Слике страница
PDF
ePub

My mother, I am informed, is almost blind even though I had the utmost inclination to return home, under such circumstances I could not; for to behold her in distress, without a capacity of relieving her from it, would add too much to my splenetic habit. Your last letter was much too short; it should have answered some queries I had made in my former. Just sit down as I do, and write forward till you have filled all your paper; it requires no thought, at least from the ease with which my own sentiments rise when they are addressed to you. For, believe me, my head has no share in all I write ; my heart dictates the whole. Pray, give my love to Bob Bryanton, and entreat him, from me, not to drink. My dear Sir, give me some account about poor Jenny. Yet her husband loves her; if so, she cannot be unhappy.

*

I know not whether I should tell you-yet why should I conceal those trifles, or indeed any thing from you? - there is a book of mine will be published in a few days, the life of a very extraordinary man-no less than the great Voltaire. You know already by the title, that it is no more than a catchpenny. However, I spent but four weeks on the whole performance, for which I received twenty pounds. When published, I shall take some method of conveying it to you, unless you may think it dear of the postage, which may amount to four or five shillings. However, I fear you will not find an equivalence of amusement. Your last letter, I repeat it, was too short; you should have given me your opinion of the design of the heroi-comical poem which I sent you: you remember I intended to introduce the hero of the poem as lying in a paltry alehouse. You may take the following specimen of the manner, which I flatter myself is quite original. The room in which he lies may be described somewhat this way: :

The window, patch'd with paper, lent a ray,
That feebly shew'd the state in which he lay.
The sanded floor, that grits beneath the tread;
The humid wall with paltry pictures spread;
The
game of goose was there exposed to view,
And the twelve rules the royal martyr drew:
The Seasons, framed with listing, found a place,
And Prussia's monarch shew'd his lamp-black face.

His youngest sister, who married unfortunately.

+ This character of the performance by the author has been deemed a sufficient reason for not inserting it in the present edition of his miscellaneous works. The truth is, the Life of Voltaire is a mere hasty compilation from such scanty and questionable materials as were supplied by the newspapers and niagazines of the day. - B.

The morn was cold; he views with keen desire
A rusty grate unconscious of a fire.

An unpaid reckoning on the frieze was scored,

And five crack'd teacups dress'd the chimney board. *

And now imagine, after his soliloquy, the landlord to make his appearance, in order to dun him for the reckoning :

Not with that face, so servile and so gay,
That welcomes every stranger that can pay :
With sulky eye he smoked the patient man,

Then pull'd his breeches tight, and thus began, &c.

[ocr errors]

All this is taken, you see, from nature. It is a good remark of Montaigne's, that the wisest men often have friends, with whom they do not care how much they play the fool. Take my present follies as instances of regard. Poetry is a much easier, and more agreeable species of composition than prose; and could a man live by it, it were not unpleasant employment to be a poet. I am resolved to leave no space, though I should fill it up only by telling you, what you very well know already, I mean that I am your most affectionate friend and brother, OLIVER GOLDSMITH.

LETTER VII.

TO MR MAURICE GOLDSMITH, AT JAMES LAWDER'S, ESQ. AT KILMORE, NEAR CARRICK ON SHANNON.

January, 1770. DEAR BROTHER,-I should have answered your letter sooner, but in truth I am not fond of thinking of the necessities

* See Poems, Description of an Author's Bed-chamber, and Citizen of the World, Letter XXX. - B.

This was our poet's youngest brother. Having been bred to no business, he upon some occasion complained to our bard, that he found it difficult to live like a gentleman: on which Oliver begged he would, without delay, quit so unprofitable a trade, and betake himself to some handicraft employment. Maurice wisely took the hint, and bound himself apprentice to a cabinet-maker. He had a shop in Dublin, when the Duke of Rutland was lord lieutenant; who, at the instance of Mr Orde, then principal secretary of state, (now Lord Bolton,) out of regard to his brother's memory, made him an inspector of the licences in that city. He was also appointed mace-bearer on the erection of the Royal Irish Academy: both of them p'aces very compatible with his business. In the former he gave proof of great integrity, by detecting a fraud committed on the revenue in his department, by which probably he might himself have profited, if he had not been a man of principle. He died without issue, about the year 1794,

of those I love, when it is so very little in my power to help them. I am sorry to find you are still every way unprovided for; and what adds to my uneasiness is, that I have received a letter from my sister Johnson,* by which I learn that she is pretty much in the same circumstances. As to myself, I believe I could get both you and my poor brother-in-law something like that which you desire, but I am determined never to ask for little things, nor exhaust any little interest I may have until I can serve you, him, and myself more effectually. As yet no opportunity has offered, but I believe you are pretty well convinced that I will not be remiss when it arrives. The King has lately been pleased to make me professor of ancient history in a royal academy of painting, which he has just established; but there is no salary annexed, and I took it rather as a compliment to the institution, than any benefit to myself. Honours to one in my situation are something like ruffles to a man that wants a shirt. You tell me that there are fourteen or fifteen pounds left me in the hands of my cousin Lawder, and you ask me what I would have done with them. My dear brother, I would by no means give any directions to my dear worthy relations at Kilmore how to dispose of money which is, properly speaking, more theirs than mine. All that I can say is, that I entirely, and this letter will serve to witness, give up any right and title to it; and I am sure they will dispose of it to the best advantage. To them I entirely leave it, whether they or you may think the whole necessary to fit you out, or whether our poor sister Johnson may not want the half, I leave entirely to their and your discretion. The kindness of that good couple to our poor shattered family demands our sincerest gratitude; and though they have almost forgot me, yet, if good things at last arrive, I hope one day to return, and increase their good humour by adding to my own. have sent my cousin Jenny a miniature picture of myself, as I believe it is the most acceptable present can offer. I have ordered it to be left for her at George Faulkener's, folded in a letter. The face, you well know, is ugly enough, but it is finely painted. I will shortly also send my friends over the Shannon some mezzotinto prints of myself, and some more of my friends here, such as Burke, Johnson, Reynolds, and Colman. I believe I have written a hundred letters to different friends in your country, and never received an

• His youngest sister, who had married unfortunately.

I

answer from any of them. I do not know how to account for this, or why they are unwilling to keep up for me these regards, which I must ever retain for them. If, then, you have a mind to oblige me, you will write often, whether I answer you or not, Let me particularly have the news of our family and old acquaintances. For instance, you may begin by telling me about the family where you reside, how they spend their time, and whether they ever make mention of me. Tell me about my mother, my brother Hodson, and his son; my brother Harry's son and daughter, my sister Johnson, the family of Ballyoughter, what is become of them, where they live, and how they do. You talked of being my only brother -I don't understand you-where is Charles? A sheet of paper occasionally, filled with news of this kind, would make me very happy, and would keep you nearer my mind. As it is, my dear brother, believe me to be yours most affectionately, OLIVER GOLDSMITH.*

LETTER VIII.

TO SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS.

No date.t

MY DEAR FRIEND, -We had a very quick passage from Dover to Calais, which we performed in three hours and twenty minutes, all of us extremely sea-sick, which must necessarily have happened, as my machine to prevent seasickness was not completed. We were glad to leave Dover, because we hated to be imposed upon; so were in high spirits at coming to Calais, where we were told that a little money would go a great way. Upon landing two little trunks, which was all we carried with us, we were surprised to see fourteen or fifteen fellows all running down to the ship to lay their hands upon them; four got under each trunk, the rest surrounded, and held the hasps; and in this manner our little baggage was conducted, with a kind of funeral solemnity, till it was safely lodged at the customhouse. We were well

To the original is annexed a receipt which shews that the sum of £15 was paid to Maurice Goldsmith, for a legacy bequeathed to Oliver Goldsmith by the late Rev. Thomas Contarine. Dated 4th February,

1770.

This short note was written by the author on his landing at Calais, when he accompanied the Misses Horneck and their mother to Paris in 1770.-B.

enough pleased with the people's civility, till they came to be paid every creature that had the happiness of but touching our trunks with their finger, expected sixpence; and they had so pretty civil a manner of demanding it, that there was no refusing them. When we had done with the porters, we had next to speak with the customhouse officers, who had their pretty civil way too. We were directed to the Hotel d'Angleterre, where a valet-de-place came to offer his service, and spoke to me ten minutes before I once found out that he was speaking English. We had no occasion for his service, so we gave him a little money because he spoke English, and because he wanted it. I cannot help mentioning another circumstance: I bought a new ribbon for my wig at Canterbury, and the barber at Calais broke it in order to gain sixpence by buying me a new one.

LETTER IX.

TO BENNET LANGTON, * ESQ. AT LANGTON, NEAR SPILSBY, IN

LINCOLNSHIRE.

MY DEAR SIR,Since I had the pleasure of seeing you last, I have been almost wholly in the country at a farmer's house, quite alone, trying to write a comedy. It is now finished, but when or how it will be acted, or whether it will be acted at all, are questions I cannot resolve. I am therefore so much employed upon that, that I am under the necessity of putting off my intended visit to Lincolnshire for this season. Reynolds is just returned from Paris, and finds himself now in the case of a truant that must make up for his idle time by diligence. We have therefore agreed to postpone our journey till next summer, when we hope to have the honour of waiting upon Lady Rothes and you, and staying double the time of our late intended visit. We often meet, and never without remembering you. I see Mr Beauclerc very often both in town and country. He is now going directly forward to become a second Boyle: deep in chemistry and physics. Johnson has been down upon a visit to a country parson. Doctor Taylor; and is returned to his old haunts at Mrs

Mr Langton was one of the original members of the Literary Club, and succeeded Dr Johnson as professor of ancient literature in the Royal Academy of Arts. — B.

+ She Stoops to Conquer.

[blocks in formation]

Mr Langton married the Dowager Countess of Rothes. — B.

« ПретходнаНастави »