ad some wit, but no humour, and never told a story spoiled it. The following anecdotes will convey some the style and manner of his conversation.

was used to say he could play on the German flute as ; most men, at other times as well as any man living; his poem of the Traveller has hinted at this attainment following lines:

To kinder skies where gentler manners reign,
I turn; and France displays her bright domain:
Gay sprightly land of mirth and social ease,
Pleas'd with thyself, whom all the world can please,
How often have I led thy sportive choir,
With tuneless pipe, beside the murmuring Loire!
Where shading elms along the margin grew,
And, freshen'd from the waves, the zephyrs flew;
And haply, though my harsh touch, faltering still,
But mock'd all tune, and marr'd the dancer's skill,
Yet would the village praise my wondrous power,
And dance forgetful of the noontide hour.'

t, in truth, he understood not the character in which c is written, and played on that instrument, as many of vulgar do, merely by ear. Roubiliac the sculptor, a y fellow, once heard him play, and minding to put a on him, pretended to be charmed with his performance, so, that himself was skilled in the art, and entreated him epeat the air, that he might write it down. Goldsmith ily consenting, Roubiliac called for paper, and scored eon a few five lined staves, which having done, Goldsmith eeded to play and Roubiliac to write; but his writing only such random notes on the lines and spaces as any might set down who had ever inspected a page of music. en they had both done, Roubiliac showed the paper to dsmith, who looking it over with seeming great attention,

said, it was very correct, and that if he had not seen him do it, he never could have believed his friend capable of writing music after him.

He used frequently to preface a story thus; I will tell you a story of myself, which some people laugh at and some do not.

At the breaking up of an evening at a Tavern, he entreated the company to sit down, and told them if they would call for another bottle, they should hear one of his bon mots. They agreed, and he began thus: I was once told that Sheridan the player, in order to improve himself in stage gestures, had lookingglasses to the number of ten hung about his room, and that he practised before them, upon which I said, then there were ten ugly fellows together.' The company were all silent; he asked why they did not laugh, which they not doing, he without tasting the wine left the room in anger. In a large company he once said, 'Yesterday I heard an excellent story, and I would relate it now if I thought any of you able to understand it.' The company laughed, and one of them said, Doctor, you are very rude,' but he made no apology. He once complained to a friend in these words: Mr. Martinelli is a rude man : I said, in his hearing, that there were no good writers among the Italians, and he said to one that sat near him, that I was very ignorant.

ut I asked him the result of

p, says he, told me he b Traveller, and was muc going lord lieutenant of Ire was a native of that country adness. And what did acous offer? Why,' said he ad a brother there, a cle

People,' said he, are greatly mistaken in me: a notion goes about, that when I am silent I mean to be impudent; but I assure you, gentlemen, my silence arises from bashfulness.'

p: as for myself, I have great men: I look to the my best friends, and I am

hers.

add this idiot, in the affairs es, and put back the ha Other offers of a like

Having one day a call to wait on the late duke, then earl of Northumberland, I found Goldsmith waiting for an audience in an outer room. I asked him what had brought him there he told me an invitation from his lordship. I made my business as short as I could, and, as a reason, mentioned that Dr. Goldsmith was waiting without. The earl asked me if I was acquainted with him: I told him I was, adding what I thought likely to recommend him. I retired, and staid in the outer room to take him home. Upon

improve, contenting himse eman, whose mansion affo table, and a retreat for a

I was writing the History icated to me some curi reduce it to writing; he

to see me at his chambe pped into a closet, and to that contained what he h ir the booksellers, we, a Literary drudge, equal ing, but little capable al composition: he had and addressed to the amberland, one of the

an

our language has to boas it of the Dale;' a poem that contai ry Johnson was supp e contributed to the p

That this beautiful poem e 5. Soon after he wrote it,

by him hardly dissuaded

ing out I asked him the result of his conversation:■rdship,' says he, told me he had read my poem,' g the Traveller, and was much delighted with it; was going lord lieutenant of Ireland, and that, heart I was a native of that country, he should be glad to any kindness.' And what did you answer, asked I, gracious offer? Why,' said he, 'I could say nothing at I had a brother there, a clergyman, that stood in f help as for myself, I have no dependance on the es of great men: I look to the booksellers for support, re my best friends, and I am not inclined to forsake or others.'

as did this idiot, in the affairs of the world, trifle with tunes, and put back the hand that was held out to him. Other offers of a like kind he either rejected or to improve, contenting himself with the patronage of obleman, whose mansion afforded him the delights of a lid table, and a retreat for a few days from the metro

hile I was writing the History of Music, he, at the club, unicated to me some curious matter: I desired he 1 reduce it to writing; he promised me he would, and ed to see me at his chambers: I called on him there; epped into a closet, and tore out of a printed book six s that contained what he had mentioned to me. As he for the booksellers, we, at the club, looked on him as re literary drudge, equal to the task of compiling and lating, but little capable of original, and still less of cal composition: he had nevertheless, unknown to us, en and addressed to the countess, afterwards duchess, of thumberland, one of the finest poems of the lyric kind our language has to boast of, the ballad, Turn gentle mit of the Dale;'* and surprised us with The Traer,' a poem that contains some particulars of his own ory. Johnson was supposed to have assisted him in it; he contributed to the perfection of it only four lines: his

That this beautiful poem exists we owe to Dr. Chapman, of Sud. Soon after he wrote it, Goldsmith showed it to the Doctor, and by him hardly dissuaded from throwing it into the fire. Hawkins.

opinion of it was, that it was the best written poem since the time of Pope.

Of the booksellers whom styled his friends, Mr. Newbery was one. This person had apartments in Canonbury-house.

where Goldsmith often lay concealed from his creditors. Under a pressing necessity he there wrote his Vicar of Wakefield, and for it received of Newbery forty pounds.

Of a man named Griffin, a bookseller, in Catherine-street in the Strand, he had borrowed, by two and three guineas at a time, money to the amount of two hundred pounds: to discharge this debt he wrote the Deserted Village, but was two years about it. Soon after its publication, Griffin declared, that it had discharged the whole of his debt.

His poems are replete with fine moral sentiment, and bespeak a great dignity of mind; yet he had no sense of the shame, nor dread of the evils, of poverty.

In the latter he was at one time so involved, that for the clamours of a woman, to whom he was indebted for lodging, and for bailiffs that waited to arrest him, he was equally unable, till he had made himself drunk, to stay within doors, or go abroad to hawk among the booksellers a piece of his writing, the title whereof my author does not remember. this distress he sent for Johnson, who immediately went to one of them, and brought back money for his relief.

In

In his dealings with the booksellers, he is said to have acted very dishonestly, never fulfilling his engagements. In one year he got of them, and by his plays, the sum of £1,800, which he dissipated by gaming and extravagance, and died poor, in 1774.

3. To last line of no Serum. March, 1832. v1.30. See Piozzi

He that can account for the inconsistencies of character above noted, otherwise than by showing, that wit and wisdom are seldom found to meet in the same mind, will do more than any of Goldsmith's friends were ever able to do. He was buried in the Temple churchyard. A monument was erected for him.in the Poets' corner, in Westminster Abbey, by a subscription of his friends, and is placed over the entrance into St. Blase's chapel. The inscription thereon was written by Johnson. This I am able to say with certainty, for he showed it to me in manuscript.

The following couplet Amidst the toil When senators Our little bard,"

These lines were om and little' altered to

age Irxix. 1. 10. See Sketch by Lord Cheste

1.

Page lxxix. 1. 1. of note

Page lxxx. last line of Hans Carvel not ov Prior, p. 174.

xxxvii. 1. 14. Mrs. Collier informed me that an quaintance of hers had mentioned to her that he had en flogged by Goldsmith, when the latter was usher at eckham.

e xlii. To last line of note, add "There is one in the thenæum. March, 1832."

e lviii. 1. 30. See Piozzi's Letters, i. 247.

e lxii. 1. 21. He is, as the variation of the subject reires, alternately ornamented or plain; sublime without sing by painful or constrained effort; simple without escending into vulgarity. In philosophical reflection, description, or in sentiment, he is always master of is subject, and consequently moves with ease.

e lxvii. 1. 13. See A. Brown's Sketches, i. 80.

Good Natured

e lxviii. On Johnson's prologue to the
lan.' In this prologue, after the fourth line,

And social sorrow loses half its pain,'

The following couplet was inserted,

'Amidst the toils of this returning year,'
When senators and nobles learn to fear
Our little bard,' &c.

These lines were omitted, lest they should give offence, and little' altered to anxious.'

ge lxxix. 1. 10. See Tremaine, vol. iii. p. 316--334, sketch by Lord Chesterfield.

ge lxxix. 1. 1. of note. Dele from Whether' to 'say.

ge lxxx. last line of note. Add, after p. 45: " and yet Hans Carvel not over decent.' " See Johnson's Life of Prior, p.

174.