Слике страница
PDF
ePub

you, the bad examples of Paris, or any other place, will never have any other effect upon him, but to confirm him in the right choice he bas made. Under thefe happy circumstances, he can have little occafion for any other advice, but that of fuftaining the character he has fo early got, and of supporting the hopes he has raifed. I wish it were in my power to do him any part of the fervice you fuppofe me capable of. I fhall not be wanting to employ him as occafion offers, and to affift him with my advice where it may be neceffary, though your care (which he ever mentions with the greateft gratitude] has made this task very easy. He cannot fail of making you and himself happy, and of being a great ornament to our country, if, with that refined tafte, and delicacy of genius, he can but recal his mind, at a proper age, from the pleafures of learning, and gay fcenes of imagination, to the dull road and fatigue of business. This I have fometimes taken the liberty to hint to him, though his own good judgment made it very unneceffary. Though I have only the happiness of knowing you, Sir, by your reputation, and by this common object of our friendship and affection, your fon : I beg you will be perfuaded that I am, with the most particular refpect, Sir,

Your moft humble
and obedient fervant,

S. POYNTZ. Mr. Lyttelton's conduct, while on his travels, was a leffon of inftruction to the rest of his countrymen; inftead of lounging away his hours at the coffee-houfes frequent ed by the English, and adopting

the fashionable follies and vices of France and Italy, his time was paffed alternately in his library, and in the fociety of men of rank and literature. In this early part of his life, he wrote a poetical epistle to Dr. Ayscough, and another to Mr. Pope, which fhew fingular tafte and correctness.

After continuing a confiderable time at Paris with Mr. Poyntz, who, to use his own words, behaved like a second father to him, he proceeded to Lyons and Geneva, from thence to Turin, where he was honoured with great marks of friendship by his Sardinian majesty. He then vifited Milan, Venice, Genoa, and Rome, where he ap plied himself closely to the study of the fine arts, and was, even in that celebrated metropolis, allowed a perfect judge of painting, fculpture, and architecture.

During his continuance abroad, he conftantly correfponded with Sir Thomas, his father. Several of his letters are yet remaining, and place his filial affection in a very diftin. guifhed light. He foon after returned to his native country, and was elected reprefentative for the borough of Okehampton in Devonshire, and behaved fo much to the fatisfaction of his conftituents, that they feveral times reelected him for the fame place, without putting him to the leaft

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

not, however, prevent him from exercifing his poetical talent. A moft amiable young lady, Mifs Fortefcue, infpired him with a paffion, which produced a number of little pieces remarkable for their tenderness and elegance; and he had a happy facility of ftriking out an extempore compliment, which obtained him no fmall fhare of reputation. One evening being in company with Lord Cobham, and feveral of the nobility at Stowe, his lordship mentioned his defign of putting up a buft of lady Suffolk in his beautiful gardens, and, turning to Mr. Lyttelton, faid, George, you muft furnish me with a motto for it. I will, my lord, anfwered Mr. Lyttelton, and directly produced the following couplet,

Her wit and beauty for a court were made,

But truth and goodness fit her for a fhade.

When Mr. Pitt, the prefent earl of Chatham, loft his commiffion in the guards, in confequence of his fpirited behaviour in parliament, Mr. Lyttelton was in waiting at Leicester-houfe, and, on hearing the circumftance, immediately wrote these lines.

Long had thy virtue mark'd thee

out for fame,

Far, far, fuperior to a cornet's name; This. generous Walpole faw, and griév'd to find

So mean a poft difgrace that noble mind;

The fervile standard from thy freeborn hand

He took, and bad thee lead the pa

triot band.

In the year 1742, he married Lucy, the daughter of Hugh For

tefcue of Filleigh, in the county of Devon, Efq; the lady above-mentioned, whofe exemplary conduct, and uniform practice of religion and virtue eftablished his conjugal happinefs upon the most solid basis,

In 1744, he was appointed one of the lords commiffioners of the Treasury, and during his continuance in that station, conftantly exerted his influence in rewarding merit and ability. He was the friend and patron of the late Henry Fielding, James Thomfon, author of the Seafons; Mr. Mallett, Dr. Young, Mr. Hammond, Mr. Weft, Mr. Pope, and Voltaire. On the death of Thomson, who left his affairs in a very embarraffed condition, Mr. Lyttelton took that poet's fifter under his protection. He revised the tragedy of Coriolanus, which that writer had not put the laft hand to, and brought it out at the Theatre Royal, CoventGarden, with a prologue of his own writing, in which he fo affectingly lamented the lofs of that delightful bard, that not only Mr. Quin, who spoke the lines, but almoft the whole audience fpontaneously burst into tears.

In the beginning of the year. 1746, his felicity was interrupted by the loss of his wife, who died in the 29th year of her age, leaving him one fon, Thomas, the prefent Lord Lyttelton, and a daughter, Lucy, who fome time fince married Lord Viscount Valentia. The remains of his amiable lady were de pofited at Over-Arley, in Worceftershire; and an elegant monument was erected to her memory in the church of Hagley, which contains the following infcription written by her husband:

Made

Made to engage all hearts, and

charm all eyes: Though meek, magnanimous; tho' witty, wife;

Polite, as all her life in courts had been;

Yet good, as fhe the world had ne

ver feen;

The noble fire of an exalted mind With gentleft female tenderness combin'd.

Her fpeech was the melodious voice

of love,

Her fong the warbling of the ver

nal grove; Her eloquence was sweeter than her fong,

Soft as her heart, and as her reafon ftrong.

Her form each beauty of her mind exprefs'd,

Her mind was virtue by the graces dreis'd.

Befides these beautiful lines, Mr. Lyttleton wrote a monody on the death of his lady, which will be remembered while conjugal affection, and a taste for poetry exift in this country.

His masterly obfervation on the, Converfion and Apostleship of St. Paul were written at the defire of Gilbert Weft, Efq. in confequence of Mr. Lyttelton's afferting, that, befides all the proofs of the Chriftian religion, which might be drawn from the prophecies of the Old Teftament, from the neceffary connection it has with the whole fyf. tem of the Jewish religion, from the miracles of Chrift, and from the evidence given of his refurrection by all the other apoitles, he thought the converfion of St. Paul alone, duly confidered, was of itfelf a demonftration fufficient to prove Christianity to be a Divine

[ocr errors]

revelation; Mr. Weft was ftruck with the thought, and affured his friend, that fo compendious a proof would be of great ufe to convince thofe unbelievers that will not attend to a longer feries of arguments; and time has fhewn he was not out in his conjecture, as the tract is esteemed one of the best defences of Christianity which has hitherto been published.

In 1754, he refigned his office of lord of the treasury, and was made cofferer to his majesty's houfhold, and fworn of the privy council: previous to which, he married, a fecond time, Elizabeth, daughter of field-marshal Sir Robert Rich, whofe indifcreet conduct gave him great uneafinefs, and from whom he was feparated by mutual confent a few years after his marriage.

After being appointed chancellor and under-treasurer of the court of exchequer, he was, by letters patent, dated the 19th of November 1757, 31 of George II. created a peer of Great-Britain, by the ftyle and title of Lord Lyttelton, Baron of Frankley, in the county of Worcester. His fpeeches on the Scotch and mutiny bills in the year 1747, on the Jew bill in 1753, and on the privilege of parliament in 1763, fhewed found judgment, powerful eloquence, and inflexible integrity, During the last ten years he lived chiefly in retirement, in the continual exercise of all the virtues which can ennoble private life. His laft work was Dialogues of the Dead, in which the morality of Cambray and the fpirit of Fontenelle are happily united.

He was fuddenly feized with an inflammation of the bowels in the middle of July 1773, at his feat at

Hagley,

Hagley, which terminated in his death, on the 22d of that month. His last moments were attended with unimpaired understanding, unaffected greatnefs of mind, calm refignation, and humble, but confident, hopes in the mercy of God. As he had lived univerfally efteemed, he died lamented by all parties. A complete collection of his works has been published, fince his decease, by his nephew, George Ayfcough, Efq. His fon Thomas, who was at Spa at Germany at the time of his lordship's diffolution, fucceeded to his title and eftate, and, from the excellent fpeech in favour of literary property, which he lately made in the houfe of peers. gives ftrong indications of inheriting the abilities of his father.

[blocks in formation]

ing he contined a few years, when he took a bachelor's degree; but, his brother not being able to obtain any preferment after he left the college, Oliver, by the advice of Dean Goldsmith of Cork, turned his thoughts to the ftudy of phyfic, and, after attending fome courfes of anatomy in Dublin, proceed. ed to Edingbourgh in the year 1751, where he ftudied the feveral branches of medicine under the different profeffors in that univerfity. which was defervedly ranked among the firft fchools of phyfic in Europe. His beneficent difpofition foon involved him in unexpected difficulties, and he was obliged precipitately to leave Scotland, in confequence of engaging himself to pay a confiderable fum of money for a fellow-tudent.

A few days after, about the beginning of the year 1754, he arrived at Sunderland, near Newcaftle, where he was arrested at the fuit of one Barclay, a taylor in Edingbourgh, to whom he had given fecurity for his friend. By the good offices of Laughlin Maclane, Efq; 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 fhip to Rotterdam, where, after a fhort ftay, he proceeded to Bruffels: he then visited 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 Berne and Geneva.

It is undoubtedly fact, that this ingenious, unfortunate man, travelled on foot mot part of his tour. He had left England with very little money, and, being of a philo

fophica!

fophical turn, and at that time poffeffing a body capable of fuftaining every fatigue, and a heart not eafily terrified at danger, he became an enthufiaft to the defign he had formed of feeing the manners of different countries. He had fome knowledge of the French language, and of mufic; and he played tolerable well on the German flute; which, from an amusement, became at fome times the means of fubfiftence. His learning procured him a hofpitable reception at moft of the religious houfes, and his mufic made him welcome to the peasants of Flanders, and other parts of Germany. "Whenever I approached," he used to fay, "a peafant's houfe towards night-fall, I played one of my moft merry tunes, and that procured me not only a lodging, but fubfiftence for the next day but in truth," his conftant expreffion, "I must own, when ever I attempted to entertain perfons of a higher rank, they always thought my performance odious, and never made me any return for my endeavours to please them."

On Mr. Goldsmith's arrival at Geneva, he was recommended as a proper perfon for a travelling tutor to a young man who had been unexpectedly left a confiderable fum of money by his uncle Mr. S, formerly an eminent pawnbroker near Holborn. This youth, who had been articled to an attorney, on receipt of his fortune, determined to fee the world; and, on his engaging with his preceptor, made a provifo, that he fhould be permitted to govern himself; and Goldfmith foon found his pupil understood the art of directing in money

concerns extremely well, as avarice was his prevailing paffion. His queftions were ufually how money might be faved, and which was the leaft expenfive courfe of travel; whether any thing could be bought that would turn to account when difpofed of again in London ? Such curiofities on the way as could be feen for nothing he was ready enough to look at; but, if the fight of them was to be paid for, he uffually afferted, that he had been told they were not worth feeing. He never paid a bill that he would not obferve how amazingly expenfive travelling was; and all this though he was not yet twenty-one. During Goldfmith's continuance in Switzerland, he affiduoufly cultivated his poetical talent, of which he had giving fome ftriking proofs while at the college of Edingburgh. It was here he fent the firft sketch of his delightful poem, called the Traveller, to his brother the clergyman in Ireland, who, giving up fame and fortune, had retired, with an amiable wife, to happinefs and obfcurity, on an income of only 401. a year The great affection

Goldfmith bore for this brother is thus expreffed in the poem above- . mentioned, and gives a striking picture of his fituation.

[blocks in formation]
« ПретходнаНастави »