was printed; and here Goldsmith | night (a practice not unwise, had another satisfaction, in the though become unfashionable); alteration of a line that had been and the third, when Reynolds 1768. laughed at. "Don't call enters in his note-book that he "me our LITTLE bard," he was again present, the sixth, and t. 40. said to Johnson; and "our the ninth, being advertised as ap"anxious bard" was goodna-propriated to the author. But turedly substituted.* But what though this seems a reasonably Boswell interposes on this head fair success, there is no reason simply shows us how uneasy he to doubt Cooke's statement, was, not when Johnson's familiar that, even with the sacrifice of diminutives, more fond than re- the bailiffs, it rather dragged, spectful, were used by himself, than supported itself buoyantly, but when they passed into the through the remainder of the mouths of others. "I have often season. Shuter gave it an eleventh "desired Mr. Johnson not to call night, a month later, by selecting "me Goldy," was his complaint it for his benefit; when Goldsmith, to Davies.** It was a courteous in a fit of extravagant goodnature, way of saying, "I wish you sent him ten guineas (perhaps at "wouldn't call me Goldy, what- the time the last he had in the ever Mr. Johnson does." world) for a box ticket. It was The comedy was played ten again, after an interval of three consecutive nights: their majes- years, played three nights;* and ties commanding it on the fifth it was selected for Mrs. Green's benefit the second year after that, year When senators and nobles learn * "Amidst the toils of this returning when the bailiffs reappeared. This is all I can discover of its career upon the London stage Our little bard, without complaint, while the author yet lived to en to fear, may share," &c. &c. Malone used to refer to this eagerly-desired omission as one of the most characteristic traits he knew of Goldsmith. Taylor's Records, I. 119. joy it. CHAPTER II. ** Iquote Boswell's Tour to the Hebrides. Social Entertainments, Humble Clients, "Thursday, Oct. 14, 1773. When Dr. 66 'Johnson awaked this morning, he "called 'Lanky!' having, I suppose, been "thinking of Langton, but corrected "himself instantly, and cried, 'Bozzy!' and Shoemaker's Holidays. 1768. ON the stage, then, the success "He has a way of contracting the names of Goldsmith's comedy of the "of his friends. Goldsmith feels himself "so important now, as to be displeased "at it. I remember one day, when Tom "Davies was telling that Doctor Johnson "said, "We are all in labour for a name "to Goldy's play,' Goldsmith cried, 'I "have often desired him not to call me "Goldy.'" Boswell, v. 40. *Some Account of the Stage, v. 307. But the reader may judge with what chance of better success, when the ponderous Bensley had replaced Powell in the hero, and Lofty, now played by a Mr. Kniveton, profited no longer by the whim and eccentricity of Woodward. Æt. 40. Good-natured Man was far from Pembroke and card tables, and equal to its claims of character, tasteful book-shelves.* Thus, wit, and humour; yet its suc- and by payment for the lease cess, in other respects, very of the chambers, the sum 1768. sensibly affected its author's ways Cooke mentions would of life. His three nights had seem to have been exproduced him nearly £400; Grif- pended; and with it began a fin had paid him £100 more; and system of waste and debt, infor any good fortune of this kind, volving him in difficulties he his past fortunes had not fitted never surmounted. The first was him. So little, he would himself in the shape of money borrowed say, was he used to receive from Mr. Edmund Bott, a barmoney "in a lump," that when rister who occupied the rooms Newbery made him his first ad- opposite his on the same floor, vance of twenty guineas, his em- where he had in this year Reybarrassment was as great as Cap-nolds and other common friends tain Brazen's in the play, whether to meet him at dinner;** who he should build a privateer or a remained very intimate with him play-house with the money.* for the rest of his life; and who He now took means hardly less has now this double title to be effective to disembarrass himself remembered, that his portrait of the profits of his comedy. was taken by Reynolds's pencil "He descended from his attic and his treatise on the Poor Laws "story in the Staircase, Inner revised by Goldsmith's pen. Ex"Temple," says Cooke (who here actly below the poet's were the writes somewhat hastily, one chambers of Mr. Blackstone; descent from the "attic" having and the rising lawyer, at this already been made), “and pur- time finishing the fourth volume "chased chambers in Brick-court, of his Commentaries, is reported "Middle Temple, for which he to have made frequent complaint 'gave four hundred pounds."** of the distracting social noises They were number two on the that went on above. A Mr. Chilsecond floor, on the right hand dren succeeded him, and made ascending the staircase; and con- the same complaint. 66 sisted of two reasonably-sized The nature of the noises may old-fashioned rooms, with a third be presumed from what is stated smaller room or sleeping-closet, on the authority of a worthy which he furnished handsomely, Irish merchant settled in London with "Wilton" carpets, "blue (Mr. Seguin), to two of whose "morine - covered mahogany sofas, blue morine curtains, chairs * I quote from a "Catalogue" of his corresponding, chimney glasses, furniture, &c. in Mr. Murray's posses *Europ. Mag. XXIV. 92. ** Ibid. 171..... sion. **Note-books in Life of Reynolds by Leslie and Taylor, 1. 275. children Goldsmith stood god-clumsier and plainer for the father; and whose intimacy with satin-grain coat, the garter blue the poet descended as an heir- silk breeches, the gold sprig loom to his family, by buttons, and the rich strawwhom every tradition of coloured tamboured waistcoat, 1768. Et. 40. it has been carefully yet with every sense but of cherished. Members of this honest gladness and frank enjoyfamily recollected also other Irish ment lost in the genial goodfriends (a Mr. Pollard, of Castle nature, the beaming mirth and Pollard, and his wife) who visited truth of soul, the childlike glee London at this time, and were en- and cordial fun, which turn into tertained by Goldsmith.* They a cheerful little hop the austere remembered dinners at which majesty of the stateliest of all Johnson, Percy, Bickerstaff, Kelly, the dances? Nor let me omit "and a variety of authors of from these agreeable memories "minor note," were guests. They a delightful anecdote which the talked of supper parties with same Mr. Ballantyne who has younger people, as well in the told us of the Wednesday-club London chambers as in suburban pleasantly preserves for us in his lodgings; preceded by blind Mackliniana. It introduces to us man's buff, forfeits, or games of the scene of another "cheerful cards; and where Goldsmith, "little hop," which, at about this festively entertaining them all, time also, Macklin the actor would make frugal supper for gave at his house, when "Doctor himself off boiled milk. They "Goldsmith, the facetious Docrelated how he would sing all "tor Glover, Fenton the accomkinds of Irish songs; with what "plished Welsh bard, and the special enjoyment he gave the "humane Tom King the comeScotch ballad of Johnny Arm-"dian, were of the party." On strong (his old nurse's favourite); this occasion so entirely happy how cheerfully he would put the was Goldsmith, that he danced front of his wig behind, or con- and threw up his wig to the ceiltribute in any other way to the ing, and cried out that "men general amusement; and to what "were never so much like men accompaniment of uncontrollable "as when they looked like laughter he "danced a minuet "boys!" Little of the self-satis"with Mrs. Seguin." fied importance which Boswell is most fond of connecting with him is to be discovered in recollections like these. Through all the distance of time may not one see even yet, moving through the steps of the minuet, that clumsy little ill-built And they are confirmed by figure, those short thick legs, Cooke's more precise account of those plain features, all the scenes he witnessed at the Wednesday-club, where Goldsmith's * Prior, II. 192-3. more intimate associates seem The same authority informs us now to have attempted to restrain of liberties not quite so harmless the too great familiarity he per- as Mr. B's, and wit quite as flat mitted to the humbler members. as Goldsmith's, practised An amusing instance is related. now and then on the poet Æt. 40. 1768. The fat man who sang songs had for more general amusea friend in a certain Mr. B, de- ment, by the choicer spirits of scribed as a good sort of man the Globe.* For example, he and an eminent pig-butcher, who had come into the club-room one piqued himself very much on his night, eager and clamorous for good fellowship with the author his supper, having been out of the Traveller, and whose con- on some "shooting party” and stant manner of drinking to him taken nothing since the mornwas, "Come, Noll, here's my ing. The wags were still round "service to you, old boy!" Re- the table, at which they had peating this one night after the been enjoying themselves, when comedy was played, and when a dish of excellent mutton chops, there was a very full club, ordered as he came in, was set Glover went over to Goldsmith, before the famishing poet. Inand said in a whisper that he stantly one of the company rose, ought not to allow such liberties. and went to another part of the "Let him alone," answered room. A second pushed his Goldsmith, "and you'll see how chair away from the table. A "civilly I'll let him down." He third showed more decisive signs waited a little; and, on the next of distress, connecting it with pause in the conversation, called the chops in a manner not to out aloud with a marked expres- be mistaken. "How the waiter sion of politeness and courtesy, "could have dared to produce "Mr. B, I have the honour of 66 66 "bleeding and bruised to death almost 66 smith, whose feet 'every path of vul'garity trod,' told us once of an ale drinking your good health." Among such spirits we may imagine "Thanke'e, thanke'e, Noll," re-Thrale has referred in one of her letters. the experience picked up to which Mrs. turned Mr. B, pulling his pipe out "I was like some famous boxer that was of his mouth and answering with "knocked down by a farthing candle great briskness. "Well, where's artfully slung at his head, while yet "the advantage of your reproof?" "from a victory newly won. Dr. Goldasked Glover. "In truth," remarked Goldsmith, with an air of good-humoured disappointment, intended to give greater force to a stroke of meditated wit, "I give "it up; I ought to have known "before now, there is no putting 66 'a pig in the right way.”→ * Europ. Mag. XXIV. 260. Oliver Goldsmith's Life and Times. II. "house wager. A man betted that he "would produce a person who should perform this operation on some well"apprised of the frolic and panting for "known hero of the fist; who, not being "breath and refreshment, felt this "sudden hit upon his temporal artery, "and dropped down demolished by a "farthing candle." Hayward's Literary Remains of Mrs. Piozzi, 11. 149. 6 "such a dish!" was at last the how strangely he had partaken reluctant remark to Goldsmith's of it in company with Shuter alarmed inquiries. "Why, the and Goldsmith. The three had "chops were offensive; the passed the evening at the actor's 1768. "fellow ought to be made house, and he and Shuter were At. 40. "to eat them himself." seeing Goldsmith, "that darling Anxious for supper as he was, "of his age," to his chambers in the plate was at once thrust the Temple, “when Shuter prefrom him; the waiter violently "vailed on the Doctor to step summoned into the room; and "into one of these houses just to an angry order given that he " 'see a little fun, as he called it." should try to make his own re- The fun, however, proved to be past of what he had so im- of somewhat too strong a flavour, pudently set before a hungry and the language employed by man. The waiter, now conscious one of Shuter's acquaintance reof a trick, complied with af-vealed suddenly to Goldsmith, fected reluctance; and Gold- with a great shock, the society smith, more quickly appeased he had been brought into. than enraged, as his wont was, "Good God!" he exclaimed, risordered a fresh supper for him- ing from his seat and rushing self, "and a dram for the poor out of the "box" in what Parker "devil of a waiter, who might calls a great perturbation of "otherwise get sick from so mind, "and have I been sitting in "nauseating a meal.”* company all this while with a Another incident belonging to "hangman!"* 66 this year or the following shows Before I pass from these strange him in still stranger scenes and and eccentric pages in the life more doubtful company. There of my hero, it will be proper to was a wild eccentric creature mention Kelly's withdrawal from named Parker, who had been the Wednesday-club. Alleged sailor, soldier, exciseman, and attacks by Goldsmith on his strolling player, was now eager comedy having been repeated to to get upon the London stage, him with exaggeration, such as and through Shuter had made a remark, on being told of the interest with Goldsmith to inter-contemplated foreign translacede for him with Colman. Un- tions, that except for the booths successful in this, he set up as of foreign_fairs they were little wandering lecturer on elocution, likely to be required; and an and ended by writing memoirs impetuous refusal to write again and adventures, in one of which for the stage, while such trash (Life's Painter), describing London night-houses and a particular drink called "Hot," he related *Europ Mag. XXIV. 260. * The extract from Parker's book, and some account of the author, will be found in Notes and Queries, 2nd S. IV. 168. |