ment which was sent to Spain: having travelled over a considerable part of Europe and being of a very romantic turn, he used to enter tain Oliver with his adventures; and the impressions these made on his scholar were believed by the family to have given him that wandering and unsettled turn which so much appeared in his future life.

Ŏliver, however, was from his earliest infancy very different from other children, subject to particular humours, for the most part uncommonly serious and reserved, but when in gay spirits none ever so agreeable as he ;* and he began at so early a period to shew signs of genius that he quickly engaged the notice of all the friends of the family, many of whom were in the church. At the age of seven or eight he discovered a natural turn for rhyming, and often amused his father and his friends with early poetical attempts. When he could scarcely write legibly, he was always scribbling verses which he burnt as he wrote them.

Observing his fondness for books and learning, his mother, with whom he was always a favourite, pleaded with his father to give him a liberal education: but his own narrow income, the expence attending the educating of his eldest son, and his numerous family, were strong objections. Oliver, in the mean time, was placed under the Rev. Mr. Griffin, then school-master of Elphin, and was received into the house of his father's brother, John Goldsmith, Esq. of Ballyoughter near that town, who with his family considered him as a prodigy for his age, and have handed down the following instance of his early wit.

A large company of young people of both sexes were assembled one evening at his uncle's, and Oliver then but nine years old, was required to dance a hornpipe, a youth playing to them at the same time on a fiddle. Being but newly recovered from the small-pox, by which he was much disiigured, and his figure being short and thick, the musician very archly as he supposed, compared him to sop dancing; and still harping on this idea which he conceived to be very bright, our conceited gentleman had suddenly the laugh turned against him, by Oliver's stopping short in the dance with this

retort :

Our herald hath proclaim'd this saying,

See Asop dancing, and his monkey playing.

This smart reply decided his fortune, for from that time it was determined to send him to the University, and some of the relations, who were respectable clergymen, kindly offered to contribute

*Mrs. Hodson has in this slight sketch, probably without knowing it, pourtrayed every feature of the little Edwin in Beattie's. celebrated poem of the Minstrel :

———He was no vulgar boy,

Deep thought oft scem'd to fix his infant eye,
Daintics he heeded not, nor gaud, nor toy,
Save one short pipe of rudest minstrelsie.
Silent when glad, affectionate yet shy,
And now his look was most demurely sad,
And now he laugh'd aloud, yet knew not why.'

towards

towards the expence, particularly the Rev. Thomas Contarine, who had married Oliver's aunt, a gentleman of distinguished learning and good preferment.

With this view he was removed to the school of Athlone about five miles from his father's house, and was for about two years there under the Rev. Mr. Campbel, who had the character of being an ingenious master; but he being obliged to resign the school for want of health, Oliver was sent to the Rev. Patrick Hughes, at Edgeworthstown, in the county of Longford, where he was fitted for the University. †

In his last journey to this school, be had an adventure which is thought to have suggested the plot of his Comedy, The Mistakes of a Night.'

• Some friend had given him a guinea, and in his way to Edgeworthstown, which is about twenty miles from his father's house, he had diverted himself the whole day by viewing the gentlemen's seats on the road, until at the fall of night, he found himself in a small town named Ardagh. Here he inquired for the best house in the place, meaning an inn, but being understood too literally he was shown to the house of a private gentleman, where calling for some body to take his horse, and lead him to the stable, he alighted and was shown into the parlour, being supposed to be a guest come to visit the master, whom he found sitting by a good fire. This gen tleman immediately discovered Oliver's mistake; and being a ma of humour, and also learning from him the name of his father, who happened to be his acquaintance, he encouraged his deception. Oliver accordingly called about him, ordered a good supper, and generously invited the master, his wife and daughters to partake of it; treated them with a bottle or two of wine, and at going to bed, ordered a hot cake to be prepared for his breakfast: nor was it till at his departure, when he called for the bill, that he found he had been hospitably entertained in a private family.

In the June following 1744, Oliver was sent to Dublin College, and entered under the Rev. Mr. Wilder, one of the fellows, to whom, as he was the son of a neighbouring gentleman, the young pupil was particularly recommended. But he was a man of harsh temper and violent passions, and Oliver no less thoughtless and unguarded, so that they very soon disagreed. Oliver formed some acquaintance in the city of Dublin, and was indiscreet enough to invite company of both sexes to partake of a supper and a dance in his rooms. This circumstance, unfortunately for our poet, came to the ears of his tutor, who abruptly entered in the midst of all their gaiety, which he soon extinguished; for he not only proceeded to the

The Rev. Mr. Greene also liberally assisted, as Dr. Goldsmith used to relate, in this beneficent purpose.'

From the last master he profited more than from either of the others, as he conversed with him on a footing very different from that of master and scholar. This circumstance Dr. Goldsmith ways mentioned with respect and gratitude.'

highest

highest excess of personal abuse, but concluded with manual chastises ment before all the company.

The disgrace attending this cruel treatment drove the poor lad into despair, and he determined never more to see any of his friends, but to remove to some other country, where totally unknown, he might seek his fortune. He accordingly disposed of his books and clothes, and left the college, but loitered about in Dublin till he had only a shilling left in his pocket, when he set out on his travels. His intention was to go on ship-board at Cork, for some other country, he knew not whither.

On this shilling he supported himself, as he affirmed, for three days, and then parting by degrees with the clothes off his back, was reduced to such extremity of famine, that, after fasting twenty-four hours, he thought a handful of grey peas, given him by a girl at a wake, the most comfortable repast he ever made. By this time hẹ began to be sensible of his folly, and like the prodigal son desirous of returning to his indulgent father. From his father's house he now was not so distant but that he contrived to send to his brother, who came to him, clothed and carried him back to college, where he effected something of a reconciliation with his tutor, but, as may easily be imagined, they were never afterwards on cordial terms.

Soon after this event his worthy father died, of whom he gives an account in the Citizen of the World, under the character of the man in black. His good uncle Contarine endeavoured to supply his loss, and wished him to prepare for holy orders. But for the clerical profession he had no liking, having always a strong inclination for visiting foreign countries; and when he did apply to the bishop he was rejected because he was too young. His uncle however procured him the office of private tutor in the family of a neighbouring gentleman, where he continued about a year: but being averse to the necessary confinement he quitted his friends, and having saved about thirty pounds, and procured a good horse, he left the country.

His friends, after an absence of six weeks, without having heard what had become of him, concluded he had quitted the kingdom; when he suddenly returned to his mother's house without a penny, upon a poor little horse not worth twenty shillings, which he called Fiddle-Back. His mother, as might be expected, was highly offended, but his brothers and sisters had contrived to meet him there, and at length effected a reconciliation.

Being required to account for the loss of his money and linen, and the horse on which he had departed, he told them that he had been at Cork, where he had sold his horse, and paid for his passage for America, to a captain of a ship. But the winds proving contrary for three weeks, he had amused himself by seeing every thing curious in and about that city, and on the day the wind proved fair,

The tradition in the diocese of Elphin is, that he was rejected by bishop Synge, to whom he offered himself a candidate, either because he had neglected the professional studies, or from a (perhaps exaggerated) report of irregularities at college.'

Two guineas in Irish currency is 21. 5s. 6d.'

being engaged with a party in an excursion into the country, his friend, the captain, had set sail without him. He continued inCork till he had only two guineas left, out of which he paid forty shillings for Fiddle-Back, and when he wished to return home he had only the remaining crown in his pocket. Although this was rather too little for a journey of a hundred and twenty miles, he had intended to visit, on the road not far from Cork, a dear friend he had known in college, who had often pressed him to spend a summer at his house, and on whose assistance he depended for supplies. In this expectation he had given half his little stock to a poor woman in his way, who had solicited relief for herself and eight children, their father having been seized for rent and thrown into jail.

༈་་་

He found his friend just recovering from a severe illness: who received him in his cap and slippers, but expressed the greatest joy to see him, and eagerly inquired what agreeable occasion had so happily brought him into that country. Oliver, delighted to think his distresses were now at an end, concealed no part of them from his host; to gratify his fine feelings and to excite his sympathy, he represented in the strongest terms not only his present destitute condi tion, but the little prospect he had of returning home, on account of having so highly disobliged his family, and observed, that it must be a work of time, and of long intercession, before he could again expect to be received into favour. The melancholy silence with which his affecting tale was heard he attributed to the tenderest compassion; and the frequent sighs of his friend, as he walked about rubbing his hands, and deeply lost in thought, consoled him under the dismal recital. The uncommon length of his friend's silence enabled him to renew the subject, and to expatiate on his hopeless situation, till it was at length terminated by his host's observing very drily, how inconvenient it was for him to receive company in his present state of weakness; that he had no provision in the house for a healthy person; he had nothing but slops and milk diet for himself; of which, if he pleased, Mr. Goldsmith might partake, but he feared it would not soon be got ready. This was dismal news to our hungry traveller, who, alas! had fasted the whole day, and it was not till six o'clock, when an old woman appeared and spread the table, on which she laid a small bowl of sagoe for her master, and a porringer of sour milk, with a piece of brown bread for his guest. This being soon dispatched, the invalid pleaded the necessity of going early to bed, and left poor Oliver to his own meditations.

In the morning, consulting with his friend on his unfortunate situation, he advised him to hasten home without loss of time, as his family must be highly offended at his absence. On this Oliver ventured to solicit the loan of a guinea for the support of himself and his horse on the road. Here again his host gravely advised him against running in debt, and urged that his own illness had deprived him of all his cash. But, my dear friend, said he, you may sell your horse for money sufficient to bear your charges, and I will fur*Two guineas in Irish currency is al. 5s. 6d.

REV. MAY, 1802.

nish you with another for the journey. When Oliver desired him to produce this steed, he drew from under a bed an oaken staff. At which the poor youth was so provoked, that he was going to apply it to his pate, when a loud knocking at the gate gave notice of the approach of a visitant. This was a neighbouring gentleman of a very engaging aspect; to whom, as if nothing had happened, our traveller was presented as the very ingenious young friend who had been mentioned to him with such high encomiums while they were at college.

The visit concluded with an invitation of the two friends to dine at that gentleman's house on the morrow. To this Oliver at first reluctantly consented; but as he really stood in want of a dinner, at length he went, and was highly pleased with the entertainment. In the evening, when they were about to return, their host, who had observed some glances which shewed all was not right between the two fellow collegians, insisted that Mr. Goldsmith should stay and spend some days at his house; who at parting desired the other would take care of the horse he had so kindly offered him, and not surfeit his friends with their milk diet. To this our gentleman only replied with a sneer, and left Oliver to tell all the circumstances of his treatment; at which his generous host laughed heartily, and assured him it agreed with his neighbour's general character.

• Here our wanderer was most hospitably entertained, and kindly urged to prolong his stay, with a liberal offer to be supplied with whatever money he should want, and a man and horse to attend him home. Oliver begged leave to depart at the end of three days; which were most agreeably spent in the company of this worthy gentleman and two beautiful daughters, who did all in their power to entertain and divcrt him. At his departure, he refused the offer of the servant and the horse, and only accepted the loan of three half guineas.

And now, dear mother, he concluded, after having struggled so hard to come home to you, I wonder you are not more rejoiced to see me. She and all present expressed their joy at his return, and enjoined him to transmit the most early and grateful acknowledgments to his kind benefactor.'

By the assistance of his Uncle Contarine, to whose persevering friendship he always acknowleged himself greatly obliged, and for whom he ever expressed the highest respect, Goldsmith removed, about the year 1752, from Ireland to Edinburgh, for the purpose of studying physic.

Among many instances which might be mentioned of his heedlessness and absence at this period, the following may be recorded. Goldsmith, having on his arrival from Leith at Edinburgh employed a cawdy or porter to take his luggage, set off in search of a lodging; which having taken, and told the cawdy to leave his portmanteau, he sallied forth to take a view of the city without having inquired the name of his landlady or that of the street in which she lived. Having wandered about till it was dark, he recollected his omission when it was too late to remedy it, and, had he not fortunately met with the porter whom he had engaged in the morning, he might probably have remained all night in the street.