Boswell was the reporter of this conversation. He had arrived from Paris a few days before, bringing with him Rousseau's old servant maid, Mademoiselle La Vasseur. 'She's very homely and very awkward,' says Hume, 'but 'more talked about than the Princess of Morocco or the 'Countess of Egmont; indeed her master's dog, who is no 'better than a collie, has a name and reputation in the 'world!' It was enough for Boswell, who clung to any rag of celebrity; nor, remembering how the ancient widow of Cicero and Sallust had seduced a silly young patrician into thinking that her close connection with genius must have given her the secret of it, were Hume and Walpole quite secure of even the honour of the young Scotch escort of the ugly old Frenchwoman. They arrived safely and virtuously notwithstanding; and Boswell straightway went to Johnson, whom, not a little to his discomfort, he found put by his doctors on a water regimen. Though they supped twice at the Mitre, it was not as in the old social time. On the night of the conversation just given, being then on the eve of his return to Scotland, he had taken Goldsmith with him to call again on Johnson,' with the hope of prevailing on him to sup 'with us at the Mitre.' But they found him indisposed, and resolved not to go abroad. 'Come then,' said Goldsmith gaily, 'we will not go to the Mitre to-night, 'since we cannot have the big man with us.' Whereupon the big man, laughing at the jovial Irish phrase, called for a bottle of port; of which, adds Boswell, Goldsmith

' and I partook, while our friend, now a water drinker, 'sat by us.'

One does not discover, in such anecdotes as these, what honest though somewhat dry Joe Warton calls Goldsmith's solemn coxcombry. But beside Boswell's effulgence in that kind, any lesser light could hardly hope to shine. Even to the Great Commoner himself, at whose unapproachable seclusion all London had so lately been amazed, and, who at length, with little abatement of the haughty mystery, had reappeared in the house of commons, was he now resolved, before leaving London, to force his way. Corsican Paoli was the card to play for this mighty Pam ; and already he had sent mysterious intimation of certain views of the struggling patriot, of the illustrious Paoli, which he desired to communicate to 'the prime minister ' of the brave, the secretary of freedom and of spirit.' Wonder reigned at the Club when they found the interview granted, and inextinguishable laughter when they heard of the interview itself. Profiting by Rousseau's Armenian example, Boswell went in Corsican robes. 'He 'came in the Corsican dress,' says Lord Buchan, who was present; and Mr. Pitt smiled; but received him very ' graciously, in his pompous manner.' It was an advantage the young Scot followed up; very soon inflicting on Pitt a brief history of himself. He described his general love of great people, and how that Mr. Pitt's character in particular had filled many of his best hours with what he oddly called 'that noble admiration which a disinterested

'soul can enjoy in the bower of philosophy.' He told him he was going to publish an account of Corsica, and of Paoli's gallant efforts against the tyrant Genoese. He added that to please his father, one of our Scots judges,' he had himself studied law, and was now fairly entered to the bar. And he concluded thus. 'I begin to like it. I

can labour hard: I feel myself coming forward: and I 'hope to be useful to my country. Could you find time to 'honour me now and then with a letter?' To no wiser a man than this, it should be always kept in mind, posterity became chiefly indebted for its laugh at Goldsmith's literary vanities, social absurdities, and so-called selfimportant ways.

On

With Pitt's re-appearance had meanwhile been connected another event of not less mighty consequence. the day (the 14th of January) when he rose to support Conway's repeal of the American stamp act, and to resist his accompanying admission that such an act was not void in itself; when, in answer to Nugent's furious denunciation of rebellious colonies, he rejoiced that Massachusetts had resisted, and affirmed that colonies unrepresented could not be taxed by parliament; Burke took his seat, by an arrangement with Lord Verney, for Wendover borough. A fortnight later he made his first speech, and divided the admiration of the house with Pitt himself. Afterward, and with increased effect, he spoke again; Pitt praising him, and telling his friends to set proper value on 'the acquisition they had made: '

and when the struggle for the repeal was over, after the last victorious division on the memorable morning of the 22nd of February, and Pitt and Conway came out amid the huzzaings of the crowded lobby, where the leading merchants of the kingdom whom this great question so vitally affected had till almost a winter's return of light' tremblingly awaited the decision, Burke stood at their side, and received share of the same shouts and benedictions.

Extraordinary news for the Club, all this; and again the excellent Hawkins is in a state of wonder. Sir,' exclaimed Johnson, there is no wonder at all. We who 'know Mr. Burke, know that he will be one of the first 'men in the country.' But he had regrets with which to sober this admission. He disliked the Rockingham party, and was zealous for attendance at the Club. We ' have the loss of Burke's company,' he complained to Langton, since he has been engaged in the public 'business.' Yet he cannot help adding (it was the first letter he had writtten to Langton from his new study in Johnson's Court, which he thinks 'looks very pretty' about him) that it is well so great a man by nature as Burke, should be expected soon to attain civil greatness. 'He has gained more reputation than perhaps any man at 'his first appearance ever gained before. His speeches 'have filled the town with wonder.'

Ten days after the date of this letter came out an advertisement in the St. James's Chronicle, which affected the town with neither wonder nor curiosity, though not

without matter for both to the members of the Club. In a few days will be published,' it said, 'in two ' volumes, twelves, price six shillings bound, or five shil'lings sewed, The Vicar of Wakefield. A tale, supposed 'to be written by himself. Printed for F. Newbery at the Crown in Paternoster Row.' This was the manuscript story sold to Newbery's nephew fifteen months before; and it seems impossible satisfactorily to account for the bookseller's delay. Johnson says that not till now had the Traveller's success made the publication worth while; but eight months were passed, even now, since the Traveller had reached its fourth edition. We are left to conjecture; and the most likely supposition will probably be that the delay was consequent on business arrangements between the younger and elder Newbery. Goldsmith had certainly not claimed the interval for any purpose of retouching his work, and can hardly have failed to desire speedy publication for what had been to him a labour of love as rare as the Traveller itself. But the elder Newbery may have interposed some claim to a property in the novel, and objected to its appearance contemporaneously with the Traveller. often took part in this way in his nephew's affairs; and thus, for a translation of a French book on philosophy which the nephew published after the Vicar, and which Goldsmith at this very time was labouring at, we find, from the summer account handed in by the elder Newbery, that the latter had himself provided the payment. He gave Goldsmith twenty pounds for it; and had also

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