A COMEDY,

IN FIVE ACTS;

BY DR. GOLDSMITH.

AS PERFORMED AT THE THEATRES ROYAL,

DRURY LANE AND COVENT GARDEN.

PRINTED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE MANAGERS

FROM THE PROMPT BOOK.

WITH REMARKS

BY MRS. INCHBALD.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, AND ORME, PATERNOSTER ROW.

REMARKS.

The value of this comedy is enhanced by having the name of Goldsmith prefixed; an author, who adventured his talents in almost every species of writing, was in all highly successful, and in some preeminently so. Yet, possessing this vast literary treasure, he lived in poverty, and died broken hearted in consequence of his necessities.

Oliver Goldsmith, the author of this comedy, was born at Elphin, in the county of Roscommon, in Ireland, in the year 1729, and was the son of a clergyman. Neither at school, nor at the university of Dublin, where he was a student, did he give any proof of that genius which he afterwards evinced. His favourite study at college was medicine; and to qualify himself for the degree of Doctor, he went to Edinburgh, and attended regularly at the lectures given by the physicians of that metropolis.

An unconquerable desire to visit those parts of the Continent, to which the English youth of fortune are sent to complete their education, was the next strong

propensity which Goldsmith testified and for want of the means to bear him on this tour as a gentleman,

he boldly set out on foot; furnished with the best of

all provision for a traveller-curiosity.