The sun., 1879-02-09

degree, though whore or how he got II is n mat
ter OF puro conjecture. With this degree.
which subsequently proved to represent tho
minimum OF professional requirement. and
with such scraps oi'.Sook learning and knowl-
edge Of human ndsuro M he had contrived to
accumulate he was now callod upon. Mt tho age
Of 2S. to hit upon some plan ofcarninR his daily
bread, for the Irish snpplics had stopped. How
he managed ~ ltzn at all during his first six
months in London Ia nm inscrutable mystery.
Whore he slept. o. what he ate. by what shifts
he escaped tho pOorhouso or the hospital, of
this his biographers can tell us nothing But nj
length he got some employment in chemists
shop; then he tried practising In u small way on
his own account. and u little later undertook 10
pass an examination at Surgeons Hall. for tho
lowest certificate that OF hospital mate;
but ho was found not qualified. and
thus cut off from regular employment in the
medical profession. About this timo he made
tho acquaintance OF u printers workman. and
through him WIS engaged MS press corroctor in
the shop Of Richardson. the novelist. who seems
10 have discorned no merit In HE Irish hand.
80 Goldsmith having composed tragedy
which the author OF Clarissa Harlowe treated
with the contempt II no doubt deserved, forsook
for tho moment the thorny ways Of literaturet to
become an usher in boys school. Yet IL WAS
his new employer who, by introducing him TO
Grifllths. the bookseller. gave Goldsmith the
first vcritable chance OF trying literary ca
rcer. hack writer OF rovfows. &c. II 30 n
characteristic fact that even at this subErban
school where there would seem to be no onpor-
tunitics OF spending. the Irish usher Was
always In advance Of his salary. Any becgars
It secms or group OF children even the very
boys who played rough. practical Jokes on their
quaint pcdngoguc were welcome to share Of
what small funds he had; and We are told that
the principals wife said to him once good
naturcdly. You had better. Mr. Goldsmfsh let
me keep your money for YOU as do for como
OF the young gentlemen" to which he answered
with simplicity Indeed. madam. there 10
equal need"
1t Is the next eight years. during which Gold
smith lived as he might by industrious hack
writing-throwing OF prefaccs. essays. review
articles and compilations of all sorts-on which
one Of his bographers. Mr.. Forster. has dwct
with somewhat exaggerated pathos. The truth
Is. that although he was frequently out ut
elbows, generally an occupant OF garrets. and
not seldom on tho verge OF arrest for debt. yet
there was scarcely year IN which the book
sellers drudge did not earn from f2OO to G3OO.
n sum certainly equivalent TO 50 900 in our day.
H. therefore. he is dunncd. rs Mr. Forster tells
us for a milk score he cannot pay. tho misfor-
tune Is solely chargeablo TO his happy-go- lucky
disposition. Unless Mr.. Forster csteems q dis
penser Of pensions more wholesome and
truly national institution than publisher it is
scarcely correct to say that Goldsmith strug-
gled into fame without the aid Of English insti-
tutions. Yet We are not sure that Mr.. Black In
his roeoi from the sentimcntalsn which ac-
cuses Providence Of an especial spite against
literary persons. does not ovince too much
harshness toward the thriftlcssness enGcn-
dercd. or at all events encouraged. by ir-
regular aud fragmentary gains. As Carlyle
has pointed out. tho author living by piece work
Is sorely tempted to act on the principle Of
cdipe d'em. as men do in bombarded towns and
seasons of raging pestilcncc. But. however
this may be. 1t Is certain tina; Goldsmith. amid
his incessant machine work at miscellaneous
writing OF marketable kind found time and
spirit 10 make a stroke for fame When his
long term OF obscurity was about TO BE- sue
ceoded by splendid reputation. DR.. johnson.
who had been sent for to relieve his friend.
| found Goldsmith under arrest. and he also
| found hidden in his desk the MANUSCRIPTS Of
Tho Traveller and ' Tho Vicar OF Wake
! Held IL Is an interesting fact that johnson.
selling the latter performance, returned In half
-" hpur WIN too sHIlcl'nt price too. as
lie nlterwArd explained 10 Boswell. " for then
ihe writer : iamu had not been elevated. as It
soon was 10y his Traveller and the bookseller
nuu s"c' ialht hop's OF prpht from MS bargain
lha' ne kep' he manuscript by him u long
uine'
10 TINS period when GOLDSMITH was only
khown' IN BOOKSELLER parlance' rs n good
manu. ana SIMPLY got me market rate Tor his
NorA' pel'h. some oi the most diverting Incl
u'h's III MS career. u Is noteworthy that Gold
Shll'h. inc crluc sHtihG NJ MS publishers desk
m"Shlhes ms once ana announces his opinion
'hat 10 ulrec' our taste ana conduct tho poet
up 10 perfection mas ever been the true critics
province whore"s "oldsmith the author
"nen ne comes 70 inquire into the existing state
"' rome LoArhlhg IN Europe mas IN criticism
not he'p pht danger Indeed the deadly enc
my oi art ana literature lhe truth Is that
"'ldSihlths oooK reviews are labored perform
ahc's' almost devoid ot tho sly and delicate
huhot that marked his later compositions.
tnough' as Mr' Biack has shown by some peril
hph' citations no hhd caught the true manner
oi aulhorlV' 70 VII tue solemn lntlmatlon that
h"u Tue au'hor wrlueh Otherwise he would
nave WFH'rh ulherehuy' anu had ne known
more p"sslpY nc Would nave oeen less igno-
rant IN 'Ile socldl studies however. which he
cohlrlpu'ed 10 tue nee may be traced some
ol tne most eharmihg characteristics oi Golde