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view, who in vain remonstrated on the fingularity of the application. On entering the coffee-room the bailiff paid his respects to the Doctor, and desired that he might have the honour of immediately attending him. They had scarce entered Pall-mall, in their way to his Lordship, when the bailiff produced his writ. Mr. Hamilton generously paid the money, and redeemed the Doctor from captivity.

The publication of his Traveller, his Vicar of Wakefield, and his Hiftory of England, was followed by the performance of his comedy of The Good-natur'd Man at Covent Garden theatre, and placed him in the first rank of the poets of the prefent age.

Our Doctor, as he was now univerfally called, had a conftant levee of his diftreft

coun

countrymen, whofe wants, as far as he was able, he always relieved; and he has often been known to leave himself even without a guinea, in order to fupply the neceffities of others.

Another feature in his character we cannot help laying before the reader. Previous to the publication of his Deferted Village, the bookfeller had given him a note for one hundred guineas for the copy, which the Doctor mentioned, a few hours after, to one of his friends, who obferved it was a very great fum for fo. fhort a performance, "In truth," replied Goldfmith, "I think fo too; it is much "more than the honeft man can afford, "or the piece is worth; I have not been "eafy fince I received it; I will therefore

go back and return him his note:" which he actually did, and left it entirely

VOL. I.

b

to

to the bookfeller to pay him according to the profits produced by the fale of the poem, which turned out very confi

derable.

The author addreffes this poem to his friend Sir Joshua Reynolds. He writes in the character of a native of a country village, to which he gives the name of Auburn, and which he pathetically addreffes. He then proceeds to contrast the innocence and happiness of a fimple and a natural state with the miferies and vices that have been introduced by polished life, and gives the following beautiful apoftrophe to retirement.

"O bleft retirement, friend to life's decline, Retreats from care that never must be mine; How bleft is he who crowns, in fhades like these,

A youth of labour with an age of ease;

Whe

Who quits a world where ftrong temptations try、
And fince 'tis hard to combat learns to fly.

For him no wretches, born to work and weep,
Explore the mine, or tempt the dangerous deep;
No furly porter ftands in guilty state,
To fpurn imploring famine from his gate;
But on he moves to meet his latter end,
Angels around befriending virtue's friend;
Sinks to the grave with unperceiv'd decay,
While refignation gently flopes the way;
And all his profpects brightning to the last,
His heaven commences, ere the world be paft !"

The defcription of the parish priest (probably intended for a character of his brother Henry) would have done honour to any poet of any age. In this defcription the fimile of the bird teaching her young to fly, and of the mountain that rises above the storm, are not easily to be paralleled. The reft of the poem confifts of the character of the village schoolb 2 mafter,

master, and a description of the village alehouse, both drawn with admirable propriety and force; a defcant on the mifchiefs of luxury and wealth; the variety of artificial pleasures; the miseries of those who for want of employment at home, are driven to fettle new colonies. abroad, and concludes with the following beautiful apoftrophe to poetry.

"And thou sweet poetry, thou loveliest maid,
Still firft to fly where fenfual joys invade;
Unfit in these degenerate times of shame,
To catch the heart, or ftrike for honeft fame;
Dear charming nymph, neglected and decried,
My fhame in crowds my folitary pride;
Thou source of all my blifs, and all my woe,
That found me poor at firft, and keep'ft me fo;
Thou guide by which the nobler arts excel,
Thou nurse of every virtue, fare thee well."

The

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