two fellow collegians, infifted that Mr. Goldfmith fhould stay and spend some days at his houfe; who at parting defired the cther would take care of the horse he had so kindly offered him, and not furfeit his friends with their milk diet. To this our gentleman only replied with a fneer, and left Oliver to tell all the circumftances of his treatment; at which his generous hoft laughed heartily, and affured him it agreed with his neighbour's general character. "Here our wanderer was moft hofpitably entertained, and kindly urged to prolong his ftay, with a liberal offer to be fupplied with whatever money he fhould want, and a man and horse to attend him home. Oliver begged leave to depart at the end of three days; which were most agreeably spent in the company of this worthy gentleman and two beautiful daughters, who did all in their power to entertain and divert him. At his departure he refused the offer of the fervant and the horfe, and only accepted the loan of three half guineas. "And now, dear mother, he concluded, after having ftruggled fo hard to come home to you, I wonder you are not more rejoiced to fee me.-She and all prefent expreffed their joy at his return, and enjoined him to transmit the most early and grateful acknowledgments to his kind benefactor. "His uncle Contarine, who was alfo reconciled to him, now refolved to fend him to the Temple, that he might make the law his profeffion. But in his way to London, he met at Dublin with a fharper who who tempted him to play, and emptied his pockets of fifty pounds, with which he had been furnished for his voyage and journey. "He was obliged again to return to his poor mother, whofe forrow at his miscarriages need not be defcribed, and his own diftrefs and difgrace may readily be conceived. To make fhort of the ftory, he was again forgiven, his good uncle received him once more into favour, and it was finally decided that he should now be bred to the ftudy of phyfic. With this view he was fent to Edinburgh. From that time the writer of this narrative was a stranger to his hiftory; but he hath feen letters to his friends, which he wrote from Switzerland, Germany and Italy." We were unwilling to interrupt the thread of this narrative with dates and extracts from the college regifter. But these with fome additional anecdotes, we shall now fupply. Of his entrance at college we have the following record. * 1744. Jun. 11. Olivarius Goldfmith, Siz. Filius Caroli, Clerici, ann. agens 15, natus in Comitatu Westmeath, educatus fub ferula Mi. Hughes. Admiffus eft. Tutor M. Wilder. * Communicated to Mr. Malone by the Rev. Dr. Thomas Wilfon, late Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. + His father being then fettled in Weftmeath, occafioned this mistake of the County in which he was supposed to be born. His being admitted a fizer in Trinity College, Dublin, at that early age denotes a remarkable proficiency. Sizers there are expected to come better prepared than other boys, and therefore ufually apply for admiffion somewhat later in life. But whatever hopes might have been formed of his attaining here the diftinctions of genius and learning, they were completely blafted by the unfortunate quarrel which we have related, between him and his tutor, Theaker Wilder, a man of the most morose and merciless temper; who thenceforth perfecuted him with unremitted cruelty, especially at the quarterly examinations, when he would infult him before his fellow-ftudents by farcaftic taunts and ironical applauses of the fevereft malignity. Under this favage tutor poor Goldsmith was exposed to so many mortifications, that the confequence fo was habitual defpondence and its concomitant idlenefs. One of his contemporaries defcribes him as "perpetually lounging about the college-gate." The very fame is recorded of Johnfon,* and fhows that thefe two diftinguifhed writers rofe to their eminence in literature from the most unpromising beginnings. In fuch circumftances it was not to be expected that Goldfmith could be a candidate for the ufual premiums, nor are we to wonder that he did not obtain a scholarship: yet on June 15th, 1747, he was * See Boswell's Life, &c. 8vo. Vol. I. p. 52. elected clected one of the exhibitioners on the foundation of Erafinus Smyth.* He had not long before been publicly cenfured for being concerned with many other ftudents in raifing a great tumult in the city, occafioned by a fcholar's having been arrefted in a fireet adjoining to the college... The precincts of the univerfity have always been held privileged from the intrufion of bailiffs. In the fpring of the year 1747, this privilege was faid to have been violated. To revenge this fuppofed infult, a numerous body of fcholars rufhed into the town, explored the dens of the bailiffs, and conducting the prifoner in triumph to the college, pumped them feverely in an old ciftern. It was then propofed. to them by a leader of their riots, to break open Newgate and make a general gaol-delivery. The enterprize was attempted; but the affailants were beat off by artillery and fome unfortunate spectators were reported to have loft their lives. Several of the ringleaders were expelled the univerfity; but Goldfmith, having made an ingenuous confeffion, was only punished by a public admonition, on May 25, 1747.* Although Goldfmith's indolence was grown habitual, his genius fometimes dawned through the gloom. Tranflations from the claffics occafionally *So Dr. Wilfon. + In the words of the fentence, Quod seditioni faviffet et tumultuantibus opem tuliffet. So Dr. Wilfon. made made by him at this period, are flill remembered by his contemporaries,* with applause. But he had not attained the usual distinctions, and as the character of a Sizer in that university, who miffes both premiums and a scholarship, becomes lefs refpected, his refidence in college grew daily lefs eligible, fo that probably he retired into the country and only came to Dublin to answer for his degree and to com mence. Nor was he admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Arts till February 27, 1749, O. S. two years after the regular time. † The lofs of his father was now fupplied to him by his uncle, the Rev. Thomas Contarine, whofe penetrating + So Dr. Wilfon. The college regifter having been lately examined, the above entry could not be found. This refpectable clergyman, who was rector of Kilmore, near Carrick-upon-Shannon, had been contemporary in Dublin college with Berkley, the celebrated bishop of Cloyne, and continued in habits of intimacy with him during their lives. He is even reported to have faved the life of that philofopher, when he was upon the point of lofing it, in the courfe of the well-known experiment, in which he engaged for the purpose of forming a judgment of the degrees of pain fuffered by fuffocation. The hiftory of Mr. Contarine's family is too romantic not to deferve a place in a note. He was lineally defcended from the noble family of the Contarini of Venice; one of the moft illustrious in that republic. In roman catholic countries the younger fons and daughters of the highest defcent are often condemned to monaftic life and vows of celibacy. The anceftor of our poet's uncle, by a double violation of this law, married a noble nun. Being obliged to fly |