p. 106, 1. 26. Lord Lansdowne. George Granville, 1667-1735, author and politician. p. 107, 1. 5. The Rake's Progress. See note above on Hogarth. p. 108, 1. 6. Falstaff, the huge, gluttonous, coarse, jolly friend of Prince Henry in Shakespeare's Henry IV. See Henry IV, Part I, Act V, the end of scene 4. CHAPTER XV p. 109, 1. 25. Novel in question. This story, taken by Irving from Boswell's Life of Johnson (see Napier's ed., Vol. I, p. 329; Vol. III, p. 223), has been questioned, but appears to be substantially true. The amount received for the book was sixty guineas instead of sixty pounds, as shown by Boswell's second reference to the sale, and also by the entry of the transaction preserved in the bookseller's accounts. The sale seems to have taken place Oct. 28, 1762. The book was taken in equal shares by three booksellers. It was not published until four years later. In the meantime the Traveller had appeared, and Goldsmith's fame had become established. The first four editions, however, of the Vicar of Wakefield, were published at a loss to the publishers. After the fourth edition - which paid a profit of about thirty-two guineas to each partner was turned out, Newbery sold his third interest for five guineas, so little faith had he in the future of the book. (See Welsh, Charles, A Bookseller of the Last Century. London, 1885, pp. 54–62.) CHAPTER XVI p. 114, 1. 21. Nil te quæsiveris extra. You should seek noth ing further. p. 116, 1. 22. The Hermit. See Vicar of Wakefield, Chapter VIII. p. 118, 1. 4, Philautos, etc. Pseudonyms chosen probably for their classic sound rather than for any significance of meaning. Translated they mean lover of one's self, lover of truth, lover of freedom, and lover of man. CHAPTER XVII p. 121, 1. 33. Rogers. Samuel Rogers was an English poet, 1763-1855, much respected by his associates when Irving wrote this book, on account of his age, experience, and judgment. p. 125, 1. 1. Blainville's "Travels" was an account of the travels of Monsieur de Blainville through several countries of Europe. It had recently (1757) been translated into English from the author's manuscript, and the publishers were making use of Goldsmith's fame as author of the Traveller to advertise the book. The following is the letter of Goldsmith which they used as an advertisement:— "I have read the Travels of Monsieur de Blainville with the highest pleasure. As far as I am capable of judging they are at once accurate, copious, and entertaining. I am told they are now first translated from the Author's Manuscript in the French Language, which has never been published: and if so, they are a valuable acquisition to ours. The Translation as I am informed has been made by Men of Eminence, and is not unworthy of the Original. All I have to add is, that, to the best of my opinion, Blainville's Travels is the most valuable Work of this kind hitherto published: Containing the most judicious Instruction to those who read for Amusement, and being the surest Guide to those who intend to undertake the same Journey. "Temple, March 2, 1767." "Oliver Goldsmith. CHAPTER XIX p. 135, 1. 27. Every Man in his Humor was one of "rare Ben Jonson's" most famous plays. CHAPTER XX p. 139, 1. 31. Whitehead. Though poet laureate, Whitehead was considered weak and dull. Goldsmith seems to have had a very strong feeling against him, as did Johnson, for Forster says in regard to Garrick's proposal, that of all the slights that the manager offered to the poet, this was forgotten last. CHAPTER XXI p. 141, 1. 18. The sometime Roscius. Davies was at one time an actor, and hence called Roscius from the great Roman comic actor Quintus Roscius. p. 143, 1. 2. Junius and Wilkes. Junius was the pseudonym used by an unknown writer of some very caustic political letters. These became famous, and consequently aroused the curiosity of people to discover the author. John Wilkes, 1727-1797, was another critic of the government, a political agitator, and a bold, often unwise champion of the rights of the people. CHAPTER XXII p. 147, 1. 15. Talleyrand. A French statesman, 1754-1838. p. 149, 1. 26. CHAPTER XXIII, Blackstone's Commentaries has been for many years one of the great authorities in the study of law. p. 152, 1. 7. General Oglethorpe, 1696–1785, was a British general and founder of the colony of Georgia. See beginning of Chapter XXXIII. CHAPTER XXV p. 159, l. 10. The Jessamy Bride. This name has been taken as the title of a very interesting novel by F. Frankfort Moore, which treats of the time of Goldsmith, and introduces several characters mentioned in this and the following chapters. p. 159, 1. 28. Angelica Kauffman. A celebrated Swiss painter and friend of Reynolds. CHAPTER XXVI p. 163, 1. 21. Lucius Florus. A Roman historian of the second century A.D. p. 163, 1. 21. p. 163, 1. 22. 1655-1735. p. 163, 1. 37. Eutropius. A Roman of the fourth century. Pliny. Pliny the Elder, 23-79 A.D. His only extant work is his Natural History in thirty-seven books, really an encyclopædia of natural science. p. 163, 1. 38. Buffon was a celebrated French naturalist of Goldsmith's time. CHAPTER XXVII p. 171, 1. 10. Likeness by Reynolds. See frontispiece to this volume. p. 172, 1. 6. Forsitan et. Perchance sometime our name will be inscribed with these. p. 172, 1. 9. Jacobite rebels. A considerable number of Englishmen through the greater part of the eighteenth century were true to the heirs of the Stuart kings and were called Jacobites from Jacobus, the Latin for James. CHAPTER XXVIII p. 176, 1. 33. Gay's. John Gay was a poet and dramatist of some note at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Some years after his death a chair, said to have been his favorite chair, was sold among the effects of one of his relatives. Later, about ninety years after the poet's death, a cabinet-maker, in the course of some repairs, found a secret drawer containing, among other papers, some poems in manuscript. They were published in a volume called Gay's Chair. CHAPTER XXX p. 187, 1. 21. Lord Bolingbroke. Henry St. John, Viscount Bolingbroke, 1678-1751, was one of the most brilliant statesmen and literary men of the early part of the eighteenth century. p. 187, 1. 32. Should prove a Capua. During the Second Punic War, in 216 B.C., Hannibal took up winter quarters in the luxurious city of Capua, where it is said his brave warriors became effeminate and lost their love of war. CHAPTER XXXI p. 190, 1. 11. Chatterton. The story of Thomas Chatterton has a pathetic interest for us. Although he died in his eighteenth year, he has left a record as an English poet of great genius. Possessed of great pride and independence, he came to London without friends and without means, and attempted to support himself with his pen. The Rowley poems here referred to have given him a reputation, but it came too late. Discouraged and starving, he took his own life Aug. 24, 1770. p. 190, 1. 26. Ossian. James Macpherson published in 1762 some poems which he offered as translations of the epic poems of Ossian, a mythical Celtic poet. As in the case of Chatterton, there have been discussions over the genuineness of the original. The general opinion to-day seems to be that the work was Macpherson's, but founded on a considerable fund of tradition. p. 191, 1. 9. Gray and Mason were poets of this time. Gray was a distinguished scholar, and therefore his opinion on such a subject would have great weight. |