Essapist.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2076, 3 June 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Essapist.

Oliver Goldsmith

One thinks «i him instinctively as •• poor Go-dsmilh.” yet ii cannot bo denied. Mr. Ft.i.-ter !•) tile contrary. that most of bis claim 11 < pity is iViuntled oil lout rather uiKcliable iirtt'in-i—his utrn fault. We all know bow Ilttraec W ;ilp>tie handed him down t" posterity as the ••inspired i<i i"t ’ —a phrase hailed by his eon’ l niporaries as a photograph in two words ; but Mr. 1 lia;kerav has given us a rauedi setter, pleasanter picture in the •• vagrant hat per.’’ and it is one having the additional merit— as I think all lovers of fair ph.y wi.l gladly concede -of ;•;j- a ii.i-j portrait "i the mm as he actaally was. 1 le. v rgab .iitiish spirit ■if his earlier days, w!r- ,; :. aft- r two or throe starts, finally sent ,; m ~a that vi ar of wandering when Boswell savs he'“disputed” his way through Fur.u.e-ohtmeh “it is much more probable 1,0 I,'fo. (i his way through Europe,” adds Mr. Lila' k—was rampant to the very end. !■ ai peculiarly improvident want of even 0 tlinarv prudence which marks the vagaa, | for u? own, was developed in i, oe.ith to its fullest extent. He had a t ;oia.; ll i v ir.mipish inability to look bev, ji j the'inline dale m. nieni, especially in r ai l to pecimiarv affairs, and he had a op 0 d-.l of tie- vacram's own happy-go-lucky way of accepting whatever came along With a pv.l.-.piikal lack of grumbling when •lieiin.s fell in unusually hard plac s. Indeed, bis Constant cheei fulness and the absence of anyth.ng like murmuring or railing r. v.lu-i fate, under circumstances and provocation, sufficiently to have turn- 1 him into a hardened misanthrope, 1 ad his nature been so inclined, is one of Goldsmith's many loveable traits. The sweet and friendly nature bloomed kindly always, in the midst of a life’s storm, and rain, and l»irr -r weather. . I lia* tiel.lsnuili Ji«.l not shine* in society,. ! nat he was guiltv of a great many blunders, Iheie can be no doubt. Conscious of his own his baruo. bis pitted face and his uu -ainlv figure-: all of which his sensitive nature 'probably exaggerated he could scarcely avoid being nervous ami somewnat awkward. - and was anxious, as such people mostly are. to cover up his shyness by an ap-p-aranee of case, if not even swagger, but I re-roe very heartily with the writer from whom I am quoting, that not a few of his alleced •• blunders ” owed their origin to a haoit of indulging in a spirit of delicate sui.e against himself, which those surroundmg him failed to recognize, either t.irough ftupidii v, or. more likely, a wilful desire to make him appear in the worst possible llg poor Noll had precisely the disposition that is given to revel in such humor, and it was an open secret that Boswell, at least, was intensely jealous of Goldsmiths prior acquaintance and friendship with John*°Ho was credited with an incessant desire for being conspicuous in company, and we are told that at the time when bis literary reputation was becoming high, and he was being very much courted, he became very jealous of the extraordinary attention everywhere paid to Johnson. But it was a jealousy that was not very deep, I fancy, and had' not much real life in it. for Boswell himself relates that when Johnson, seeing him depressed after a sharp passage of arms between them, said to the assembled company. - I’ll make Goldsmith forgive me ; and called to him in in a loud voice 1 Ur. Goldsmith, something passed to-day when von and I dined. I ask your pardon.’ Goldsmith answered placidly, he much from you, sir, that I take ill. The nn -st thriftless of mortals, reckless, with all the unreasonable recklessness of a verv child, “ it is probable,’’jsays Mr. Thackeray— that no sum could have put order into his affairs, or sufficed for his irreclaimable habits of dissipation. He .died owing two thousand pounds. “\W ever poet,” Johnson asked, so trusted before Probably not. There was something ineffably winning about Noll Goldsmith, ‘'the most beloved of English writers,” despite his many faults and weaknesses. The better side of his nature presoats one of the most beautiful chaiacterpicturcs in the whole range of literary biogA 'thoroughly uiiseltisn, lender, faithful heart, ovcrilowing with sweet guod-luuiioicd gentleness, and very full of love. The story of those early days at Leyden is familiar to most of us; how he list all his money to a fellow student at play, and had to borrow a Hilling sum to get out of the place, when, " just as he was leaving, -Ir. Forster writes,— he passed a llonsl’s garden, and seeing some rare and high-priced llowcr, which his Uncle Coutarine. an enthusiast in such things, had often spoken and been in search of, he ran in without another thought than of giving immediate pleasure, to his kindest friend, bought a parcel of the roots, and sent them off to Ireland. ’ And we have a most pathetic picture of his life bein' 1, “tracked and bis substance waste 1 bv crowds of hungry beggars and lazy dependants. If they came at a lucky time (an I be sure they knew Ins affairs better than he did himself, and watched his nav-day) he cave them of his money : if they b tt_tt_q on empty-purse dais, be gave them his promissory notes or treated them at a tavern where he had credit ; or he obliged them witli an order upon honesi Mr. la; by. ft-r C"ats. for winch be paid a.- long as be could earn, and until the shea's of Mi. 1 ilby weio to cut for him no more.” Have Vtci seen the print of me. aficr Sir J, -V,ia u Vnolds?” lie asked one of his old pupils. -'Not seen it? Not bought it.’ Sure. Jack, if vour picture bad been published, I’d nut have been without it for half an hour!” Again wc hear how the Earl of Northumberland sent for Dr. Goldsmith, and as the latter reports later to Hawkins ; ” His lordship told my he had read my poem (The Traveller) and was much deligided with it, and that he was going to he the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland,and that as I "a- a native of that country, he should he glad to no me any kindness.” •• What did you say t" said Hawkin'-, expecting, no doubt, to hear of some application for pension or post. - Why,” sai l Goldsmith, I could say notuing but that I had a brother there, a clergyman, who stood in need of help an I then ho explained that he looked to Die booksellers for support, and was li lt inclined to place dependence upon the promises of great man. Of his works themselves hut little need be said. To all lovers of the English clas.-ics, the iiiiaiut-humoied vicar and his charming family in their idyllic country home arc dear old intimate friends, dhd indeed one naturally feels a certain timidity in venturing upon ground that has been thoroughly covered by such intellects as (toetbe, Sir Walter Scott, and Washington Irving. Mr Tbackcrav closes bis lecture on buu with a few tender phrases, which hoiior aliko the man who uttered them, and tbc man of whom they were uttered : ‘■Think of him as reckless, thriftless, vain, if you like—but merciful, gentle, generous, full of love and pity. He passes out of our life and goes to render his account beyond it. Think of the poor pensioners weeping at hj s -nave ; think of the noble spirits that dephired him ; think of the righteous pen that wrote, his epitaph—and of the wonderful and unanimous response of affection with which the world has paid back the love lie gave it. His humor delighting us still ; lus soiur ticim and beautiful as when he first charmed with it ; his wolds in all our mouths, bis very weakness*! beloved and familiar—lus benevolent spiiif st ems still to .-mile upon u- ; to nth; hlivlne-ses : to succor wilo pltt.d With tin: ft.i! .iiiato L-r H.<- übV.pi.y and the poor,’’ 590