netrating difcernment doubtlefs faw the brilliancy of Oliver's genius, through all the dark shades which obfcured and nearly overwhelmed it.

with the partner of his guilt or indifcretion, they firft fought refuge in France, where his wife died of the fmall pox. Being there purfued by ecclefiaftical cenfures, Contarini retired to England; but the puritanical manners, which at that time prevailed, affording him but a cold reception, he was on his removal to Ireland, when at Chester he met with a young lady of the name of Chaloner, related to Dr. Chaloner, fometime provoft of Trinity College, Dublin; who to her perfonal accomplishments added a confiderable proficiency in the Italian language; and the pleasure they derived from each other's converfation led to a more interesting attachment, which termipated in their marriage. Conforming afterwards to the established church, he by the intereft of her family obtained ecclefiaftical preferment in the diocese of Elphin: and their lineal defcendant was the Rev. Mr. Contarine, whose unremitted kindness to our bard demanded this account of him from his biographer.

This worthy man left but one daughter, whom he saw happily married to James Lawder, Efq. of Kilmore, in the county of Rof. common, remarkable for the tragical termination of his life long after the death of our poet. This gentleman had bought at Dublin a strong iron cheft to fecure his papers and money: which exciting an opinion in his fervants and labourers that it containèd vast treafures, they confpired to murder the family and rob the house; and at the fame time determined to burn a houfe in the neighbourhood, that they might the better efcape during the confufion. Two of thefe objects they were unfortunately fuccefsful in accomplishing; after shooting the husband with his own blunderbufs, and fuppofing they had also dispatched the wife (though she indeed furvived) they carried off the plate and about 300l. in money; and though they failed in burning the next houfe as they intended, they efcaped for that time. But the plunder foon after detected the plunderers, and not fewer than fix of these wretehes were convicted and executed.

The

The perfevering friendship of this good clergyman extended as we have feen, his conftant protection to him under every difficulty, till he had finally fixed him at Edinburgh, about the latter end of the year 1752, or the beginning of the following year.

Among many inftances which might be mentioned of his heedlessness and abfence at this period, the fol lowing may be recorded. Goldfmith, having on his arrival from Leith to Edinburgh employed a Cawdy or Porter to take his luggage, fet off in search of a lodging, which having taken and told the Cawdy to leave his portmanteau, he fallied forth to take a view of the city without having inquired the name of his landlady or that of the ftreet in which the lived. Having wandered about till it was dark he recollected his omiffion when it was too late to remedy it, and had he not fortunately met with the porter whom he had engaged in the morning, he might probably have remained all night in the street.

With this landlady he had agreed not only for lodging but board; but as the latter was very fcantily supplied, of which he used to give a very ludicrous account, namely, that fhe made a leg of mutton, difhed up in different modes, ferve them for a week, a difh of broth being made from the bones on the feventh day, he found it expedient to remove to a lodging where were other ftudents of medicine, whom he frequently entertained with his fongs and ftories. These endeavours to amuse, it must be confeffed, were, however, from an inordinate defire of gaining

C 2

gaining applaufe, and of fetting the table in a roar, too often blended with grimace and buffoonery, from which defects, notwithstanding he was afterwards inroduced into the politeft company, his conversation was never wholly exempt.

"The misfortune of Goldfmith in converfation,"* obferved Dr. Johnson several years after this period, whose opinion on this fubject may with propriety be introduced in this place, "is this: he goes on without knowing how he is to get off. great; but his knowledge is fmall.

His genius is

As they fay of

a generous man, it is a pity he is not rich, we may fay of Goldsmith, it is a pity he is not knowing. He would not keep his knowledge to himself."

"that Gold

The fame author again obferved, fmith fhould not be, for ever attempting to fhine in converfation; he has not temper for it; he is fo much mortified when he fails. A game of jokes is compofed partly of fkill, partly of chance, a man may be beat at times by one who has not the tenth part of his wit. Now Goldfmith's putting himself against another is like a man laying an hundred to one who cannot fpare the hundred. It is not worth a man's while. A man fhould not lay an hundred to one unless he can easily spare it: though he has a hundred chances for him; he can get but a guinea, and he may lofe a hundred: Goldfmith is in this

*Bofwell's Life of Johnfon, 3d edit. Vol. II. p. 192.

+ Ibid. p. 229.

state. When he contends, if he gets the better, it is a very little addition to a man of his literary reputation; if he does not get the better he is miferably vexed."

Here for fome time he attended the lectures of Monroe, and the other profeffors in the medical line. But his attention to his ftudies was by no means regular; and his health was confiderably injured, and his pocket frequently drained, by his too often mixing in fcenes of diffipation. During that time he is faid by fome of his contemporaries to have given occafional proofs of his poetical talents. Nothing, however, has been transmitted to us which bears any marks of that date, except a private letter to a gen-. tleman of his acquaintance in Ireland; which we shall here infert; bespeaking, however, the candid reader to make great allowances for the fituation of the writer, who probably was not able to gain admittance at Edinburgh, into any but the inferior focieties and he knew no more of Scotland than what he could discover in the ftreets of that city: which will account for whatever inftances of ignorance and mistake appear in this letter.

то

TO ROBERT BRIANTON, ESQ.

AT BALLYMAHON, IRELAND.

MY DEAR BOB,

Edinburgh, Sept. 26, 1753.

HOW many good excufes, (and you know I was ever good at an excufe) might I call up to vindicate my paft fhameful filence. I might tell how I wrote a long letter at my firft coming hither: that bufinefs (with bufinefs you know I was always pestered) had never given me time to finger a pen. But I fupprefs that and twenty more equally plaufible, and as eafily invented, fince they might all be attended with a flight inconvenience of being known to be lies. Let me then speak truth. An hereditary indolence (I have it from the mother's fide) has hitherto prevented my writing to you, and ftill prevents my writing at least twenty-five letters more, due to my friends in Ireland. No turnfpit gets up into his wheel with more reluctance than I fit down to write. Yet no dog ever loved the roaft meat he turns better than I do him I now addrefs. Yet what fhall I fay now I am entered? Shall I tire you with a defcription of this unfruitful country? where I muft lead you over their hills all brown with heath, or their vallies fcarcely able to feed a rabbit? Man alone feems to be the only creature who has arrived to the natural fize in this poor foil. Every part of the country prefents the fame dismal landscape. No grove nor

brook