weakness of his natural disposi-There is a worse subjection to tion, his really generous and poverty than the mere ceasing most affectionate nature will still to regard it with dread or with Æt. 39. continue to be obscured. shame. There is that submis 1767. It was made matter of sion to it which is implied in a surprise and objection servile adulation of wealth, to against him, that though his the exclusion of every sense of poems are replete with fine moral disgrace but that of being poor; sentiments and bespeak a great and there is, on the other hand, dignity of mind, yet he had no a familiarity with it, a careless sense of the shame, nor dread of but not unmanly relation with its the evils of * poverty. How wants and shames, which, rightly should he? and to what good used, may leave infinite endurend? Would it have been wisely ing pleasure for its every transidone to engage in a useless con- tory pain. Where is to be found, flict, to contest with what too for example, such an intimate plainly was his destiny, and gnaw knowledge of the poor, such the file for ever? It is true that ready and hearty sympathy with poverty brings along with it their joys and sorrows, such a many disreputable compliances, strong social sentiment with what disingenuous shifts and resources, the kindliest observers too little most dire and sordid necessities; heed, such zeal for all that can much, that, even while it helps impart to vindicate personal indepen-An hour's importance to the poor man's dence, may not be consistent heart, with perfect self-respect. It is as in Goldsmith's writings? It not a soil propitious to virtue is the real dignity of mind which and straightforwardness, often only poverty can teach so well; as they hardily grow there; and and when his friends admired it it is well that it should be in his books, they might have escaped from as soon as may questioned the value of their acbe.** But there are worse evils. companying regret. * Genius *Hawkins's Life of Johnson, 420. "happiness; it certainly destroys liberty; ** There is nothing more impressive "and it makes some virtues impracin Johnson than the way in which he al-"ticable, and others extremely difficult." ways speaks of poverty. "Poverty, my To Boswell. Dec. 7, 1782. "dear friend, is so great an evil, and Let me quote from Letter CXIX. in 'pregnant with so much temptation and the Citizen of the World. "The misfor"so much misery, that I cannot but "tunes of the great, my friend, are held "earnestly enjoin you to avoid it." To "up to engage our attention, are enBoswell. March 28, 1782. "Poverty "larged upon in tones of declamation, "takes away so many means of doing good, and produces so much inability "to resist evil, both natural and moral, "that it is by all virtuous means to be "avoided." To Boswell. June 3, 1762. "Poverty is a great enemy to human 66 "and the world is called upon to gaze at 1767. on often effects its highest gains in shape and greater prominence a balance of what the world in Goldsmith. He will be more counts for disadvantage and loss; seen in a society for which his and it has fairly been made habits have least adapted matter of doubt, if Pope's body him, and where the power had been less crooked, whether to make mirth of his Et. 39. his verses would have been so foibles was held to be but fair straight. In every man, wealthy consolation for the inability to or poor in fortune or in genius, make denial of his genius. we see the result of the many "Magnanimous Goldsmith, a various circumstances which have "gooseberry fool!"* His repumade him what he is; wisdom tation had been silently widenfinds its aptest exercise in a ing, in the midst and in despite charitable consideration of all of his humbler drudgery; his those circumstances; and, so far poem, his novel, his essays, had as any such result is discovered imperceptibly but steadily ento have profited and pleased larged the circle of his admirers; mankind, they will not be unwise and he was somewhat suddenly, to accept it in compensation for at last, subjected to the social whatever pain or disadvantage exactions that are levied may have happened to attend it. literary fame. But let the reader The last section of Goldsmith's take along with him into these life and adventures is now ar- scenes what will alone enable rived at; and in what remains to him to judge them rightly. be described there will appear Conversation is a game where more strange inconsistencies than the wise do not always win. have yet been noted. The con- When men talk together, the trast which every man might be acute man will count higher than made more or less to illustrate, the subtle man; and he who, of circumstances and preten- though infinitely far from truth, sions, of ignorance and know- can handle a solid point of arguledge, of accomplishments and ment, will seem wiser than the blunders, will, for the few years man around whom truth "plays to come, take more decisive "like an atmosphere," but who cannot reason as he feels. The "than the great in their whole lives. It one forms opinions unconsciously, "is indeed inconceivable what difficul- the other none for which he can"ties the meanest English sailor or sol"dier endures without murmuring or not show specific grounds; and regret. Every day is to him a day of it was not inaptly, though hu"misery, and yet he bears his hard fate "without repining!" I could multiply morously, said by Goldsmith of such passages infinitely from Goldsmith's himself, that he disputed best writings. With his ever genial and humorous delight in the little humble 99 magnanimous evidence gaieties and thrifty enjoyments of the against himself in the poem of Retaliapoor, all his readers are familiar. tion. * His 66 when nobody was by, and al- large exceptions; and with what ways got the better when he excellent effect upon his higher argued alone.* Society exposed nature a sense of his growing him to continual miscon- fame with such men as these 1767. struction; so that few more descended, will hereafter be t. 39 touching things have been plainly seen. Never is success recorded of him than those which obtained, if deserved, that it have most awakened laughter. does not open and improve the "People are greatly mistaken in mind; and never had Goldsmith "me," he remarked on one oc- reason to believe the world in casion. "A_notion goes about any respect disposed to do him "that when I am silent, I mean justice, that he was not also most "to be impudent; but I assure ready and desirous to do justice "you, gentlemen, my silence to others. But, even with the "arises from bashfulness." ** friends I have named, there reFrom the same cause arose the mained too much of the fondunconsidered talk which was less ness of pity, the familiarity of easily forgiven than silence; with condescension, the air of genewhich we shall find so frequently rosity, the habit of patronage; mixed up, the imputations of too readily did these appear to vanity and of envy; and to pro- justify an ill-disguised contempt, perly comprehend which, there a sort of corporate spirit of dismust always be kept in mind the respect,* in the rest of the mengrudging and long-delayed re- of-letters of that circle; and when cognition of his genius. Excep- was the applause of even the tions no doubt there were. John- highest, yet counted a sufficient son, Burke, and Reynolds were set-off against the depreciation of the lowest of mankind? *An expression which exactly recalls No one who thus examines the what Addison is reported to have said of whole case can doubt, I think, himself when some one remarked how that Goldsmith had never cause much happier in conversation Steele was than the majority of those who talked to be really content with his posiwith him. "Yes," said Addison, "he tion among the men of his time, "beats me in the room, but no sooner or with the portion of celebrity "has he got to the bottom of the stair distinguishing between his conversation case than I have refuted all his argu- at any period during his life "ments.". "I have only ninepence in my assigned to him. All men can "pocket," he said on another occasion, patronise the useful, since it so and his writing, "but I can draw for a well caters for itself, but, many "thousand pounds." Langton repeated as there are to need the beautithis saying to Johnson, whereupon Boswell pleasantly reports: JOHNSON. "He "had not that retort ready, sir; he had ""prepared it beforehand.' LANGTON "(turning to me). 'A fine surmise. Set σε σ a thief to catch a thief." " VII. 198. **Hawkins's Life of Johnson, 418-19, *Even Johnson lost patience at this one day, and growled out, "If nobody "was suffered to abuse poor Goldy but "those who could write as well, he "would have few enemies," Europ. Mag. XXXI, 18, 1767. Æt. 39. pro ful, there are few to set it forth, "mean, Doctor Minor; 'tis Docand fewer still to encourage it; "tor Major, there."* "Now, that and even the booksellers who "Graham," said Goldsmith aftercrowded round the author of the wards, "is a fellow to make Vicar of Wakefield and the Tra- "one commit suicide;' veller, came to talk but of book- and upon nothing graver sellers' drudgery and catchpenny than expressions such as this, compilations. Is it strange that have men like Hawkins inferred as such a man stood amid the that he loved not Johnson, but Boswells, Murphys, Beatties, rather envied him for his parts. Bickerstaffs, Grahams, Kellys, "Indeed," pursues the musical Hawkinses, and men of that secon- knight, "he once entreated a dary class, unconscious com-"friend to desist from praising parative criticism should have "him; for in doing so,' said he, risen in his mind, and taken the "you harrow up my soul:'"** form of a very innocent vanity? * Boswell, IV. 98. Mrs. Piozzi had It is a harsh word, yet often told the anecdote before him with the stands for a harmless thing. addition that Goldsmith was so eager to May it not even be forgiven him respond to the invitation that he "posed setting out with Mr. Johnson for if, in galling moments of slight- "Buckinghamshire in a fortnight" (180). ing disregard, he made occa- She had heard it from Johnson, who used "what sional silent comparison of Ras- to tell the story himself; and 'effect," he would say in conclusion, selas with the Vicar, of the Rambler "this had on Goldsmith, who was as with the Citizen of the World, of "irascible as a hornet, may be easily London with the Traveller? “Doc-marked that out of it, and the epithet "conceived." Mr. Croker has justly re"tor, I should be glad to see you Ursa Major applied to Johnson by Bos"at Eton," said Mr. George Gra- well's father, Miss Reynolds had eviham, one of the Eton masters dently manufactured the anecdote told in her Recollections (Croker's Boswell, 831.) and author of an indifferent "At another time, a gentleman who was Masque of Telemachus, as he sat "sitting between Dr. Johnson and Dr. at supper with Johnson and Gold-“Goldsmith, and with whom he had been smith, indulging somewhat freely in wine, and arrived at that pitch in his cups, when he gave this invitation, of looking at one man and talking to another. "I shall "be glad to wait upon you," answered Goldsmith. "No, no," replied Graham: "tis not you I * disputing, remarked to another, loud "enough for Goldsmith to hear him, "That he had a fine time of it, between "Ursa major and Ursa minor!' **Life of Johnson, 417. Hawkins appears to have coolly copied this absurd imputation on Goldsmith's sense, as Tom Davies's Life of Garrick (1. 151). well as his humanity and gratitude, from Tom is its first author, and uses the very expression employed by Hawkins: "No "more, I desire you; you harrow up my * If any one would judge how far "soul." See note above, and ante, I. such a person as this Graham was en- 320-1. So, again, Hawkins's statement is titled to address contemptuously such a put in a general form by Beattie, who man as Goldsmith, let him turn to a had no personal knowledge of the matter letter in the Garrick Correspondence, 1. at all; and thus it is that mere un193-5. authorised repetitions come to be quoted which it may be admitted was not all his grateful heart whatever at all improbable, if it was Haw- was lovable in Johnson. Boskins praising him; for there is well himself admits it, on more nothing so likely as a than one occasion; and con 1767. particular sort of praise to tradicts much of what he has Et. 39. harrow up an affectionate chosen to say on others, by the soul. Such most certainly was remark that in his opinion GoldGoldsmith's, and he loved with smith had not really more of envy than other people, but only forest of misstatements. Beattie's re 66 "Goldsmith is perfectly true. He was 66 * as additional testimony, and one ill-talked of it freely. natured idle remark is the seed-plot of a That free talking did all the mark is in a letter to Forbes (Life, III. mischief. He was candid and 49), of the 10th July, 1788. "What she" simple enough to say aloud what (Mrs. Piozzi in her letters) says of others would more prudently "the only person I ever knew who ac- have concealed. "Here's such a "knowledged himself to be envious. In "stir," he exclaimed to Johnson "Johnson's presence he was quiet enough, but in his absence expressed it was when London had gone one day, in a company at Thrale's, 66 great uneasiness on hearing him "praised. He even envied the dead; he mad about Beattie's common"could not bear that Shakespeare should "be so much admired as he is. There place Essay on Truth, had em"might, however, be something like "magnanimity in envying Shakespeare "and Dr. Johnson; as in Julius Cæsar's "weeping to think, that at an age at "which he had done so little, Alexander "should have done so much. But surely "Goldsmith had no occasion to envy "me; which however he certainly did, "for he owned it (though when we met, "he was always very civil); and I re"ceived undoubted information that he "seldom missed an opportunity of speak"ing ill of me behind my back." The copy of Forbes's book from which I quote, having belonged to Mrs. Piozzi, is full of manuscript notes in her quaint, clear, beautiful hand; and to one of them, written at least thirty-three years after Goldsmith's death (the imprint to the edition is 1807), she subjoins the description of her old friend which appeared afterwards in her rhymed account of the Streatham portraits. "From our Goldsmith's anomalous character, who Can withhold his contempt and his From a heart in which meanness had made her abode, From a foot that each path of vulgarity trod, From a head to invent and a hand to adorn, Unskilled in the schools, a philosopher |