按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
inferiority in conversation； he felt every failure keenly； yet he had not
sufficient judgment and self…command to hold his tongue。 His animal
spirits and vanity were always impelling him to try to do the one thing
which he could not do。 After every attempt he felt that he had exposed
himself； and writhed with shame and vexation； yet the next moment he
began again。
His associates seem to have regarded him with kindness； which； in
spite of their admiration of his writings； was not unmixed with contempt。
In truth； there was in his character much to love； but very little to respect。
His heart was soft even to weakness： he was so generous that he quite
forgot to be just： he forgave injuries so readily that he might be said to
invite them； and was so liberal to beggars that he had nothing left for his
tailor and his butcher。 He was vain； sensual； frivolous； profuse；
improvident。 One vice of a darker shade was imputed to him； envy。 But
there is not the least reason to believe that this bad passion； though it
sometimes made him wince and utter fretful exclamations； ever impelled
43
… Page 44…
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
him to injure by wicked arts the reputation of any of his rivals。 The truth
probably is； that he was not more envious； but merely less prudent； than
his neighbours。 His heart was on his lips。 All those small jealousies； which
are but too common among men of letters； but which a man of letters who
is also a man of the world does his best to conceal； Goldsmith avowed
with the simplicity of a child。 When he was envious； instead of affecting
indifference； instead of damning with faint praise； instead of doing injuries
slily and in the dark； he told everybody that he was envious。 〃Do not； pray；
do not talk of Johnson in such terms；〃 he said to Boswell； 〃you harrow up
my very soul。〃 George Steevens and Cumberland were men far too
cunning to say such a thing。 They would have echoed the praises of the
man whom they envied； and then have sent to the newspapers anonymous
libels upon him。 Both what was good and what was bad in Goldsmith's
character was to his associates a perfect security that he would never
commit such villany。 He was neither ill natured enough； nor long headed
enough； to be guilty of any malicious act which required contrivance and
disguise。
Goldsmith has sometimes been represented as a man of genius； cruelly
treated by the world； and doomed to struggle with difficulties which at last
broke his heart。 But no representation can be more remote from the truth。
He did； indeed； go through much sharp misery before he had done
anything considerable in literature。 But； after his name had appeared on
the title…page of the 〃Traveller；〃 he had none but himself to blame for his
distresses。 His average income； during the last seven years of his life；
certainly exceeded 400 pounds a year； and 400 pounds a year ranked；
among the incomes of that day； at least as high as 800 pounds a year
would rank at present。 A single man living in the Temple with 400 pounds
a year might then be called opulent。 Not one in ten of the young gentlemen
of good families who were studying the law there had so much。 But all the
wealth which Lord Clive had brought from Bengal； and Sir Lawrence
Dundas from Germany； joined together； would not have sufficed for
Goldsmith。 He spent twice as much as he had。 He wore fine clothes； gave
dinners of several courses； paid court to venal beauties。 He had also； it
should be remembered； to the honour of his heart； though not of his head；
44
… Page 45…
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
a guinea； or five or ten； according to the state of his purse； ready for any
tale of distress； true or false。 But it was not in dress or feasting； in
promiscuous amours or promiscuous charities； that his chief expense lay。
He had been from boyhood a gambler； and at once the most sanguine and
the most unskilful of gamblers。 For a time he put off the day of inevitable
ruin by temporary expedients。 He obtained advances from booksellers； by
promising to execute works which he never began。 But at length this
source of supply failed。 He owed more than 2000 pounds； and he saw no
hope of extrication from his embarrassments。 His spirits and health gave
way。 He was attacked by a nervous fever； which he thought himself
competent to treat。 It would have been happy for him if his medical skill
had been appreciated as justly by himself as by others。 Notwithstanding
the degree which he pretended to have received at Padua； he could procure
no patients。 〃I do not practise；〃 he once said； 〃I make it a rule to prescribe
only for my friends。〃 〃Pray； dear Doctor；〃 said Beauclerk； 〃alter your rule；
and prescribe only for your enemies。〃 Goldsmith now； in spite of this
excellent advice； prescribed for himself。 The remedy aggravated the
malady。 The sick man was induced to call in real physicians； and they at
one time imagined that they had cured the disease。 Still his weakness and
restlessness continued。 He could get no sleep。 He could take no food。 〃You
are worse；〃 said one of his medical attendants； 〃than you should be from
the degree of fever which you have。 Is your mind at ease？〃 〃No； it is not；〃
were the last recorded words of Oliver Goldsmith。 He died on the third of
April 1774； in his forty… sixth year。 He was laid in the churchyard of the
Temple； but the spot was not marked by any inscription； and is now
forgotten。 The coffin was followed by Burke and Reynolds。 Both these
great men were sincere mourners。 Burke； when he heard of Goldsmith's
death； had burst into a flood of tears。 Reynolds had been so much moved
by the news that he had flung aside his brush and palette for the day。
A short time after Goldsmith's death； a little poem appeared； which
will； as long as our language lasts； associate the names of his two
illustrious friends with his own。 It has already been mentioned that he
sometimes felt keenly the sarcasm which his wild blundering talk brought
upon him。 He was； not long before his last illness； provoked into
45
… Page 46…
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
retaliating。 He wisely betook himself to his pen； and at that weapon he
proved himself a match for all his assailants together。 Within a small
compass he drew with a singularly easy and vigorous pencil the characters
of nine or ten of his intimate associates。 Though this little work did not
receive his last touches； it must always be regarded as a masterpiece。 It is
impossible； however； not to wish that four or five likenesses which have
no interest for posterity were wanting to that noble gallery； and that their
places were supplied by sketches of Johnson and Gibbon； as happy and
vivid as the sketches of Burke and Garrick。
Some of Goldsmith's friends and admirers honoured him with a
cenotaph in Westminster Abbey。 Nollekens was the sculptor； and Johnson
wrote the inscription。 It is much to be lamented that Johnson did not leave
to posterity a more durable and a more valuable memorial of his friend。 A
life of Goldsmith would have been an inestimable addition to the Lives of
the Poets。 No man appreciated Goldsmith's writings more justly than
Johnson； no man was better acquainted with Goldsmith's character and
habits； and no man was more competent to delineate with truth and spirit
the peculiarities of a mind in which great powers were found in company
with great weaknesses。 But the lists of poets to whose works Johnson was
requested by the booksellers to furnish prefaces ended with Lyttleton； who
died in 1773。 The line seems to have been drawn expressly for the purpose
of excluding the person whose po