A Survey of Experimental Philosophy.-Address on the opening of the Opera House.-Retaliation.-History of the Earth and Animated Nature.-Second Edition of Polite Learning.-Scarron's Romance. His Illness and LIFE OF OLIVER GOLDSMITH. CHAPTER I. The Goldsmith Family.-Pallas.-Birth of the Poet.-Lissoy-Schools and Early Instructers.-Edgworth's Town. THE family of Goldsmith, Goldsmyth, or, as it was occasionally written, Gouldsmith, is of considerable standing in Ireland, and seems always to have held a respectable station in society. Its origin is English, supposed to be derived from that which was long settled at Crayford, in Kent: in Wood's Athena Oxonienses, we find some of its members not unknown to literature, and a similarity in the coats of arms appears to confirm this belief. No clear detail of pedigree has been preserved by the Irish branch, willing, as it would seem, even in a country where ancient family sometimes assumes the place of more solid distinctions, to rest their claim to antiquity chiefly on tradition. One of the earliest settlers in Ireland whose name appears in public documents, was John Goldsmith, who held the office of searcher in the port of Galway, in 1541. His appointment to an office of greater importance, apparently by the request of his superiors, is thus intimated in a king's letter, dated 5th March, 34th of Henry VIII. (1542): 66 We be pleased that John Goldsmyth shall have the roome of the Clerk of our Counsaill, according to your suits and deasires." Tradition reports that a female descendant of this gentleman married a Spaniard, named Juan Romeiro, who, travelling in Ireland as the companion of a nobleman of that nation, became enamoured of her, and marrying, settled in the country. His descendants, retaining their mother's name, fixed their abode in the province of Connaught and on its borders, particularly in the counties of Roscommon, Westmeath, and Longford, where something more than a century ago many traces of the Goldsmiths existed which are now swept away. With the maternal name, they likewise preserved her religious faith; one or more of the members have been usually brought up to the church, whence it has been designated a clerical family; and one of these, the Rev. John Goldsmith, rector of Borrishoule, in the county of Mayo, narrowly escaped the effects of the savage animosity engendered against the thinly scattered Protestant population at the breaking out of the Rebellion in 1641. From his statement upon oath before the parliamentary commissioners, it appears that, in the consternation produced by the massacres of their brethren in the vicinity of Castlebar, the survivors, to the number of sixty, including Sir Henry Bingham, the Bishop of Killala, and fifteen clergymen, became anxious for safe conduct to the town of Galway, which was promised by the "lord of Mayo," Viscount Bourke, a Roman Catholic. Accompanied by the titular archbishop, he conveyed them as far as Shrule: here they were handed over to one Edmond, or Captain, Bourke, a relative of the peer; but the latter had no sooner departed than a general massacre commenced by order of their conductor. Few of the unfortunate men escaped; but among these was Mr. Goldsmith, who, being esteemed by the Viscount, had just before been detached, no doubt for the purpose of saving his life, to attend upon the Viscountess, a Protestant; and by this means was saved from the melancholy fate which awaited many others.* A son, as is said, of this gentleman, probably in compensation for the losses of his father or for previous services of his own, secured after the Restoration a grant originally assigned to him before the civil war, in the following terms:-"George Goldsmith, and Hester his wife, and their heirs, such right in law and equity in Kilbegg and Brackughreagh, lands situate in the Barony of Moycashell, county of Westmeath, as was decreed to them 4th August, 1633." Edward, the son of the latter, was educated in Trinity College,† Dublin, and taking holy orders, became Dean of Elphin in July, 1700, with the vicarages of Ardcarne, Eastersnow, and Kilmactrany, and died in 1722. His son, the Rev. Isaac Goldsmith,‡ also educated at Trinity College, was promoted to the Deanery of Cloyne in 1736, to which, from its poverty (for deaneries in Ireland by no means imply wealth,) was added the small prebends of Kilmally and Lescleary. He died in 1769. Another son of the Rector of Borrishoule, named John, educated for the church, believed to have been at one time a fellow of Trinity College, and who afterwards enjoyed the living of Newtown, in the county of Meath, married Jane, only daughter of Robert Madden, of Dunore, in the county of Dublin, Esq., by whom he had issue, Robert, John, and Jane. John is believed to have died unmarried; * History of the Irish Rebellion, by Sir John Temple, 4to. 1698, p. 107. The following entry is from the College Register:-"1677, Junii decimo quinto -Edwardus Goldsmith pensionarius filius Georgi Goldsmith annos quindecim -natus ( ) Educatus sub ferula ( )-Tutor Nat. Fay." + 1720, Julii die secundo-Isaacus Goldsmith pensionarius-Filius Edwardi Decani Elphin-Annum agens decimum quartum-Natus Elfin-Educatus Carrick sub Magistro Manby-Tutor Magister Hamilton. Jane married first Robert Woods, of Lakon, in the county of Sligo, and secondly, Edward Muns, of Ussy, in the county of Roscommon, by whom she had issue, Edward and Jane. Robert, the elder son and grandfather to the poet, who seems to have exercised no profession, married Catherine, daughter of Thomas Crofton, D. D., dean of Elphin, and settled at Ballyoughter, near the residence of his father-in-law; and Dr. Edward Goldsmith, his relative already mentioned, being afterwards promoted to the same deanery, the branches of the family were thus brought together. By this lady, who enjoyed a moderate fortune, he had a family of thirteen children, nine sons and four daughters. Of this numerous progeny, which through mistake of his early biographers was given to the father instead of the grandfather of the poet, several died young; John, the elder, who had been educated at Trinity College* preparatory to studying for the bar, afterwards relinquishing thoughts of that profession, settled on the family property at Ballyoughter where Oliver once was an inmate, and where his talents were first supposed to be discerned. Such is the account of the more remote connexions of Goldsmith, derived from various sourcest after considerable research; but where the individual has interested us, the illustration of family history becomes a matter of reasonable curiosity. He himself was accustomed to say that by the female side he was remotely connected with the family of the Protector, Oliver Cromwell, from whom his Christian name was derived. By the father's side he claimed affinity with General Wolfe, the conqueror of Quebec, whose mother, Henrietta Goldsmith, as well as her husband, it would appear from some circumstances, were natives of Ireland. Charles, the second son of Robert and father of the Poet, brought up to the sacred profession, passed through Trinity College with credit, and is said by his son to have had, as well as his uncle John, some knowledge of the poet Parnell. To the former this acquaint "1697, Sep. 230. Johannes Goldsmith Pensio-Filius Roberti Goldsmith generosi-Annum agens 18-Natus villa dicta Ballioughter Com Roscommon-Educatus Stroakstown sub Mago. Cugh-Tutor Eu: Loyd." † For several particulars, I am indebted to the kindness of my friend Sir William Betham, Ulster King of Arms. In the obituaries of the time, this lady is mentioned as aunt to Edward Goldsmith, Esq., of Limerick, a promising young man, who died in 1764. Of the regard of this lady for the true interests of Ireland, the following is a proof: “On Friday, the executors of the late Mrs. Henrietta Wolfe, mother of the late brave General Wolfe, paid the legacy of 1000l. left by her to the Incorporated Society in Dublin, for promoting the English Working Schools in Ireland." Lloyd's Evening Post, May, 27-29, 1765. In an Irish obituary for 1771 is mentioned the death of Major Walter Wolfe, uncle to the General, who had served under Marlborough, and to whose early and judicious instructions, it is said his nephew was indebted for much of his knowledge of the art of war. "1707, Carolus Goldsmith Pens.-Filius Rob:-Ann: ag: 17-Natus prope Elphin-Educ: ibid, sub Dno, Griffith-Tutor Joh. Weatherby." I "1690. 25o. die Novembris-Thomas Parnell Pensionarius-Filius Thomae Parnell Armigeri-Annum agens decimum tertium-Natus Dublinii—Educatus ibidem sub Magistro Jones-Tutor Eu. Lloyd." ance may have occurred at a later period, or by College tradition, for they were not contemporaries; but his uncle John was there for a portion of the same time and under the same tutor. His father, it likewise appears, enjoyed the acquaintance of Thomas, grandfather of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, who was of the same standing in the University, having entered it the 18th of October, 1707. The Rev. Charles Goldsmith is represented to have first filled a curacy in the diocess of Dublin, and afterwards of a place of which there is no satisfactory account, probably from an error in orthography, but supposed Dusham or Duneham. These appear to have been but temporary employments, for he was without occupation, when, in 1718, he married Ann, daughter of the Rev. Oliver Jones, master of the diocesan school at Elphin, where he had received his preliminary education, and where the attachment commenced. This union was not approved by the friends of either; he was destitute of the means of providing for a family, and the father of his wife having a son and three other daughters to provide for, her portion was small. As some support however became necessary for the young couple, the Rev. Mr. Green, uncle to Mrs. Goldsmith and rector of the parish of Kilkenny West, provided them a house about six miles distant from himself, at a place called Pallas, in the adjoining county of Longford. Here they took up their abode, and continued for a period of twelve years; Mr. Goldsmith officiating partly in the church of his uncle, and partly in that of the parish in which he resided. In the more remote districts of Ireland, the necessaries of life being cheap, come within reach of a small income; homeliness was then and is occasionally now characteristic of the country; what are called the comforts of life in England, were not in the sister kingdom sought by many who possessed nevertheless means of procuring them; and to this early familiarity with what many would consider privation, may be ascribed that indifference to it remarked of the Poet in future life. Mr. Charles Goldsmith, besides the emoluments of his profession and the contributions of his friends, supported an increasing family, by renting some land in the vicinity upon which his leisure hours were employed. His first permanent support appears to have been a gift from his mother-in-law of fifty acres of land, procured at a nominal rent by the exertion of that address which an Irish tenant sometimes plays off upon a necessitous landlord; and the story is still told by her descendants. The heading of one of the leases still in existence, of the date July 30th, 1729, between William Conolly, Esq., one of the Lords Justices, &c. &c. and Ann Jones, &c. runs thus:-"To have and to hold in and during the natural lives of and Ann Goldsmith, wife of the Rev. Charles Goldsmith of Pallacemore, in the county of Longford, clerk, one of the daughters of the said Ann Jones," &c. &c.* *The activity and spirit displayed by this lady on the occasion of procuring the lease are thus mentioned by Mr. Jones 1.loyd, proprietor of Smithhill, or Ardnagowan, her great grandson : |