our pleasures as harmless, our charities as helpful, our lives as simple, and pure, and wholesome! Rogers used to say that when a new book came out, he read Let us an old one. The paradox is subtler than it seems. hope that when the next so-called marvel of modern fiction makes its appearance, there will still be some bold enough to imitate Rogers, and take up the " Vicar of Wakefield!” PORTH-Y-FELIN, EALING, W. AUSTIN DOBSON. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE. [OLIVER GOLDSMITH was born at Pallas, or Pallasmore, in Co. Longford, Ireland, on the 10th of November, 1728. He was educated under the village schoolmaster at Lissoy in Westmeath, then at Elphin and Athlone. In June, 1745, he entered Trinity College, Dublin, as a sizar, and took his B.A. degree in February, 1749: After chequered experiences as a student in physic, continental vagrant, printer's reader, and usher at Peckham, he finally (April, 1757) drifted into literature as assistant to Griffiths the proprietor of the Monthly Review. His first serious effort was an Enquiry into the Present State of Polite Learning in Europe, April, 1759. This was followed by a series of Essays entitled The Bee, 1759; and the Citizen of the World, 1762. Hitherto his work had been anonymous; but in December, 1764, he published, under his own name, his first poem, The Traveller; or, a Prospect of Society; and fifteen months later (March, 1766) appeared the VICAR OF WAKEFIELD. In January, 1768, his comedy of The Good-Natured Man was produced at Covent Garden by the elder Colman; and in May 1770, amid much hack-work of different kinds, was issued The Deserted Village-A Poem. In March, 1773, a second comedy, She Stoops to Conquer; or, the Mistakes of a Night, was brought out with complete success. On the 4th of April, 1774, Goldsmith died at his chambers, 2 Brick Court, Middle Temple; and was buried on the 9th in the burying-ground of the Temple Church. A few days afterwards (April 18th) was published the fragment called Retaliation, and in 1776 the poem called the Haunch of Venison.] [The Vicar of Wakefield: a Tale.-Supposed to be written by Himself, was printed at Salisbury by B. Collins for F. Newbery, Paternoster Row. It was published in March, 1766, in two volumes, 12mo, and bore the motto Sperate miseri, cavete fœlices. The text of the present issue is based on that of the fifth edition of 1773, the last which appeared during the author's lifetime.] |