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Article ANECDOTES OF DR. GOLDSMITH. ← Page 6 of 7 →
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Anecdotes Of Dr. Goldsmith.
ings , and Sfniter telling him that there was a part in a new Comedy that he thought would suit him , he agreed to perform iti This was the part of young Marlow , which Doctor Goldsmith at first agre , ed to with some reluctance , but after one or two rehearsals so altered his opinion , that he declared it was the second best , performance in the piece , and this opinion was afterwards confirmed by the general sense of the audience .
This period , too , is farther remarkable for our Author dismissing the title of Doctor from bis address , and calling himself Mr . Goldsmith . Whether he had only then decided never to practise the profession he was bred to , or that he thought Mr . a more familiar manner of launching himself into the fashionable World , which he was then vain enough to affect to be fond of , it is now hard to
decide ; this , however , was the fact , that the world would not let him lose his degree , but called him Doctor to the end of his life . ThePoem of " Retaliation" was the closing work of this Literary Character , which he did not live to finish , and was published in that imperfect ' manner after his death . The cause of this Poem originated as follows : Goldsmith , with all his fine talents for writing ,
Was often very odd and eccentric in conversation , insomuch that he was not a little the butt of some of his literary friends ; who used to squib off little crackers ofwit at his expence . He bore ail this with a patience that emboldened them to takegreater liberties , when Goldsmith , who knew his own strength , as well as how to avail himself of an opportunity , waited till they had spent their fire in this way , and then came out upon them all with "Retaliation ; " a poem where their characters , under supposed epitaphs , are all brought out , with great resemblance and strong force of colouring .
When he had gone on as far as the character of Sir Joshua Reynolds in the Poem , which was the last Character , I believe , of the Doctor ' s writing , he shewed it to Mr . Burke , of whose talents and friendship he always spoke'in the highest degree , but required at the same time a solemn promise of secrecy . " Before I promise this , " saj's Mr . Burke , " be explicit with me ; have you shewed it to any body else ? " Here the Doctor paused for some timebut at
, length confessed he had given a copy of it to Mrs . Cholmondeley . " O then , " replied Mr . Burke , " to avoid aity possible imputation of betraying secrets , I'll promise nothing , but leave it to yourself to confide in me . "—Mr . Burke ' s suspicion was soon verified ; the Doctor , it appeared , had given copies to others , who had given copies to others again , so that he was under a necessity of reading
it himself a little while after in full Club , where , though some pridssa it , and others seemed highly delighted with it , they stiil thought a publication of it not altogether so proper . Goldsmith now found that a little sprinkling of fear was not altogether an unnecessary ingredient in the friendships of the world . Wbijst he was considered as the placid Poet , and the Good-natured Man , his little foibles were pia 3 'ed upon with great safety ; but no sooner was he found out to be equally a bold satiric portrait-painter , than he was treated with more civility and seeming affection ; his
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Anecdotes Of Dr. Goldsmith.
ings , and Sfniter telling him that there was a part in a new Comedy that he thought would suit him , he agreed to perform iti This was the part of young Marlow , which Doctor Goldsmith at first agre , ed to with some reluctance , but after one or two rehearsals so altered his opinion , that he declared it was the second best , performance in the piece , and this opinion was afterwards confirmed by the general sense of the audience .
This period , too , is farther remarkable for our Author dismissing the title of Doctor from bis address , and calling himself Mr . Goldsmith . Whether he had only then decided never to practise the profession he was bred to , or that he thought Mr . a more familiar manner of launching himself into the fashionable World , which he was then vain enough to affect to be fond of , it is now hard to
decide ; this , however , was the fact , that the world would not let him lose his degree , but called him Doctor to the end of his life . ThePoem of " Retaliation" was the closing work of this Literary Character , which he did not live to finish , and was published in that imperfect ' manner after his death . The cause of this Poem originated as follows : Goldsmith , with all his fine talents for writing ,
Was often very odd and eccentric in conversation , insomuch that he was not a little the butt of some of his literary friends ; who used to squib off little crackers ofwit at his expence . He bore ail this with a patience that emboldened them to takegreater liberties , when Goldsmith , who knew his own strength , as well as how to avail himself of an opportunity , waited till they had spent their fire in this way , and then came out upon them all with "Retaliation ; " a poem where their characters , under supposed epitaphs , are all brought out , with great resemblance and strong force of colouring .
When he had gone on as far as the character of Sir Joshua Reynolds in the Poem , which was the last Character , I believe , of the Doctor ' s writing , he shewed it to Mr . Burke , of whose talents and friendship he always spoke'in the highest degree , but required at the same time a solemn promise of secrecy . " Before I promise this , " saj's Mr . Burke , " be explicit with me ; have you shewed it to any body else ? " Here the Doctor paused for some timebut at
, length confessed he had given a copy of it to Mrs . Cholmondeley . " O then , " replied Mr . Burke , " to avoid aity possible imputation of betraying secrets , I'll promise nothing , but leave it to yourself to confide in me . "—Mr . Burke ' s suspicion was soon verified ; the Doctor , it appeared , had given copies to others , who had given copies to others again , so that he was under a necessity of reading
it himself a little while after in full Club , where , though some pridssa it , and others seemed highly delighted with it , they stiil thought a publication of it not altogether so proper . Goldsmith now found that a little sprinkling of fear was not altogether an unnecessary ingredient in the friendships of the world . Wbijst he was considered as the placid Poet , and the Good-natured Man , his little foibles were pia 3 'ed upon with great safety ; but no sooner was he found out to be equally a bold satiric portrait-painter , than he was treated with more civility and seeming affection ; his