umberland; and the circumstance that attended his introduction to that nobleman, is worthy of being related, in order to shew a striking trait of his character • "I was invited," said Goldsmith,

by my friend Percy, to wait upon the duke, in consequence of the satisfaction he had received from the perusal of one of my productions. I dressed myself in the best manner I could, and after studying some compliments I thought necessary on such an occasion, proceeded on to Northumberland-house, and acquainted the servants that I had particular business with his grace. They shewed me into an antichamber, where after waiting some time, a gentleman very elegantly dressed made his appearance; taking him for the duke, I delivered all the fine things I had composed, in order to compliment him on the honor he had done me; when to my great astonishment, he told me, I had mistaken him for his master, who would see me immediately. At that instant, the duke came into the apartment, and I was so confounded on the occasion, that I wanted words barely sufficient to express the sense I entertained of the duke's politeness, and went away exceedingly chagrined at the blunder I had committed."

Goldsmith at the time of this visit was much embarrased in his circumstances, but vain of the honor done him, was continually mentioning it. One of those ingenious executors of the law, a bailiff, who had a writ against him, determined to turn this circumstance to his own advantage; he wrote him a letter, that he was a steward to a nobleman who was charmed with reading his last production, and had ordered him to desire the doctor to appoint a place where he might have the honor of meeting him, to conduct him to his lordship. The vanity of poor Goldsmith immediately swallowed the bait; he appointed the British coffeehouse, 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 entering the coffee room, the bailiff paid his respects to Goldsmith, and desired that he might have the honor of immediately attending him. They had scarcely entered Pall-mall, in their way to his lordship, when the bailiff produced his writ. Mr. Hamilton generously paid the money, and redeemed Goldsmith from captivity.

In 1765, he published his "Traveller;" by which his reputation was greatly increased. This was followed by his "Vicar of Wakefield; and his "History of England;" and in 1768, his "Good-natured Man' was successfully performed at Coventgarden theatre. He now derived large profits from his writings; but he was extremely deficient in œconomy, and was also addicted to gaming, with the arts of which he was very little acquainted, and consequently became the prey of those who were unprincipled enough to take advantage of his ignorance. The doctor, as he was generally called, though he never took any degree but that of bachelor in medicine, had also, we are told, a constant levee of his distressed countrymen, whose wants, as far as he was able, he always relieved; and it is said, that he has often been known to leave himself even without a guinea, in order to supply the necessities. of others.

the

Another feature in his character we cannot help laying before the reader. Previous to the publication of his "Deserted Village," the bookseller had given him a note for one hundred guineas for copy, which the doctor mentioned a few hours after to one of his friends, who observed, it was a great sum for so short a performance. "In truth," replied Goldsmith, "I think so too; it is much more than the honest man can afford, or the piece is worth. I have not been easy since I received it; I will therefore go back and return him his note :" which he actually did, and left it entirely to the bookseller to pay him according to the profits produced by the sale of the poem; which turned out very considerable.

The author addresses this poem to his friend. sir Joshua Reynolds. He writes in the character of a native of a country village, to which he gives the name of Auburn, and which he pathetically addresses. He then proceeds to contrast the innocence and happiness of a simple and natural state, with the miseries and vices that have been introduced by polished life; and gives the following beautiful apostrophe to retirement:

Q blest retirement! friend to life's decline,
Retreats from care that never must be mine;
How blest is he who crowns, in shades like these,
A youth of labour, with an age of ease;
Who quits a world where strong temptations try,
And since 'tis hard to combat, learns to fly.
For him no wretches, born to work and weep,
Explore the mine, or tempt the dang'rous deep;
No surly porter stands in guilty state,
To spurn imploring famine from his gate:
But on he moves, to meet his latter end,
Angels around befriending virtue's friend;
Sinks to the grave with unperceiv'd decay,
While resignation gently slopes the way;
And all his prospects bright'ning to the last,
His heaven commences ere the world be past!"

In 1772, his comedy of " She Stoops to Conquer; or the Mistakes of a Night," was performed at Covent-garden theatre, with great applause. His last publication was "An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature," in 8 volumes, 8vo. He died on the 4th of April, 1774, in the 45th year of his age. He had been attacked by a nervous-fever, in which he had taken Dr. James's fever-powder improperly, contrary to the advice of Mr. Hawes, afterwards Dr. Hawes, who attended him, and afterwards published an account of his case. He was interred in the Temple burying ground. And a monument has been since erected for him in Westminster-abbey; executed by Mr. Nollekins.

The poetical and dramatic compositions of Goldsmith possess, great merit; and Mr. Boswell remarks of him, that "no man had the art of displaying to more advantage, as a writer, what ever literary acquisition he made." The same gentleman also says,, that Goldsmith was "6 very much what the French call un étourdi; and from vanity, and an eager desire of being conspicuous whereever he was, he frequently talked carelessly, without knowledge of the subject, or even without thought.-Those who were in any way distinguished, excited envy in him to so ridiculous an excess, that the instances of it are hardly credible.-His affections, how

ever, were social and generous, and when he had money, he gave it away very liberally." Davies, speaking of Goldsmith's writ ings, says, "Every thing of Goldsmith seems to bear the magical touch of an enchanter. No man took less pains, and yet produced so powerful an effect. The great beauty of his composi tion consists in a clear, copious, and expressive style."

Authorities. Memoirs of Goldsmith, prefixed to his poetical and dramatic works. Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson. Biog. Dramatica, &c.

THE LIFE OF

SIR WILLIAM BLACKSTONE, KNT.

Y

[A. D. 1723, to 1780.]

THIS learned judge was born on the 10th of July, 1723, în Cheapside, in the parish of St. Michael le Querne, at the house of his father, Mr. Charles Blackstone, a silk-man, and citizen, and bowyer of London. His father died some months before his birth, and his mother before he was twelve years old. The care, therefore, of his education and fortune was kindly undertaken by his maternal uncle, Mr. Thomas Bigg, a surgeon in London. When he was about seven yeras old, he was put to school at the Charter-house, and in 1735, was admitted upon the foundation there. In this seminary, he applied himself to every branch of youthful education, with the same assiduity which accompanied his studies through life. His talents and industry rendered him the favorite of his masters, who encouraged and assisted him with the utmost attention; so that at the age of fifteen, he was at the head of the school, and although so young, was thought well qualified to be removed to the university. He was accordingly entered a commoner at Pembroke-college, in Oxford, on the 30th of November, 1738, and was the next day matriculated. At this

time, he was elected to one of the Charter-house exhibitions, by the governors of that foundation, to commence from the Michaelmas preceding, but was permitted to continue a scholar there till after the 12th of December, being the anniversary commemoration of the founder, to give him an opportunity of speaking the customary oration, which he had prepared, and which did him. great credit. About this time also, he obtained Mr. Benson's gold prize-medal of Milton, for verses on that illustrious poet. Thus, before he quitted school, did his genius begin to appear, and receive public' marks of approbation and reward. And so well pleased were the society of Pembroke college with their young pupil, that in the February following, they unanimously elected him to one of lady Holford's exhibitions for Charter-house scholars in that house,

At the university, he prosecuted his studies with unremitting ardour; and although the classics and particularly the Greek and Roman poets were his favorites, they did not entirely engross his attention. Logic, Mathematics, and the other sciences were not neglected. From the first of these, (studied rationally, abstracted from the jargon of the schools), he laid the foundation of that close method of reasoning, for which he was so remarkable. And from the mathematics, he not only reaped the benefit of using his mind to a close investigation of every subject that occured to him, till he arrived at the degree of demonstration, of which the nature of it would admit; but he converted that dry study, as it is usually thought, into an amusement, by pursuing that branch of it which relates to architecture. This science he was peculiarly foud of, and made himself so far master of it, that at the early age of twenty, he compiled a treatise, entitled, "Elements of Architecture;" intended for his own use only, and not for publication, but which was esteemed, by those judges who haye perused it, in no respect unworthy his maturer judgment, and more practised pen.

Having determined on his future plan of life, and made choice of the law for his profession, he was entered in the Middle-temple, on the 20th of November, 1741. He now found it necessary to quit, in a great degree, the pleasing pursuits of polite literature,