Oliver Goldsmith, a BiographyMacmillan, 1903 - 303 pages |
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acquaintance amusement anecdote appeared Ballymahon Beauclerc beautiful Bennet Langton bookseller Boswell brother Burke called CHAPTER character charm club Colman comedy companion Countess of Northumberland Covent Garden Cradock David Garrick dear delight dinner Doctor Edited essays fame Francis Newbery friends Garrick gave genius gentleman give Gold good-humor Good-natured Green Arbor guinea heart History honor Horneck humor Ireland Irish Irving Jessamy Bride Johnson kind ladies Langton laugh learned letter Lissoy literary literature live London Lord manner merits mind nature never Newbery occasion OLIVER GOLDSMITH person picture play poem poet poetry poor Goldsmith pounds pride published purse replied scene Sir Joshua Reynolds smith society soon Stoops to Conquer story talent talk Temple thought tion told took town Traveller uncle Contarine Vicar of Wakefield Voltaire whimsical William Filby writings
Popular passages
Page 262 - Here Reynolds is laid, and, to tell you my mind, He has not left a wiser or better behind; His pencil was striking, resistless, and grand; His manners were gentle, complying, and bland; Still born to improve us in every part, His pencil our faces, his manners our heart...
Page 9 - Beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way, With blossom'd furze unprofitably gay, There, in his noisy mansion, skill'd to rule, The village master taught his little school. A man severe he was, and stern to view ; I knew him well, and every truant knew. Well had the boding tremblers learn'd to trace The day's disasters in his morning face : Full well they laugh'd with counterfeited glee At all his jokes, for many a joke had he ; Full well the busy whisper, circling round, Conveyed the dismal...
Page 280 - To them his heart, his love, his griefs were given, But all his serious thoughts had rest in Heaven. As some tall cliff, that lifts its awful form, Swells from the vale and midway leaves the storm, Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread, Eternal sunshine settles on its head.
Page 260 - 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: He cast off his friends as a huntsman his pack, For he knew, when he pleased, he could whistle them back.
Page 284 - Where the dark scorpion gathers death around ; Where at each step the stranger fears to wake The rattling terrors of the vengeful snake ; Where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey. And savage men more murderous still than they; While oft in whirls the mad tornado flies, Mingling the ravaged landscape with the skies.
Page 277 - Remembrance wakes with all her busy train, Swells at my breast, and turns the past to pain. In all my wand'rings round this world of care, In all my griefs — and God has given my share — I still had hopes, my latest hours to crown, Amidst these humble bowers to lay me down ; To husband out life's taper at the close.
Page 109 - I received one morning a message from poor Goldsmith that he was in great distress, and as it was not in his power to come to me, begging that I would come to him as soon as possible. I sent him a guinea, and promised to come to him directly. I accordingly went as soon as I was dressed, and found that his landlady had arrested him for his rent, at which he was in a violent passion. I perceived that he had already changed my guinea, and had got a bottle of Madeira and a glass before him. I put the...
Page 277 - Amidst these humble bowers to lay me down ; To husband out life's taper at the close, And keep the flame from wasting by repose ; I still had hopes — for pride attends us still — Amidst the swains to show my...
Page 279 - The broken soldier, kindly bade to stay, Sat by his fire, and talked the night away, Wept o'er his wounds, or tales of sorrow done, Shouldered his crutch and showed how fields were won.
Page 280 - Yet he was kind, or, if severe in aught, The love he bore to learning was in fault; The village all declared how much he knew: 'Twas certain he could write, and cipher too; Lands he could measure, terms and tides presage, And e'en the story ran that he could gauge...