The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-10-09
Oliver Goldsmith.

was breach OF the peace. Inc por-
trait of Goldsmith, given to posterity by
the genius of Sir Joshua Reynolds, is so
different from the ideal the reader of his
writings would inevitably picture of
him, that one can but consider that
nature committed breach Of propriety
when she fashioned him externally Heavy
and superciIous, while inwardly brilliant
and genial. Cheerfulncss and the
pleasure Of life in the abstract shine like
sunlight through his writings A man
who lad, so to speak, physical affinity
with nature should have been moulded
by nature in her kindliest mood. Burns
is said to have had finer face, more
melodious voice, and n bearing more
modestly grand than he succeeded in
embodying in his lovely verse The adj
iectiyes which describe Lord Byron's
personality, beautiful, sublime, deformed,
as accurately describe his works. How
ever, as if to make amends for this
seeming unfairness in the distribution
Of natures gifts to our author, we find
that Goldsnith's life was illustrative of
his works, and his works faithfully illus
trative of his life. Scarcely an adven-
ture or character is given in his page
that may not be traced to his own parti-
colored story, and he seems to have been
bufleted into almost every maxim i'm
parted by him for the instruction of his
readers.
Goldsmith once wrote a magazine, ar
ticle entitled "The Car Of Fame" in
which the talented authors of his day
were represented as .ourneying to Apol
los court, which ovinced in great de-
gree his talents of superior criticism,
and we are sorry to say that he did not
include himself as passenger therein !;
but this we know, though we cannot
represent him as one of the great men
figuring in the Pantheon of literature,
his novel, 'rhe Vicar of Wakefield"
which has been classed by Schlegel as
''the most exquisite Of all romances in
miniature, and his poetic idyls, entitle
him to a passage in the car of fame, and
those of my readers who are neither so
serious nor sensible as to buy their lit
erature as they do their BUTTERFLY it's
weight will predict for him longer
stay at Apollo's court than at Gibbons,
who rode there on the merit of history,
or Johnson, whose passport was die
tionary. am sorry to say my authors
biography is not Sunday reading. Tn
like the poet Beatt he was rot so duly
good that he made even virtue appear
disreputablc on the contrary, while at
college he WAS notorious for his love Of
idleness and youthful dissipation. Sent
to London TO engage upon the study of
the law he spent the money set apart for
his travelling expenses in gambling and
returned home penniless. His father
was an Episcopal clergyman, whose in
come could lily stand these repeated fol
lies had it not been that our author was
blest with an uncle whose purse and
heart, like the fairy codmother of the
story-book, always turned up with help
full hand to relieve his distresses. This
bencicient uncle maintained Goldsmith
for two years at Edinburgh and also
sent him abroad He remained at Ley
den year, where he took his degree Of
doctor of medicine From Lcyden he
set out to make the tour of Europe with
only zone clean shirt and no money in
his pocket"
A romantic story is told of bis tramp
over a great part of the continent -how
he was entertained by the peasantry,
whom he delighted with his playing on
the flute; only one thing is certain about
this journey. however, and that, after
the death of his good uncle, our autho
returned to England, bringing back with
him nothin. substantial but his medical
degree.
Penniless in England, he secured
through the influence of friend "A stu
alton as usher III school At this
schoo he formed tho acqtaintanceship
of the famous Griffith. editor of the
Monthly Review, who at once hired him
as contributor. Perhaps no author
ever wrote SO much that was read with
avidity by the public and commercially
the learned By degrees his labors pro
cured him the benefits Of living The
great Dr.. johnson. the man who lived
on the "summits Of syllables.' sought
him out and hecame lis personal friend.
This friendship was n lucky thing FOR
Goldsmith. iec,tsc the habits of eNtrav-
aslncc, tie auh .uppcre, the rrotga
charities q our author often involved
,t l....