O F THE

LIFE AND WRITINGS

O F

OLIVER GOLDSMITH, M. B.*

THE life of a fcholar," Dr. Goldfmith has remarked, "feldom abounds "with adventure; his fame is acquired in

* In the Memoirs, which were published in Lon don, foon after the death of Dr. Goldsmith, were feveral mistakes, with respect to our author's age, the time of his admiffion into the college of Dublin, &c. which are here corrected from accurate information.

VOL. I.

a

"folitude

views him at a distance, must be con"tent with a dry detail of actions by "which he is fcarce diftinguished from "the rest of mankind: but we are fond "of talking of those who have given us pleasure, not that we have any thing

important to fay, but because the sub*ject is pleafing."

Oliver Goldsmith, fon of the reverend Charles Goldsmith, was born at Elphin, in the county of Rofcommon in Ireland, in the year 1729. His father had four fons, of whom Oliver was the third. After being well inftructed in the claffics, at the school of Mr. Hughes, he was admitted a fizer in Trinity-college, Dublin, on the 14th of June, 1744. While he refided there, he exhibited no fpecimens of that genius, which, in his maturer years,

years, raised his character fo high. On the 27th of February, 1749. O. S. (two years after the regular time) he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Soon after, he turned his thoughts to the profeffion of phyfic; and, after attending fome courfes of anatomy in Dublin, proceeded to Edinburgh, in the year 1751, where he studied the feveral branches of medicine under the different profeffors in that univerfity. His beneficent difpofition foon involved him in unexpected difficulties; and he was obliged precipitately to leave Scotland, in confequence of having engaged himself to pay a confiderable fum of money for a fellowftudent.

A few days after, about the beginning of the year 1754, he arrived at Sunderland, near Newcastle, where he was ar

in Edinburgh, to whom he had given security for his friend. By the friendship of Mr. Laughlin Maclane and Dr. Sleigh, who were then in the college, he was foon delivered out of the hands of the bailiff, and took his paffage on board a Dutch ship to Rotterdam, where, after a short ftay, he proceeded to Bruffels. He then vifited great part of Flanders; and, after paffing fome time at Strasbourg and Louvain, where he obtained a degree of Bachelor in phyfic, he accompanied an English gentleman to Geneva.

It is undoubtedly a fact, that this ingenious, unfortunate man, made most part of his tour on foot.* He had left Eng

land

Countries wear different appearances to travellers of different circumftances. A man who is

whirled

land with very little money; and, being of a philofophical turn, and at that time poffeffing a body capable of fuftaining every fatigue, and a heart not easily terrified by danger, he became an enthusiast to the defign he had formed of feeing the manners of different countries. He had fome knowledge of the French language, and of mufic; he played tolerable well on the German flute; which, from an amufement, became at fome times the means of fubfiftence. His learning produced him an hofpitable reception at most of the religious houfes that he visited; and his mufic made him welcome to the peasants of Flanders and Germany.

whirled through Europe in a poft-chaife, and the pilgrim who walks the grand tour on foot, will form very different conclufions. Haud inexpertus loquor."

Goldfmith's Prefent State of Learning in