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nephew, Francis Newbery, who eventually published the book, may have been the man, although there is a doubt whether Francis Newbery was actively in bufinefs at this date. But whether one or the other is not of great moment, fince by the time of publication the business relations of the uncle and nephew were of the most intimate and intricate kind. They fold and advertised each other's books,―nay, in one case, at least, John Newbery feems to have paid for the manuscript of a book which his nephew iued. It would therefore appear that, although their places of bufinefs were different, their interests were virtually identical, a fuppofition which is confirmed by the fact that another Francis Newbery, John Newbery's fon, in a manuscript autobiography, foon, we trust, to be given to the public, speaks of the Vicar as if it had been publifhed by his father, apparently regarding the two houses as one firm.

The cafe, then, stands thus. The manuscript of the Vicar of Wakefield in 1762 belonged to three persons. They had, however, fo little hope of its fuccefs that they confented to throw it afide for what has hitherto been Supposed to be fome fifteen months, but must now be extended to more than three years, for it was not published until March 27, 1766. After passing languidly through Collins's prefs at Salisbury, it made its modest débût in two volumes, 12mo., "price fix fhillings bound, or five fbillings fewed." A fecond edition followed on May 31, and a third on August 29. Both of thefe, like the

* The following is a copy of the original advertisement from the Public Advertiser of March 27, 1766:

editio princeps, were "printed for F. Newbery;" but in December, 1767, John Newbery died at Canonbury Houfe, and owing to arrangements arifing out of his deceafe, the book seems to have passed to his fon, Francis Newbery, jun., and T. Carnan, his fon's partner, whofe joint names figure on the title-page of the 4th edition of 1770. By this time the fale, which must have been rapid in 1766, had gradually grown flow. "The fourth edition," writes Mr. Welsh, to whom we are indebted for Some further extracts from the Collins papers, "started with a loss." "It confifted of one thousand copies, which coft £58 55. 2d. The fale realifed £157 13s. 6d. The profit of £99 was divided equally between Mr. Strahan [here we get the name of a possessor, and perhaps an original poffeffor, of a third fhare], Mr. Collins, and Carnan and Newbery.

Collins had fo little faith in the book continuing to fell, that he fold his third share to Carnan for £55s." This unhopeful view on Collins's

This Day is published,

In two Volumes in Twelves, Price 6s. bound, or 5s. fewed,

THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD,
A Tale.

Supposed to be written by Himself.

'Seperate (fi) miferi cavete fœlices.' Printed for F. Newbery, at the Crown in Paternofter Row,

Of whom may be had, Price Is. 6d. The Traveller, or, a Profpect of Society," a Poem. By Dr. Goldsmith.

part is borne out by the circumstances attending the production of the fifth edition, which is generally supposed to have been ifued in 1773, the date upon the title-page. As a matter of fact, its issue was deferred until April, 1774, the month in which Goldsmith died; and notwithStanding the statements of Forster and others, the fixth edition was not published until March, 1779. Affuming that the fifth, like the fourth edition, was limited to one thousand copies, it took nearly nine years to fell two thousand copies. The demand for the book in its early days, or, at all events, for the authorised edition, cannot therefore have been quite fo urgent as has been ufually fuppofed. Its fubfequent progrefs, which it is impoffible to pursue in detail here, will be found in the Bibliography which accompanies this Preface.

Among the other questions which speculation has not neglected with regard to Goldsmith's novel, is the part of the country in which the story is laid, and the place which gives it its title. Why "Wakefield"? Jofeph Cradock, in the confused and rambling Memoirs which he put forth in 1828, explains this (vol. iv., p. 286) by a Statement which he professes to make upon Goldsmith's own authority. He fays that Wakefield was fixed on as the field of action because the Vicar was written to defray the expenfes of a vifit to this very town. If, which is in the highest degree improbable, there be any real ground for this ftory, it would be entirely deftructive of Bofwell's account after Johnson. But, on the other hand, it is not impoffible that the names and localities may have been Suggested by an actual tour in Yorkshire. This idea has been worked out with great ingenuity by Mr. Edward Ford in an article contributed by him in May, 1883, to

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the National Review. Starting from Wakefield, he identifies the "fmall cure" feventy miles off, to which Dr. Primrose moves in chap. iii., vol. i., with Kirkby Moorfide in the North Riding. This point established, Welbridge Fair, where Mofes fells the colt (chap. xii., and chap vi., vol. ii.) eafily becomes Welburn; Thornhill Castle, a few miles further, ftands for Helmfley; "the wells" (chap. xviii.) for Harrogate; and " the races" (ibid.) for Doncafter. The "rapid ftream," in chap. iii., where Sophia was nearly drowned, he conjectures to have been near the confluence of the Swale and Oufe at Boroughbridge, "within thirty miles" (p. 21) of Kirkby Moorfide, and the county gaol in chap. v., vol. ii., he places "eleven miles off" (p. 86) at Pickering. But for the further details of this feductive, if not conclufive enquiry, as well as the conjectural identification of Sir William Thornhill with the equally eccentric Sir George Savile, and of the travelling limner of chap. xvi., vol. i., with Romney the artist, the reader is referred to the article itself.*

It is the happy privilege of editors of first editions that they do not require to concern themselves greatly with variæ lectiones. Not that, in the prefent cafe, these are either

* Mr. Ford has recently pointed out to the present writer that in the Hiftory of Mifs Stanton, published in the British Magazine for July, 1760, and attributed to Goldsmith, there is a minor confirmation of his theory. The old clergyman of the Hiftory, which was regarded by Sir James Prior and others as containing the germ of the Vicar of Wakefield, lived "within ten miles of H., a town in the north of England." "H," argues Mr. Ford, is obviously Helmsley.

numerous or important. After his manuscript was finally difpofed of, Goldsmith feems to have troubled himself but little about the book, alleging as his reafon a practical if not a fufficient one. "He gave me," he said, Speaking of his publifker to Dr. Farr, who is quoted in the Percy Memoir of 1801,"£60 for the copy,* and had I made it ever so perfect or correct, I should not have had a filling more." Still, though no material additions appear to have been made (and there are certainly one or two places where explanation seems needed),† a few minor modifications found their way into fubfequent issues. If the reader will turn to p. 104 of the prefent volume, he will fee that Mr. Burchell's effective and time-honoured comment upon the polite loquacity of Miss Carolina Wilelmina Amelia Skeggs and my Lady Blarney is not repeated at the end of each paragraph as in the current verfions. This obvious improvement first appears in the fecond edition. At p. 45, again, the phrafe, "for he always afcribed to his wit that laughter which was lavished at his fimplicity," applied to Mofes, is afterwards omitted-probably because it was too nearly applicable to Goldsmith himself. There are some other alterations, which are Scarcely weighty enough to detain us here. Tradition

* Dr. Farr, in repeating Goldsmith's words, qualifies gave me (I think he said) £60 for

the amount :the copy, etc."

"He

+ Mr. Ford inftances, inter alia, the references to "my last pamphlet, the archdeacon's reply, and the hard measure that was dealt me" (vol. i., p. 134). Upon this the antecedent text throws no light whatever.

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