Oliver Goldsmith

Oliver Goldsmith

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Title: Oliver Goldsmith
Author: Washington Irving
Release Date: April, 2005 [EBook #7993] [This file was first posted on
June 10, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English

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OLIVER GOLDSMITH
A Biography
by
Washington Irving

PREFACE
I. Birth and Parentage--Characteristics of the Goldsmith Race--Poetical
Birthplace--Goblin House--Scenes of Boyhood--Lissoy--Picture of a
Country Parson--Goldsmith's Schoolmistress--Byrne, the Village
Schoolmaster-- Goldsmith's Hornpipe and Epigram--Uncle
Contarine--School Studies and School Sports--Mistakes of a Night
II. Improvident Marriages in the Goldsmith Family--Goldsmith at the
University--Situation of a Sizer--Tyranny of Wilder, the
Tutor--Pecuniary Straits--Street Ballads--College Riot--Gallows
Walsh--College Prize--A Dance Interrupted
III. Goldsmith rejected by the Bishop--Second Sally to see the
World--Takes Passage for America--Ship sails without him--Return on
Fiddleback--A Hospitable Friend--The Counselor
IV. Sallies forth as a Law Student--Stumbles at the Outset--Cousin Jane
and the Valentine--A Family Oracle--Sallies forth as a Student of
Medicine--Hocus-pocus of a Boarding-house--Transformations of a
Leg of Mutton--The Mock Ghost--Sketches of Scotland--Trials of
Toryism--A Poet's Purse for a Continental Tour
V. The agreeable Fellow-passengers--Risks from Friends picked up by
the Wayside--Sketches of Holland and the Dutch--Shifts while a Poor
Student at Leyden--The Tulip Speculation--The Provident
Flute--Sojourn at Paris-- Sketch of Voltaire--Traveling Shifts of a
Philosophic Vagabond

VI. Landing In England--Shifts of a Man without Money--The Pestle
and Mortar--Theatricals in a Barn--Launch upon London--A City Night
Scene--Struggles with Penury--Miseries of a Tutor--A Doctor in the
Suburb--Poor Practice and Second-hand Finery--A Tragedy in
Embryo--Project of the Written Mountains
VII. Life as a Pedagogue--Kindness to Schoolboys--Pertness In
Return--Expensive Charities--The Griffiths and the "Monthly
Review"--Toils of a Literary Hack--Rupture with the Griffiths
VIII. Newbery, of Picture-book Memory--How to keep up
Appearances--Miseries of Authorship--A Poor Relation--Letter to
Hodson
IX. Hackney Authorship--Thoughts of Literary Suicide--Return to
Peckham-- Oriental Projects--Literary Enterprise to raise Funds--Letter
to Edward Wells--To Robert Bryanton--Death of Uncle
Contarine--Letter to Cousin Jane
X. Oriental Appointment, and Disappointment--Examination at the
College of Surgeons--How to procure a Suit of Clothes--Fresh
Disappointment--A Tale of Distress--The Suit of Clothes in
Pawn--Punishment for doing an act of Charity--Gayeties of
Green-Arbor Court--Letter to his Brother--Life of Voltaire--Scroggins,
an attempt at Hock Heroic Poetry
XI. Publication of "The Inquiry"--Attacked by Griffith's
"Review"--Kenrick, the Literary Ishmaelite--Periodical
Literature--Goldsmith's Essays--Garrick as a Manager--Smollett and
his Schemes--Change of Lodgings--The Robin Hood Club
XII. New Lodgings--Visits of Ceremony--Hangers-on--Pilkington and
the White Mouse--Introduction to Dr. Johnson--Davies and his
Bookshop--Pretty Mrs. Davies--Foote and his Projects--Criticism of the
Cudgel
XIII. Oriental Projects--Literary Jobs--The Cherokee Chiefs--Merry
Islington and the White Conduit House--Letters on the History of
England--James Boswell--Dinner of Davies--Anecdotes of Johnson and
Goldsmith
XIV. Hogarth a Visitor at Islington--His Character--Street
Studies--Sympathies between Authors and Painters--Sir Joshua
Reynolds--His Character--His Dinners--The Literary Club--Its
Members--Johnson's Revels with Lanky and Beau--Goldsmith at the

Club
XV. Johnson a Monitor to Goldsmith--Finds him in Distress with his
Landlady--Relieved by the Vicar of Wakefield--The Oratorio--Poem of
The Traveler--The Poet and his Dog--Success of the
Poem--Astonishment of the Club--Observations on the Poem
XVI. New Lodgings--Johnson's Compliment--A Titled Patron--The
Poet at Northumberland House--His Independence of the Great--The
Countess of Northumberland--Edwin and Angelina--Gosford and Lord
Clare--Publication of Essays--Evils of a rising
Reputation--Hangers-on--Job Writing--Goody Two-shoes--A Medical
Campaign--Mrs. Sidebotham
XVII. Publication of the Vicar of Wakefield--Opinions concerning
it--Of Dr. Johnson--Of Rogers the Poet--Of Goethe--Its
Merits--Exquisite Extract--Attack by
Kenrick--Reply--Book-building--Project of a Comedy
XVIII. Social Condition of Goldsmith--His Colloquial Contests with
Johnson--Anecdotes and Illustrations
XIX. Social Resorts--The Shilling Whist Club--A Practical Joke--The
Wednesday Club--The "Ton of Man"--The Pig Butcher--Tom
King--Hugh Kelly--Glover and his Characteristics
XX. The Great Cham of Literature and the King--Scene at Sir Joshua
Reynolds's--Goldsmith accused of Jealousy--Negotiations with
Garrick--The Author and the Actor--Their Correspondence
XXI. More Hack Authorship--Tom Davies and the Roman
History--Canonbury Castle--Political Authorship--Pecuniary
Temptation--Death of Newbery the elder
XXII. Theatrical Maneuvering--The Comedy of False Delicacy--First
Performance of The Good-Natured Man--Conduct of
Johnson--Conduct of the Author--Intermeddling of the Press