITH'S CHARACTERISTIC "by those I find Dr. Goldsmith has pub"lished a poem called Retaliation; if it is "Are these the choice dishes the Doctor "written with a tithe of the wit and "Here Hermes, says Jove, who with an odd fellow: Right and wrong shall be jumbled, much gold and some dross, Without cause be he pleased, without cause be he cross; Be sure as I work to throw in contradictions, A great love of truth, yet a mind turned to fictions: Now mix these ingredients, which COOKERY. has sent us? Is this the great poet whose works so content us? This Goldsmith's fine feast who has written fine books? Heaven sends us good meat, but the devil sends cooks!" A third was published in the Public be doubted, for Mr. Fitzgerald (Life of 66 "Reader, here lies a favourite son of fame! By a few outlines you will guess his name: Æt. 46. ceptible. "Retaliation," says Wal- during composition were limited ter Scott, "had the effect of to very few of his acquaintance; "placing the author on a more and when the publication of the "equal footing with his society poem challenged wider re- 1774. "than he had ever before as- spect for the writer, the "sumed." Fear might doubtless writer had been a week in have had that effect, if Gold- his grave. smith could have visited St. James's-street again: but a sterner invitation awaited him. Allusions to Kenrick show he was still writing his retaliatory epitaphs in the middle of February;* such of them as escaped Full of ideas was his head-so full, When his mouth open'd all were in a Rush'd at the door, and tumbled o'er each other! But rallying soon with all their force In bright array they issued from his Here lies David Garrick, describe me who can, An abridgment of all that was pleasant in man; As an actor, confest without rival to shine; As a wit, if not first, in the very first line: Yet, with talents like these, and an excellent heart, The man had his failings, a dupe to his art. Like an ill-judging beauty, his colours he spread, And beplaster'd with rouge his own natural red. On the stage he was natural, simple, affecting; 'Twas only that when he was off he was acting. With no reason on earth to go out of his way, He turn'd and he varied full ten times a day: Though secure of our hearts, yet confoundedly sick If they were not his own by finessing and trick: "Our Dods shall be pious, our Ken"ricks shall lecture." Kenrick's Lectures on Shakespeare began at the Deviltavern (Temple-bar), towards the close of January 1774, and continued for some time. But a more remarkable evidence exists that he was working at these epitaphs to the last, if we are to believe He cast off his friends as a huntsman his the anonymous correspondent who sent the additional lines on Caleb Whitefoord For he knew when he pleased he could which appeared in the fifth edition of Retaliation. I quote the publisher's pre- Of praise a mere glutton, he swallowed face: "After the fourth edition of this what came, 66 pack, whistle them back. poem was printed, the publisher re- And the puff of a dunce he mistook it for "ceived an Epitaph on Mr. Whitefoord "from a friend of the late Doctor Gold fame, "smith, enclosed in a letter of which the "tion. It is a striking proof of Doctor "following is an abstract:-'I have in "Goldsmith's good nature. I saw this "my possession a sheet of paper con- "sheet of paper in the Doctor's room "taining near forty lines in the Doc-" "five or six days before he died; and as "tor's own handwriting; there are "I had got all the other epitaphs, I "many scattered broken verses on Sir" asked him if I might take it. In truth "Joshua Reynolds, Counsellor Ridge," you may, my boy (replied he), for it "Mr. Beauclerk, and Mr. Whitefoord."will be of no use to me where I am "The epitaph on the last-mentioned" going.'" The reader must use his "'gentleman is the only one that is judgment in determining whether or not "finished, and therefore I have copied this story is credible. It has to me a "it that you may add it to the next edi- somewhat doubtful look. Oliver Goldsmith's Life and Times. II. 21 Mr. Mitford suggests that the hint of the commencing part of Retaliation may have been borrowed and adorned from Motteux's rough sketch, in his prologue to Farquhar's Inconstant: "Like hungry guests, a sitting audience. looks, Plays are like suppers, poets are the cooks. Each Act a course, each Scene a dif ferent dish," &c. Other brief passages of the poem which were handed about at the same time with this character of Garrick, Burke is said to have received under solemn injunctions of secrecy; which he promised to observe if they had passed into no other hands, but from which he released himself with all despatch when told that Mrs. Cholmondeley had also received a copy. * It would be curious to know, if, in the manuscript confided to him, he found that exquisite epitaph, formerly and fowl. It is therefore a dish fit for "tains in itself all kinds of flesh, fish, "one who can represent all the solidity "of flesh, the volatility of fowl, and the "oddity of fish. As this entertainment "can be found no longer anywhere but "at your table, or at those tables to "which you give conviviality and cheer"fulness, let the type and shadow of the 'master grace his board; a little pepper "he can add himself; the wine likewise "he will supply: I do not know whether "he still retains any friend who can "finish the dressing of his turtle by a gentle squeeze of the lemon." Garrick Correspondence, 1. 332. 66 * "When," says Cooke, "he had got "on as far as the character of Sir Joshua but with not very good grounds, that the Caleb Whitefoord lines were Caleb's own), "he shewed it to Mr. Burke, of "whose talents and friendship he always "spoke in the highest degree, but re"quired at the same time a solemn 66 "Reynolds in the poem, which was the "last character, I believe, of the DocBut it may not be the less worth men-"tor's writing" (this would insinuate, tioning, in connection with the fact that the two most prominent names in the poem are those of Garrick and Burke, that there exists a playful letter of Burke's addressed to Garrick some four or five years before the present date, from which one can hardly help thinking promise of secrecy. 'Before I promise that Goldsmith may have drawn some "this,' says Mr. Burke, 'be explicit with hint for the opening lines of his poem, me; have you shewn it to anybody before he saw either Scarron or Motteux. "'else?' Here the Doctor paused for Burke, writing in great spirits to Gar-"some time, but at length confessed he rick during the exciting session of 1769 "had given a copy of it to Mrs. Cholmon(when, as poor Goldsmith remarked, he "deley. O then,' replied Mr. Burke, was supposed to be near his apotheosis), to avoid any possible imputation of sends him a rosa sera, a late turtle, thus" "betraying secrets I'll promise nothing, introducing it. "Your true epicurcans" but leave it to yourself to confide in "are of opinion, you know, that it con- "me.'" Europ. Mag. XXIV. 174. 666 |