and the matter was determined in his favour by arbitration.

The extravagance of Goldsmith kept pace with his gains, and it affords matter of astonishment, that a man fond of company, the tavern, and the gaming-table, should have had so much industry, and fertility of composition. He had copious resources in his mind, and it was his reliance upon these which made him so indifferent to the patronage of the great, and regardless of the money he acquired by his literary labour.

Goldsmith used to say, that he once waited upon the Earl, afterwards Duke of Northumberland, by appointment, but that on being shewn into the antichamber, he met a gentleman very elegantly dressed, and mistaking him for his lordship, he paid him all the compliments which he had previously prepared, when, to his great astonishment, he found that this fine gentleman was the servant and not the master. At that instant, said Goldsmith, the duke came into the apartment, and I was so confounded on the occasion, that I wanted words to express the sense I entertained of the duke's politeness, and went away exceedingly chagrined at the blunder I had committed.

The story, however, is differently told by Sir John Hawkins, who, as having been present at Northumberland House at that time, is more entitled to belief. "Having one day," says Sir John, "a call to wait on the late duke, then Earl

of

of Northumberland, I found Goldsmith waiting for an audience in an outer room; I asked him, what had brought him there? He told me, an invitation from his lordship. I made my business as short as I could, and, as a reason, mentioned that Dr. Goldsmith was waiting without. The earl asked me if I was acquainted with him; I told him I was, adding what I thought likely to recommend him. I retired, and staid in the outer room to take him home. Upon his coming out, I asked him the result of his conversation. 'His lordship,' says he, told me he had read my poem,' meaning the Traveller, and was much delighted with it; that he was going lordlieutenant of Ireland, and that hearing I was a native of that country, he should be glad to do me any kindness.' And what did you answer, asked I, to this gracious offer? Why,' said he,

I could say nothing, but that I had a brother there, a clergyman, that stood in need of help; as for myself, I have no dependence on the promises of great men. I look to the booksellers for support; they are my best friends, and I am not inclined to forsake them for others.'

Goldsmith was a member of the literary club, established by Johnson and Reynolds, at the Turk's Head, in Gerard-street; and as Hawkins was also one of that association, he had abundant opportunities to be acquainted with his singularities.

Sir John says of him,

"that he had some wit,

but

but no humour, and never told a story but he spoiled it." The following anecdotes will convey some idea of the style and manner of his conversation.

"He was used to say he could play on the German flute, as well as most men; at other times, as well as any man living; but, in truth, he understood not the character in which musick. is written, and played on that instrument as many of the vulgar do, merely by ear. Roubiliac, the sculptor, a merry fellow, once heard him play, and minding to put a trick upon him, pretended to be charmed with his performance, as also that himself was skilled in the art, and entreated him to repeat the air, that he might write it down. Goldsmith readily consenting, Roubiliac called for paper, and scored thereon a few five-lined staves, which having done, Goldsmith proceeded to play, and Roubiliac to write; but his writing was only such random notes on the lines and spaces as any one might set down who had ever inspected a page of musick. When they had both done, Roubiliac shewed the paper to Goldsmith, who looking it over with seeming great attention, said it was very correct, and that if he had not seen him do it, he never could have believed his friend capable of writing musick after him."

He would frequently preface a story thus:"I'll now tell you a story of myself, which some people laugh at, and some do not.

At the breaking up of an evening at a tavern, he intreated

intreated the company to sit down, and told them if they would call for another bottle, they should hear one of his bon mots: they agreed, and he began thus:-"I was once told that Sheridan the player, in order to improve himself in stage gestures, had looking-glasses, to the number of ten, hung about his room, and that he practised before them; upon which I said, then there are ten ugly fellows together."-The company were all silent: he asked why they did not laugh, which they not doing, he, without tasting the wine, left the room in anger.

In a large company he once said, "Yesterday I heard an excellent story, and I would relate it now if I thought any of you able to understand it." The company laughed, and one of them said, "Doctor you are very rude," but he made no apology.*

Of all the characters given of Goldsmith, that by Boswell seems by far the best likeness.

"No man," says he, "had the art of displaying with more advantage as a writer, whatever literary acquisitions he had made. Nihil quod tetigit non ornavit. His mind resembled a fertile but thin soil. There was a quick, but not a strong vegetation, of whatever chanced to be thrown upon it. No deep root could be struck. The oak of the forest did not grow there: but the elegant shrubbery, and the fragrant parterre, appeared in gay succession. It has been ge

Hawkins' Life of Johnson, p. 416-19.
See his Epitaph in Westminster Abbey.

nerally

nerally circulated, and believed, that he was a mere fool in conversation ;* but, in truth, this has been greatly exaggerated. He had, no doubt, a more than common share of that hurry of ideas which we often find in his countrymen, and which sometimes produces a laughable confusion in expressing them. He was very much what the French call un etourdi, and from vanity, and an eager desire of being con spicuous wherever he was, he frequently talked carelessly without knowledge of the subject, or even without thought. His person was short, his countenance coarse and vulgar, his deportment that of a scholar, awkwardly affecting the easy gentleman. Those who were in any way distinguished, excited envy in him to so ridiculous an excess, that the instances of it are hardly credible. When accompanying two beautiful young ladies, with their brother on a tour in France, he was seriously angry that more attention was paid to them than to

In allusion to this Mr. Horace Walpole, who admired his writings, said, "he was an inspired idiot," and Garrick described him as one,

-for shortness called Noll,

Who wrote like an Angel, and talk'd like poor Poll.”

Sir Joshua Reynolds has mentioned to me, that he frequently heard Goldsmith talk warmly of the pleasure of being liked, and observe how hard it would be if literary excellence should preclude a man from that satisfaction which he perceived it often did, from the envy which attended it; and therefore Sir Joshua was convinced that he was intentionally more absurd, in order to lessen himself in social intercourse, trusting that his character would be sufficiently supported by his works. If it, indeed, was his intention to appear absurd in company, he was often very successful. But with, due deference to Sir Joshua's ingenuity, I think the conjecture too refined].