made his escape as far as Sunderland g), but there was overtaken by the emiffaries of the law, and arrested. From this fituation he was released by the friend fhip of Mr. Laughlin Maclane and Dr. Sleigh, who were then in the College. On his being fet at liberty, he took his paffage on board a Dutch fhip for Rotterdam; from whence after a fhort stay, he proceeded to Brussels. He then visited a great part of Flanders; and after paffing fome time at Strasbourg and Louvain, where he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Physic, he accompanied an English gentleman h) to Geneva i).

This tour was made for the most part on foot. He had left England with little money, and being of a thoughtless difpofition, and at that time poffeffing a body capable of sustaining any fatigue, he proceeded refolutely in gratifying his curiofity, by the fight of different countries.

He had fome knowledge of the French language and of mufic; he played tolerably well on the German flute k), which now at times became the means of his fubfiftence. His learning procured him an hofpitable reception at most of the religious houfes that he vilited, and his mufic made him welcome to the pealants of Flanders and Germany.

g) Sunderland, Stadt im Bisthum Durham in England. h) Ueber den Ausdruck Gentleman f. das ate Kapitel des Vicar, S. 17.

i) Man vergleiche hierbei das 20fte Kap. des Vicar, in welchem Goldfmith dem Sohn des Dr. Primrose, Namens George, die Gefchichte diefer feiner eignen Abentheuer in den Mund legt.

k) German flute ist das Instrument, welches wir in Deutfchland fchlechthin Flote nennen.

Whenever I approached a peasant's house towards night- fall," he ufed to lay, I played one of my merriest tunes, and that generally procured me not only a lodging, but fubfiftence for the next day; but in truth (his constant expreffio, 1 muft own, whenever I attempted to entertain persons of a higher rank, they always thought my performance odious, and never made me any return for my endeavours to please them."

On his arrival' at Geneva, he was recommended as a proper perfon for a travelling tutor 1) to a young gentleman; who had been unexpectedly left a confiderable fortune by the death of his uncle.

This connection lafted but a short time; they difagreed in the fouth of France, and parted. Friendlefs and deftitute, he was again left expofed to all the miseries of indigence in a foreign country. He, however, bore them with great fortitude; and having this time fatisfied his curiofity abroad, he bent his course towards England, and arrived at Dover m), the beginning of the year 1758.

On his return he found himself so poor, that it was with difficulty he was enabled to reach London with a few halfpence n) only in

1) Ueber travelling tutor, S. die Anmerkung zum 20ften Kapitel des Vicar, S. 165.

m) Dover, bekannte Seeftadt in der Grafschaft Kent, mit einem berühmten Haven, wohin die Paquetbote von dem gegenüberliegenden Calais in Frankreich ordentlich abgehen.

n) halfpence; f. die Anmerkung zum iften Kapitel des Vicar S. 7.

his pocket. He was an entire ftranger and without any recommendation. He offered himfelf to feveral apothecaries, in the character of a journeyman, but had the mortification to find every application without fuccefs.

At length he was admitted into the house of a chemift near Fish - Street - Hill o) and was employed in his laboratory, until he discovered the refidence of his friend Dr. P) Sleigh, who patronifed and fupported him.

,,It was Sunday, faid Goldfinith," when I paid him a vifit, and it is to be fuppofed, in my beft clothes. Sleigh fcarcely knew me. Such is the tax the unfortunate pay to poverty. However, when he did recol

lect me,

I found his heart as warm as ever; and he fhared his purfe and his friendship with during his continuance in London.

me,

Dr. Sleigh afterwards fettled as a phyfician at Cork 9), his native city, and was rifing rapidly into eminence, when he was cut off, in the flower of his age, by an inflammatory fever, which at once deprived the world of a fine fcholar, a fkilful phyfician, and an honest man.

By the recommendation of the chemist, who faw in Goldfinith talents above his condition, he foon after became an affistant to Dr. Milner,

o) Fish Street Hill, Name einer in der Gegend des Tower belegenen Strafse in London.

p) Dr., eine bekannte Abkürzung für Doctor, (f. eine Anmerkung zum 14ten Kapitel des Vicar, S. 94). In unfrer Stelle ift ein Doctor Medicinae gemeint.

4) Cork, eine am Lee belegene Stadt in der Irländifchen Frovinz Mounfter.

who kept an academy г) at Peckham s). He remained not long in this fituation, but being introduced to fone bookfellers, he returned to London took a lodging in Green - ArbourCourt ), near the Old Bailey u), and commenced author.

Mr. Griffiths, the proprietor of the Month-, ly Review ), gave him a department in his Journal, and Mr. Newbery, the philanthropic bookfeller in St. Paul's Church Yard y), gave him a department in the" Public Ledger z) where he wrote thofe periodical papers, called Chinele Letters, which now appear in his works, under the title of the Citizen of the World.

His firft works were The Bee, a weekly pamphlet, and An Inquiry into the PreTent State of Polite Learning in Europe, published before the close of the year 1759.

1) f. die Erläuterung diefes Worts im 20ften Kapitel des Vicar, S. 147.

s) Peckham, ein Dorf bei London.

t) Green Arbour Court, Name eines mit Gebäuden befetzten Hofes in London.

u) Name einer Londner Strasse, so wie auch einer Gegend diefer Stadt.

x) Monthly Review, Titel einer noch jetzt erscheinenden periodifchen Schrift, in welcker die neuesten literarifchen Produkte beurtheilt werden.

y) S. Kapitel 18. S. 128.

z) Public Ledger, Titel eines periodischen Blatts vermifchten Inhalts.

Soon after his acquaintance with Mr. New. bery, for whom he held the pen of ready writer", he removed to lodgings in Wine Office Court, Fleecftreet a) where he finished the Vicar of. Wakefield, which by the friendly interference of Dr. Johnfon b) was fold for fixty pounds, to discharge his rent c). „A

a) Fleetstreet, Name einer der volkreichsten Strafsen in London.

b) Dr. Samuel Johnson, einer der gelehrtesten Engländer, geb. 1709, geft. 1784 Zu feinen wichtigsten Wer ken gehoren feine Zeitschrift the Idler, feine Biographien der Englifchen Dichter, fein Roman Raffelas, feine Ausgabe des Shakespeare, die beiden Gedichte London and the Vanity of human withes u. v. a.

לי

c) Boswell erzählt in feiner Biographie Johnsons den Vorfall folgendergeftalt: Die Gefchichte von GoldSmiths Lage und Johnsons freundschaftlicher Vermitte lung bei dem Verkauf des Romans. wird fehr verkehrt erzählt. Ich werde fie in Johnsons eigenen Worten herfetzen: Ich erhielt eines Morgens eine Botschaft von dem armen Goldsmith, dass er in grosser Noth fey, und mich bate, fobald als möglich zu ihm zu kommen, weil er nicht im Stande sey, auszugehen. Ich fchickte ihm eine Guinee, und versprach sogleich zu kommen. Sobald ich angezogen war, ging ich hin, und fand, dafs ihm feine Hauswirthin wegen der rückständigen Miethe Stubenarreft gegeben hatte, worüber er sehr entrüftet war. Ich merkte, dafs er meine Guinee bereits gewechfelt hatte, weil eine Flasche Madera Wein und ein Glas ihm ftand. Ich fteckte den Stöpfel auf die Flasche, und ging mit ihm zu Rathè, auf welche Art ihm zu helfen fey. Er zeigte mir einen, Roman, den er zum Drucke bestimmt hatte. Ich blatterte darin, und da ich fah, dafs er etwas werth war, fagte ich der Wirthin, ich würde bald wieder kommen, ging zu einem Buchhändler und verkaufte ihn auf der Stelle für fechzig Pfund. Ich brachte fie Goldsmith und er bezahlte eine Miethe, nicht ohne in hohem Tone auf feine Wirthin zu schimpfen, dafs fie ihn fo übel behandelt hatte."