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THE

VICAR OF WAKEFIELD:

A TALE.

BY OLIVER GOLDSMITH, M. B.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

II. Family Misfortune.
of the Worthy.

INTRODUCTION

ADVERTISEMENT

CHAPTER I. The Description of the Family of Wakefield, in which a Kindred Likeness prevails, as well of Minds as of Persons

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IV. -A Proof that even the humblest Fortune may grant Happiness, which depends
not on Circumstances, but Constitution

V.A new and great Acquaintance introduced.

A Migration. The Fortunate Circumstances of our Lives are generally found
at last to be of our own Procuring

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- A Town Wit described. -The dullest Fellows may learn to be Comical for a Night or two

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VIII. - An Amour which promises little Good Fortune, yet may be productive of

much

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IX.

- Two Ladies of great Distinction introduced. — Superior Finery ever seems to
confer superior Breeding

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X.-The Family endeavor to cope with their Betters. The Miseries of the Poor
when they attempt to appear above their Circumstances

XI.-The Family still resolve to hold up their Heads

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XII. - Fortune seems resolved to humble the Family of Wakefield.

Mortifications

often more painful than real Calamities

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XIII. — Mr. Burchell is found to be an Enemy; for he has the Confidence to give
Disagreeable Advice.

XIV. - Fresh Mortifications, or a Demonstration that seeming Calamities may be real
Blessings

XV. XVI. XVII.

Scarcely any Virtue found to resist the Power of long and pleasing Temp

tation

XVIII. - The Pursuit of a Father to reclaim a lost Child to Virtue.
XIX.

XX. - The History of a Philosophic Vagabond, pursuing Novelty, but losing Content 407
XXI. — The short Continuance of Friendship among the Vicious, which is coeval only
with Mutual Satisfaction.

XXII. Offences are easily pardoned where there is Love at bottom
XXIII.None but the Guilty can be long and completely miserable.

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XXV. - No Situation, however wretched it seems, but has some sort of Comfort attending it

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XXVI. — A Reformation in the Jail. To make Laws complete, they should reward as well as punish

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Happiness and Misery rather the result of Prudence than of Virtue in this Life; Temporal Evils or Felicities being regarded by Heaven as Things merely in themselves Trifling, and unworthy its Care in the Distribution The equal Dealings of Providence demonstrated with regard to the Happy and the Miserable here below. That, from the Nature of Pleasure and Pain, the Wretched must be repaid the Balance of their Sufferings in the Life hereafter. XXX.- Happier Prospects begin to appear. Let us be Inflexible, and Fortune will at last change in our Favor

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XXXI. - Former Benevolence now repaid with unexpected Interest

XXXII. - The Conclusion .

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- All Mr. Burchell's Villany at once detected.—The Folly of being overwise
- The Family use Art, which is opposed by still greater

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The Description of a Person discontented with the present Government, and
apprehensive of the Loss of our Liberties.

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INTRODUCTION.

Ir cannot be said of Goldsmith, as has been observed of most authors, that the memoirs of his life comprise little more than a history of his writings. His life was full of adventures.

Oliver, the third son of Mr. Charles Goldsmith, was born at Elphin, in the county of Roscommon, Ireland, on the 29th of November, 1728. His father, who had been educated at Dublin College, was a clergyman of the Established Church, and had married Anne, daughter of the Rev. Oliver Jones, master of the diocesan school of Elphin. The liberal education which the father bestowed upon the eldest son had deducted so much from a narrow income that, when Oliver was born, after an interval of seven years from the birth of the former child, no prospect in life. appeared for him but a mechanical or a mercantile occupation.

The rudiments of instruction he acquired from a schoolmaster in the village, who had served in Queen Anne's wars as a quartermaster in that detachment of the army which was sent to Spain. Being of a communicative turn, and finding a ready hearer in young Oliver, this man used frequently to entertain him with what he called his adventures; nor is it without probability supposed that these laid the foundation of that wandering disposition which became afterward so conspicuous in his pupil.

At an early age Oliver exhibited indications of genius, and, while a boy, received some schooling, until, on the 11th of June, 1744, he was admitted a sizer of Trinity College, Dublin. After leaving the University, where he had pursued a wild and reckless career, it was settled that he should make physic his profession; and he departed for Edinburgh, where he settled about the latter end of the year 1752.

Having, however, gone through the usual courses of physic and anatomy in the Scottish University, Goldsmith went to Leyden to complete his studies. Here he resided about a year, studying anatomy under Albinus and chemistry under Gambius; but here, as formerly, his little property was destroyed by play and dissipation; and he is actually believed to have set out on his travels with only one clean shirt and not a guilder in his purse, trusting wholly to Providence for a subsistence.

It is generally understood that in the history of his Philosophic Vagabond (Vicar of Wakefield, Chap. XX.) he has related many of his own adventures; and that when on his pedestrian tour through Flanders and France, as he had some knowledge of

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music, he turned what had formerly been his amusement into a present means of subsistence.

From Switzerland Goldsmith proceeded to Padua, where he stayed six months, and is by some supposed to have there taken his degree of Bachelor of Physic; though others are of opinion that if ever he really took any medical degree abroad, it was at Louvain.

After visiting all the northern part of Italy he travelled, still on foot, through France; and, embarking at Calais, landed at Dover in the summer of 1756, unknown, as he supposed, to a single individual, and with not a guinea in his pocket went up to London.

Afterward he commenced

His first employment was as an usher in some school. medical practice at Bankside, in Southwark, whence he presently removed to the neighborhood of the Temple. His success as a physician is not known, but his income was very small; for, as he used to say, he got very few fees, though he had abundance of patients. Some addition, however, he now began to derive from the efforts of his pen; and it appears that he was for a while with the celebrated Samuel Richardson as corrector of the press.

Toward the latter end of 1758 Goldsmith happened to dine at Dr. Milner's table with Mr. Ralph Griffiths, the proprietor of "The Monthly Review," who invited him to write articles of criticism for that respectable publication, on the terms of a liberal salary, beside board and lodging. By a written agreement this engagement was to last for a year; but at the end of seven or eight months it was dissolved by mutual consent, and Goldsmith took a miserable apartment in Green Arbor Court, Little Old Bailey, where he worked industriously and wrote much. By Dr. Smollett, too, he was recommended to some respectable booksellers, particularly to Mr. John Newbery, by whom he was engaged at a salary of £ 100 a year to write for "The Public Ledger " a series of periodical papers. These he called "Chinese Letters"; and they were afterward collected in two volumes, under the title of "The Citizen of the World." It was soon after this that he commenced his acquaintance with Dr. Johnson.

The important engagement with Newbery for £100 a year encouraged Goldsmith to descend Breakneck Steps, and to hire a decent apartment in Wine Office Court, Fleet Street. Here he dropped the humble Mister, and dubbed himself Doctor Goldsmith. Here also he put the finishing hand to his excellent novel called "The Vicar of Wakefield," but was, when he had done, extremely embarrassed in his circumstances, dunned by his landlady for arrears of rent, and not daring to stir abroad for fear of arrest; in fact, she herself at length had him arrested. He then summoned resolution to send a message to Dr. Johnson, stating that he was in great distress, and begging that he would come to him as soon as possible. Johnson sent him a guinea, and promised to follow almost immediately. When he arrived, he found Goldsmith in a violent passion with the woman of the house, but consoling himself as well as he could with a bottle of Madeira, which he had already purchased with part of the guinea. Johnson, corking the bottle, desired Goldsmith would be calm, and consider in what way he could extricate himself.

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