JOHNSON AND GOLDSMITH.

Bruce Herald, Volume II, Issue 41, 19 January 1865, Page 5

JOHNSON AND GOLDSMITH.

There ai'e; few great men, be they warriors or statesmen, that we should prefer seeing to the immortal Dr Johnsor, and his affectionately remembered friend Dr Goldsmith. To have seen them, heard them talk — heard the sententious sentences long- drawn out, of 'he " great bear, 7 ' and the sometimes wise and sometimes foolish, but at all times delightful ' Goldy,' were; indeed a circumstance long' to.be re.membered. Marvellously delig-luful employment would it have been to have accompanied Oliver— plain, ugljf, and ill put together as he was— first to the grammar schools, where he acquired some knowledg-e of the dead languages; and then '< have go.ne with Jbim to Dublin's famous Trinity College, where his poverty compelled him to pay nothing for his food, nothing for his tuition,, and little if anything for his lodgings— said lodgings being, as may easily be surmised, in a garret, and that luxury .haying to be .shared with some other wight, equally untroubled with cash and its disturbing influences. And then, when he had obtained his degree, and had gone home to his widowed mother with :,the intention. of getting "something to do," to see him dressing himself in all sorts of iil-suited finery, driving- the hours along with the relaxations of cards, songs and the charms of. his own sweet ■flute -, which, gave place to angling in and ghost stories in the winter. And when seriously intent upon the v something to do," after troubling five or six different professions, he dressed himself: in: scarlet clothes and applied! for ordi-:-n&tibh7 getting turned out of the episcopal p:ilace forj'-hig ■ unseemly; costume.. Not being- permitted to be a clerical teacher, he resolved to be a secular teacher; and so turned tutor. But this position he soon!" Ipst, through some -idle disputes. ..Doubtless .fancying, as thousands ;of others -have fancied, male md female, that America was the country in which forturnes were to be made, hopes to be realised, and a mine of wealth to be found, he resolved to emigrate to that " glorious republic." ...:.- Would it not have been amusing* to have started with him on his journey to Cork, as the first step in the 'direction of the new world ? — he, with thirty' pounds in his pocket, and l the satisfied good I wishes of his relatives, who_were only too | delighted- at the prospect of getting rid of him— a" prospect not : fated to be realised, | for which we have all good reason to be 'devoutly thankful, as the scape-grace found his way back within the briefest six weeks his good horse exchanged for a miserable hack, and his thirty pounds gone; his only excuse being that the ships had sailed while he was at a pleasure party! And then, after returning- with him from this profitless journey, to have gone with him once more to Dublin, this time to study the law — & relation ad vancing-fifry pounds for the purpose ;- when thei'e, instead of so devoting-' himself an 1 his borrowed money, losing every penny of it at the gaming table. So an. end of the l.ime venture. After law he must needs try physic.' In his twenty-fourth year he started for Edinbui'gh,- where, during- eighteen months, he managed to pick up some little notion about chemistry and natural -history. This done, would it not have. been dMigh.tr fuT to have gone forth with him to Le} : den ; which University he left without a degree, ; witlr4ittle medical knowledge, with small possession •of any kind save his flute, which not only pi'oved" a pleasant com-, panibn, but a useful friend ; and have rambled : with him through Flanders, and Switzerland; .paying -for his :bed and supper; not with bank notes, .b^t with notes from hfs flute ; and' then in .17.56, landed with him at Dover, -minus a slitilingya friend, and the to do" yet to. be found: ? ■Something he must. do^' and the. flute" business not being in teqaesfcj,' i£'-we ? - i s.till aecbtrfpahied ' him, • we ih6Mtl i -"then''>viMe^''l]im/tiir'nra"g i -str'6liin|f player, and spwdily turned out of that profession, the audiences not caring to look

upon a 'figure so -commonplace, not to say ugly. We should then see him pounding* drugs^ one of a»swarrn ot beggars, usher of a school, a bookseller's hack; obtaining* a medical appointment, and as speedily losing it; presenting himself for examination as a mate to a naval hospital, which examination from want of knowledge, was a failure ; and then, as the next step upwards or downwards as it may be deemed, we should see him in his garret, fagging away at literature at the lowest rate of Grub-street compensation. Here, for six years, he would be - seen working upon whatever the bookseller's wanted. Nothing came amiss — children's books, which found a fitting home, . with their showy titles and gaudy covers, in St. Paul's Churchyard; or, "An Inquiry into .the state of Polite Learning in. Europe," biograph}', a history of England, sketches of London society — to him all were alike; for this labor, wretched as .the dolement was, was needed for his existence — and that, by the . way, is a thing men don't usually part from .very freely. But, as there are few lives without a turning point, be the turning to the right or ...otherwise, so in our progress with Goldsmith we should witness his introduction, to the, immortal Johnson, which we may well believe will exercise an important influence on his after literary life—Johnson at this time being* considered as the chief. of living- writers. One of the first services rendered to Oliver, which the print-publisher has rendered us all fami liar with, was his aiding him in the matter, ot his rent, when. Oliver's, landlady had become so importunate as to call in the aid of the sheriff's officer. His chambers at this time were no longer in the garret which had served him for six } ears, But were now in the Inns of Court; arid, as a consequence, proportionately expensive. In his perplexity, Goldsmith applied to the great lexicographer, who, surly as he was, sent' the messenger back, with a guinen, which on his arrival he found changed, a portion of it having been expended on a bottle of Madeira. Putting the cork into- the bottle; Oliver was. entreVited to be calm -and to rconsidei* how money was to be procured". "A. mahusfript, which the .improvident author produced, Johnson, after glanpiHg.at, and convincing himself that there were some good things in it, took it to a bookseller, and sold it for £60, which qnded- the sheriff 'officer's difficulty, and usliered info the publisning world the famous novel of the " Vicar of Wakefield." He was not alwftys thus poorly paid for his productions";" "though even at this rate he had made a great advance upon his' Grub-street' remuneratiorL His " School History of Rome," brought him £300 ; his "History of England'" £600; his " History of Greece," £350; and his . " Natural History," £800— pay quite adequate to all the woi*k done. Charming compilations as they Undoubtedly •re, yet they are only compilations, atid in manj r respects exceedingly imperfect and inaccurate. ■ v • -•■;.:

Goldsmith, probably remembering' this, and anxious to improve upon the quantity of . manuscripts he .produced, enquired .from a voluminous author .ho\v. he aged, who replied, *'■ why, 1 walk about the room, and dictate to a clever man, ,who puts down very correctly all -.that i .can tell him,; so^tliat I have nothing" to.oVo more ..than just to look over, thejnauuscript, and send it to press." . Next morning-, Goldsmith had an amanuensis with him, all -resVdy in liis room. . He ' 'then paced about with g ; reat solemnity for some time; but the ideas would nptconVe. At last he put his hand into his.pocket, and presented; the man with a guinea,, sayjrigy " It won't: do my friend, I find : that , my head 1 and', hand must .work tog-ether." Sir Joshua Reynolds, in one; of his "anecdotes, gives its a glance at Goldsmith when in the fkver of composition; calling- upon him. one day, he found him in the double . occupation •, ot tuning a cwuplet and teachiiig- a ptt'. 4ogf to sit upon, his-haunchesw ' At one time, h« would glance. his -eye upon his desk, and' at another sha;ke h-is finger at the '-dog 1 , to make, him : retain ; liis ' position. The = la^*; lines on the page were. stilL wet. .JThey; .form a part of the description of Italvjin.'. the-' < Traveiler^vr^ ; .- " : v ■- ;^ '^ By'sports lik-3 these are. all tftteir .cares. bi;jjß.ii;j(l ; !' .'■ The sports of cbildrea sibwfy the child. ? • > Goldsmith, with his usuiF'gwd .humbiir,; joined in the laugh' -causßd t»yi4irs waiji-; sical employmentv r »nd' ; -a,ckna\dei%fi(l iha>, ; - boyich sport with. ; the dog f-ug^ested. r the stanza. :