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About this time he renewed his acquaintance with one of the young physicians whom he had known at Edinburgh. This was a son of the Rev. Dr. John Milner, a dissenting minister, who kept a classical school of eminence at Peckham in Surry. Mr. Milner, observing Goldsmith's uncertain mode of living, invited him to take the charge of his father's school, the Doctor being then confined by illness: to this he consented; and Dr. Milner, in return, promised to exert his interest with the India Directors to procure for him some medical establishment in the Company's service. This promise he faithfully performed, and Goldsmith was actually appointed physician to one of the factories in India in 1758. It appears, however, that our author never availed himself of this post * but continued in Dr. Milner's academy; and in this very year sold to Mr. Edward Dilly, for twenty guineas, "The Memoirs of a Pro

*Though it is certain, that, in contemplation of going to India, he circulated Proposals to print by Subscription "An Essay on the Present State of Taste and Literature in Europe," as a means of defraying the expences of his fitting out for the voyage.

testant condemned to the Gallies of France for his Religion. Written by Himself. Translated from the Original, just published at the Hague, by James Willington, 2 vols. 12mo.

Toward the latter end of 1758, Goldsmith happened to dine at Dr. Milner's table with Mr. Ralph Griffiths, the proprietor of The Monthly Review, who invited him to write articles of criticism for that respectable publication, on the terms of a liberal salary, besides board and lodging. By a written agreement this engagement was to last for a year; but at the end of seven or eight months it was dissolyed by mutual consent, and Goldsmith took a miserable apartment in GreenArbour-court, Little Old Bailey*. In this wretched hovel our author completed his "Enquiry into the Present State of Polite Literature in Europe," which was published in 1759, by Dodsley, and was well received. In October of the same year he began “ The Bee," a weekly publication, which termi

* An ENGRAVING of the house, illustrated by a description, was given in THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE, Vol. XLIII. pp. 7, 8.

nated at the eighth number. About this time also he contributed some articles to The Critical Review, one of which (we believe a review of "Ovid's Epistles translated into English verse by a Mr. Barrett, Master of the Grammar School at Ashford, in Kent") introduced him to the acquaintance of Dr. Smollet, who was then editor of The British Magazine; and for that work Goldsmith wrote most of those "Essays," which were afterwards collected and published in a separate volume. By Dr. Smollet too he was recommended to some respectable booksellers, particularly to Mr. John Newbery, who well deserved the eulogium bestowed by Warburton on the trade in general, as one of "the best judges and most liberal rewarders of literary merit." By Mr. Newbery Goldsmith was engaged at a salary of 100l. a year to write for The Public Ledger a series of periodical papers. These he called "Chinese Letters;" and they were afterwards collected in two volumes, under the title of "The Citizen of the World." It was soon after this that he commenced his acquaintance with Dr. Johnson.

The important engagement with Newbery for a hundred pounds a year encouraged Goldsmith to descend Break-neck-steps*, and to hire a decent apartment in WineOffice-court, Fleet-street. Here he dropped the humble Mister, and dubbed himself Doctor Goldsmith. Here also he put the finishing hand to his excellent novel called "The Vicar of Wakefield;" but was, when he had done, extremely embarrassed in his circumstances, dunned by his landlady for arrears of rent, and not daring to stir abroad for fear of arrest in fact, she herself at length had him arrested; he then summoned resolution to send a message to Dr. Johnson; stating that he was in great distress, and begging that he would come to him as soon as possible. Johnson sent him a guinea, and promised to follow almost immediately. When he arrived, he found Goldsmith in a violent passion with the woman of the house, but consoling himself as well as he could

* A steep flight of stairs (commonly so termed) leading from the door of his lodging-house in Green-Arbour-court to Fleet-market.

with a bottle of Madeira, which he had already purchased with part of the guinea. Johnson, corking the bottle, desired Goldsmith would be calm, and consider in what way he could extricate himself. The latter then produced his Novel, as ready for the press. The Doctor looked into it, saw its merit, and went away with it to Mr. Newbery, who gave him 601. for it; with this sum he returned to Goldsmith, who, with many invectives, paid his landlady her rent. Newbery, however, seems not to have been very sanguine in his hopes of this novel; for he kept the MS. by him near three years unprinted: his ready purchase of it, probably, was in the way of a benefaction to its distressed author, rather than under any idea of profit by the publication.

Early in the year 1763 Goldsmith removed to lodgings at Canonbury-house, Islington, where he compiled several works for Mr. Newbery; among which were, "The Art of Poetry," 2 vols. 12mo.; a Life of Nash;" and a "History of England, in a Series of Letters from a Nobleman to his Son." This

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