testant, condemned to the Gallies of France for his Religion. Written by himself. Trans lated from the Original, just published at the Hague, by James Willington;" 1758, two volumes, 12mo. for which Mr. Edward Dilly paid him twenty guineas.

At Dr. Milner's table, sometime in the year 1758, he happened to meet with Mr. Ralph Griffiths, publisher and proprietor of the Monthly Review, who invited him to become a writer in that work, and offered him such terms as our author deemed worth acceptance; viz. lodging, board, and a liberal salary. By a written agreement, this engagement was to last for a year; but at the expiration of seven or eight months it was dissolved by mutual consent, and Goldsmith took a smoky, miserable apartment, in Green-arbour-court, near the Old Bailey*, where he completed a work that he had before begun, entitled, "An Enquiry into the Present State of Polite Learning in Europe." This was published by Dodsley in 1759, and obtained its writer

See an engraving and account of this residence, in the European Magazine for January, 1803.

some reputation. In October of the same year, he began "The Bee," a weekly publication, of which, however, only eight numbers were printed. In the following year he became known to Dr. Smollet, who was then editor of the British Magazine; and for that work he wrote most of those Essays and Tales which were afterwards collected and published in a separate volume. He also contributed occasionally to the Critical Review; in fact, it was the merit which he discovered in criticising a despicable translation of Ovid's Epistles by a schoolmaster, and his "Enquiry into the State of Polite Learning," that first introduced him to the acquaintance of Dr. Smollet, who afterwards recommended him to some respectable booksellers, by whom he was afterwards patronized. Among these, Goldsmith's most fortunate connection was with the celebrated Mr. John Newbery, of philanthropic memory, who, being a principal proprietor of The Public Ledger, engaged him at a salary of £.100 a year to write a periodical paper. Our author accordingly undertook a series of

what he called "Chinese Letters," which were afterwards collected and published in two volumes, under the title of "The Citizen of the World ;" and they exhibit striking proofs of judgment, wit, and humour.

On embarking in this undertaking, Goldsmith quitted his hovel in Green-arbourcourt, removed to a decent apartment in Wine-office-court, Fleet-street, dropped the plain Mister, dubbed himself Doctor, and was afterwards commonly known and addressed as Dr. Goldsmith. Here he finished his "Vicar of Wakefield;" but at the time of its completion he was much embarrassed in his circumstances, and very apprehensive of arrest; in fact, he was at last entrapped by the following artifice: An ingenious limb of the law, ycleped a bailiff, being apprized of one of Goldsmith's foibles (a vanity of being noticed by distinguished persons), wrote a letter, stating that he was steward to a nobleman, who was charmed with reading Goldsmith's last production, and had ordered him to desire the Doctor to appoint a place where he might have the honour of

meeting with him, to conduct him to his lordship. Poor Goldsmith swallowed the bait, and appointed the British coffee-house, to which he was accompanied by his friend Mr. Hamilton, the printer of the Critical Review, who in vain remonstrated on the singularity of the application. On their entering the coffee-room, the bailiff paid his respects to Goldsmith, and desired that he' might have the honour of immediately attending him: but they had scarcely entered Pall-mall when the officer produced his writ. Mr. Hamilton generously paid the money, and rescued the critic from incarceration.

It may be supposed, however, that Goldsmith was now out of cash. He sent to represent his case to Dr. Johnson, with whose acquaintance he had been sometime honoured; and Johnson disposed of the MS. of his Vicar of Wakefield to Mr. Newbery for £.60: a sum (as Goldsmith used to say) which he had been so little accustomed to receive in a lump, that he felt himself under the embarrassment of Brazen in the play, whether he should build a privateer or a playhouse with

the money. But though the money was then paid to him, so little reputation had he then acquired, that the book was not published till two years after, when The Traveller had fixed his fame.

In the spring of the year 1763, Goldsmith took lodgings at Canonbury-house, Islington; where he compiled, or revised and corrected, several publications for his patron Mr. Newbery; particularly "The Art of Poetry," 2 vols. 12mo. and a Life of Nash," 8vo. Here also he wrote his "History of England, in a Series of Letters from a Noble man to his Son," 2 vols. 12mo. a work which was by some attributed to the Earl of Orrery, but more commonly to George Lord Lyttelton; and what is rather singular, this generally-received opinion was never contradicted, either directly or indirectly, by those noblemen or their friends.

In the year 1764 Goldsmith removed his abode to the Inner Temple, where he took chambers in the upper story of the Library stair-case.

Recruiting Officer, Act V. Sc. 3.

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