is to be prefixed, more care may be taken by those who are to compile the work, than has formerly been the case, when Knaresborough was printed for Naseby, and Yorkshire for Northamptonshire; and you know what was the consequence with Mr. Cadell.' We entered on various topics, and I left him that morning seemingly much relieved. The day before I was to set out from town for Leicestershire, I insisted upon his dining with us. He replied, 'I will; but on one condition, that you will not ask me to eat any thing.' 'Nay,' said I, 'this answer, Goldsmith, is absolutely unkind; for I had hoped, as we are entirely served from the Crown and Anchor, that you would have named something that you might have relished.' Well,' says he, 'if you will but explain it to Mrs. Cradock, I will certainly wait upon you.' The Doctor found, as usual, at my apartments newspapers and pamphlets, and with a pen and ink he amused himself as well as he could. I had ordered from the tavern some fish, a roasted joint of lamb, and a tart; and the Doctor either sat down or walked about just as he liked. After dinner he took some wine with biscuits; but I was soon obliged to leave him for a while, as I had matters to settle for our next day's journey. On my return coffee was ready, and the Doctor appeared more cheerful (for Mrs. Cradock was always rather a favourite with him), and in the course of the evening he endeavoured to talk and remark as usual, but all was force. He stayed till midnight, and I insisted on seeing him safe home; and we most cordially shook hands at the Temple gate. Dr. Goldsmith did not live long after our return into Leicestershire, and I have often since regretted that I did not remain longer in town at every inconvenience. Yet, alas! what could I have done? With one or two select friends I might have stood by his bedside, deeply lamenting his most unfortunate fate, till he, in a last agony, would have exclaimed Dear friends, adieu! For see the hounds are full in view.' DR. GOLDSMITH. I AM aware that what I am about to relate will somewhat subject myself to ridicule. It was the fashion of some authors frequently to retail poor Goldsmith's absurdities; but they, at times, misrepresented or exaggerated. I recollect one evening he had launched out unboundedly, and next morning I ventured to say to him, that 'I was surprised that in that company he would lay himself so open.' His answer was, I believe I did; I fired at them all; I angled all the night, but I caught nothing.' When he was scheming some essay perhaps, he would force the subject on every body, till Johnson has been quite provoked, and at last did say, 'My dear Doctor, let us have no more of your fooleries to-night.' Mr. Boswell and others have given some account of these particular absurdities of Goldsmith relative to the fantoccini, then exhibiting in London; and as I was present at the greater part of what then passed, I will beg to trespass with all the truth I know. Dr. Goldsmith spoke most highly of the performance in Panton Street, and talked about bringing out a comedy of his own there in ridicule. When the Rev. Wm. Ludlam, the great mechanic, of Leicester, came to town, I often talked about Goldsmith to him, and persuaded him to go and see the puppetshow. He was quite surprised and entertained, and declared that at the conclusion of the little comedy, the puppets acted so naturally that, though he placed himself close to the stage, he could scarce detect either string or wire. I was with Goldsmith there; but whether that night or not I cannot specify. Goldsmith merely was made known to Ludlam by me, and his low humour was not ill adapted to Ludlam's own style of conversation; however, I will add Mr. Ludlam's own remark: '1 have caught many a cold by examining the dock-yards; however in future, I believe, I must come to London, and instead of attending our mechanical societies, and rummaging for improvements afterwards, I must only visit fantoccinis, and frequent the harlequin farces. I cannot guess where the managers collect all these able mechanists.' Ludlam was likewise excessively fond of music, and I introduced Mrs. Barthelemon to him at Leicester. She was a great fa vourite ; and many of my musical friends very kindly entertained him in town with particular performances, and he was offered to take an interior view of both the great theatres. Ludlam occasionally entertained his friends at Leicester with some Chinese tumblers, which he had made. They were dressed puppets, with quicksilver in the veins, and surprised even at Cambridge. However, on leaving London this time, he turned to me, and slily said, 'The first thing I shall do at my return will be to burn my Chinese tumblers.' Polly Pattens, in the Puppetshow* meant Mrs. Yates; but when Foote mentioned the names of Kelly, Cumberland, and Cradock on the stage, the audience would not permit him to proceed. The scene was printed in the Bon Ton Magazac, and illustrated by a good print, representing Foote, a strong likeness, the Devil, Polly Pattens, Harlequin, Punch, and Stevens. Goldsmith at that time greatly wished to bring out a comedy, but he had powerful rivals to contend with, who were in full possession of the town. Goldsmith's turn was for very low humour, always dangerous; but when some authors hinted to him, that for a man to write genteel comedy it was necessary that he should be well acquainted with high life himself. 'True,' says Goldsmith; and if any of you have a character of a truly elegant lady in high life, who is neither a coquette nor a prude, I hope you will favour me with it.' Some one observed that Millament† was the most refined character he recollected in any comedy, neither a prude nor a coquette; and I then ventured to say, that 'however refined Millament might be, I thought no very delicate lady would now venture upon her raillery of Mirabel, who declares, When I'm married to you, I'll positively get up • This made its first appearance at the Haymarket Theatre, Feb. 15, 1753, under the title of the Handsome Housemaid, or Piety in Pattens.' Edit. In the comedy of 'The Constant Couple, or A Trip to the Jubilee,' by George Farquhar, acted at Drury Lane, 1700. Ed. in a morning as early as I please;' and the refined and delicate lady replies, 'Oh, to be sure; get up, idle creature!' The cry was, 'Goldsmith is envious; but surely it was a little irritating to hear the town ring with applause of Garrick, and see him courted everywhere, and in the height of splendour, whilst he, perhaps, had only to retire impansus to the Temple. About the time that I think Boswell wrote a prologue in compliment to Johnson at Lichfield, a proposal was made for the play of the Beaux Stratagem to be acted there, by a party of friends, in honour of Johnson and Garrick. Mr. Yates offered all assistance from Birmingham, where he was then manager, and, if required, to play Scrub. No,' says Goldsmith; I should of all things like to try my hand at that character.' Several smiled, thinking perhaps of his assuming such a part, who frequently, with his gold-headed cane, assumed the real character of doctor of physic. However, the thought amused Goldsmith at the time. It was the fashion to say, that Goldsmith's turn was merely for low humour; and that his Vicar, his Moses, and his Tony Lumpkin, were characters now obsolete. However, Goldsmith often retaliated with good effect. Dick Yates at that time was much admired in Old Fondlewife, and Goldsmith said he was surprised, in his refined age, to see Lord North and all his family in the stage-box; to be sure, Mr. Yates being admonished not to sing 'The soldier and the sailor' in another refined comedy, was a good sign of delicacy.' I was, however, with Mr. Yates at his house just after he had received this order, and he expressed himself in violent terms against it, insomuch that I doubted whether he would play the part of Ben, unless permitted as for forty years past. At last he complied. I wrote an epilogue, in the character of Tony Lumpkin, for She Stoops to Conquer,' and likewise the following song: TALLY-HO! A Song, intended to have been sung by Mr. Quick, in the character of Tony Lumpkin, in Goldsmith's comedy of She Stoops to Conquer.' k Mine alone is the age, When all pleasures engage, That horses and hounds can bestow; What their whims and their'jokes, Compar'd with a good Tally-ho! To learn the soft airs Of your opera players, For ever the fine ladies go; Ah! what are such joys But low trifles and toys, Compar'd with a good Tally-ho! They say that in time I should marry-refine, If to courts and their balls I would go; But when tied up for life To a termagant wife, In vain I might cry, Tally-ho! The epilogue and song were intended for Mr. Quick. He would, if any one, have carried them both through. The epilogue was thought too personal, and occasioned some dissension, though not with my friend Goldsmith. That curtailed and printed at the end of the comedy was without either my knowledge or consent. Some of the allusions might be rather trop libre, but it had reference to Foote's Puppetshow, which certainly was not expected to be strictly correct, nor was the character of Tony Lumpkin too refined. No comic prologue was ever more admired than Garrick's to Barbarossa ;' but what is a part of it? I particularly recollect, that when Goldsmith was near completing his Natural History,' he sent to Dr. Percy and me, to state that he wished not to return to town, from Windsor, I think, for a fortnight, if we would only complete a proof that lay upon his table in the Temple. It was concerning birds, and many books lay open that he occasionally consulted for his own materials. We met by appointment, and Dr. Percy, smiling, said, 'Do you know any thing about birds?' 'Not an atom,' was my reply. 'Do you?' 'Not I,' says he; scarce know a goose from a swan: however, |