fmith, unwilling to be a burden to his friend, a fhort time after eagerly embraced an offer which was made him to affift the late Rev. Dr. Milner, in inftructing the young gentlemen at the academy at Peckham; and acquitted himself greatly to the Doctor's fatisfaction for a fhort time; but, having obtained some reputation by the criticisms he had written in the Monthly Review, Mr. Griffith, the principal proprietor, engaged him in the compilation of it; and, refolving to purfue the profeffion of writing, he returned to London, as the mart where abilities of every kind were fure of meeting diftinction and reward. Here he determined to adopt a plan of the strictest œconomy, and, at the close of the year 1759, took lodgings in Green-Arbour-court in the Old Bailey, where he wrote feveral ingenious pieces. The late Mr. Newbery,

who,

上

ment to men of literary abilities, became a kind of patron to our young author, and introduced him as one of the writers in the Public Ledger, in which his Citizen of the World originally appeared, under the title of Chinese Letters."

Fortune now feemed to take fome natice of a man fhe had long neglected.

During this time, (acording to another account) he wrote for the British Magazine, of which Dr. Smollet was then editor, moft of thofe Elays and Tales, which he afterwards collected and published in a separate volume. He also wrote occafionally, for the Critical Review; and it was the merit which he difcovered in criticifing a despicable tranflation of Ovid's Fafi by a pedantic fchoolmafter, and his Enquiry into the Prefent State of Learning in Europe, which first introduced him to the acquaintance of Dr. Smollet, who recommended him to feveral literati, and to most of the bookfellers by whom he was afterwards patronized.

The

The fimplicity of his character, the integrity of his heart, and the merit of his productions, made his company very acceptable to a number of respectable perfons; and, about the middle of the year 1762, he emerged from his mean apartments near the Old Bailey to the politer air of the Temple, where he took handsome chambers, and lived in a genteel style. Among many other perfons of distinction who were defirous to know him, was the Duke of Northumberland, and the cir cumftance that attended his introduction to that nobleman, is worthy of being related, in order to fhew a ftriking trait of his character. "I was invited," said the Doctor, " by my friend Percy, to wait

upon the Duke, in confequence of the "fatisfaction he had received from the perufal of one of my productions. I "dreffed myself in the best manner I

"could,

"ments I thought neceffary on fuch an "occafion, proceeded on to Northum"berland-house, and acquainted the fer"vants that I had particular bufiness with "his Grace. They fhewed me into an "antichamber, where, after waiting fome "time, a gentleman very elegantly dreffed "made his appearance: taking him "for the Duke, I delivered all the fine "things I had compofed, in order to com

pliment him on the honour he had done "me; when, to my great aftonishment, " he told me I had mistaken him for his "mafter, who would fee me immediately. "At that inftant the Duke came into the "C apartment, and I was fo confounded on "the occafion, that I wanted words barely "fufficient to exprefs the fenfe I entertain«ed ed of the Duke's politenefs, and went

away

away exceedingly chagrined at the blun"der I had committed."

The Doctor at the time of this vifit was much embarrassed in his circumstances, but vain of the honour done him, was continually mentioning it. One of thofe ingenious executors of the law, a bailiff, who had a writ against him, determined to turn this circumftance to his own advantage; he wrote him a letter, that he was steward to a nobleman who was charmed with reading his laft production, and had ordered him to defire the Doctor to appoint a place where he might have the honour of meeting him, to conduct him to his Lordship. The vanity of poor Goldsmith immediately fwallowed the bait; he appointed the British Coffee-house, to which he was accompanied by his friend Mr. Hamilton, the printer of the Critical Review,