THE

MISCELLANEOUS WORKS

OF

OLIVER GOLDSMITH.

INCLUDING

A VARIETY OF PIECES

NOW FIRST COLLECTED.

BY

JAMES PRIOR,
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries ; Member of the Royal Irish Academy ;

Author of the Life of Goldsmith, Life of Burke, etc. et

IN FOUR VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

New York:
G. P. PUTNAM & CO., 321 BROADWAY.

PAOR

13

18

19

23

28

30

33

38

43

48

1. INTRODUCTION,

On a beautiful Youth struck by Lightning,

Remarks on our Theatres, ·

Story of Alexander and Septimius ; showing, that no Circum-

stances are so desperate, which Providence may not relieve,

On the Condition of the Poles ; in a Letter from a Traveller,

A Short Account of M. Maupertuis,

On Dress ; showing, that they are generally most ridiculous them-

selves, who are apt to see most ridicule in others, .

Picture of the Swedes; with Anecdotes of Charles the Twelfth,

Happiness in a great measure dependent on Constitution,

On the Present State of our Theatres,

III. On the Use of Language, ·

History of Hypatia,

On Justice and Generosity,

Some Particulars relating to Father Feyjoo,

IV. On the Uncertainty of Literary Success,

Bidderman the Wise ; a Flemish Tradition,

On the Sagacity of the Spider,

The Characteristics of Greatness,

Upon Political Frugality,

The Fame Machine ; a Reverie,

A Word or Two on the Farce called “ High Life Below Stairs,"

Upon Unfortunate Merit,

54

57

61

65

67

72

76

81

PAOL

VI.

On Education,

On the Instability of Worldly Grandeur,

Some Account of the Academies of Italy, .

. 106

117

. 121

VII.

.

Of Eloquence—and the Pulpit,

Custom and Laws compared,

On the Pride and Luxury of the Middling Classes of People,

Sabinus and Olinda,

The Sentiments of a Frenchman on the Temper of the English,

VIJI. On Deceit and Falsehood,

The Augustan Age of England, .

Of the Opera in England, .

123

. 132

135

. 137

140

.

1.

II.

VI.

208

IX

ESSAYS.

ESSAY

PREFACE,

165

On the Clubs of London,

168

On Public Rejoicings for Victory. (Now first collected,]

177

III. On the Different Schools of Music,

183

IV. A Reverie at the Boar's-Head Tavern, Eastcheap,

. 189

V. The Fountain of Fine Sense ; a Dream. [Now first collected,] 205

Account of Carolan, the Irish Bard,

VII. A Visit to Vauxhall-Parallel between Mrs. Vincent and Miss

Brent. [Now first collected]

211

VI A True History for the Ladies. (Now first collected,]

215

A Visit to Elysium-Mansions of Poetry and Taste ; a Dream.

[Now first collected]

218

X. History of Miss Stanton. (Now first collected, I

223

On National Prejudices,

229

XII. The Miseries of Ennui. (Now first collected,]

233

XIII. Adventures of a Strolling Player,

238

XIV. On the Approaching Coronation. [Now first collected]

248

xv. On National Concord,

*. 250

XVI. Female Warriors,

251

XVII. On a Taste for the Belles-Lettres,

259

XVIII. On the Cultivation of Taste,

263

XIX. On the Origin of Poetry,

278

IX. On Poetry, as distinguished from other Writing,

290

.

.

XI.

.

PAGE
301

.

.

XIV.

III. On the Use of Metaphors,

III. On the Use of Hyperbole,

320

UI. On Versification,

324

III. Description of a Wow-wow in the Country. (Now first collected,] 330

IV. On Abuse of our Enemies. (Now first collected,] .

334

IT). The Goddess of Silence, to the Ladics of London and Westmin-

ster, greeting. (Now first collected,] .

. 336

On the English Clergy, and Popular Preachers,

339

XXVI. Progress of Politeness-Rules enjoined to be observed at a Rus-

sian Assembly, .

345

XIIX. Female Characters. (Now first collected]

347

XX. Zenim and Galhinda ; an Eastern Tale. (Now first collected,] . 353

III. Specimen of a Magazine in Miniature, .

357

WII. Asem the Man-hater; or Vindication of the Wisdom of God in

the moral Government of the World ; an Eastern Tale, . 361

TAXI. A Biographical Memoir, supposed to be written by the Ordinary

of Newgate,

369

XXIV. On the Tenants of the Leasowes. History of a Poet's Garden, . 372

XX. A Comparison between Sentimental and Laughing Comedy, . 376

XXXVI. History of a Sleep-Walker. (Now first collected]

381

IXIVII. A Register of Scotch Marriages,

385

IIIVII. On Friendship. [Now first collected]

388

.

1.

.

AN INQUIRY INTO THE PRESENT STATE OF

POLITE LEARNING IN EUROPE.

CHAP

INTRODUCTION,

395

The Causes which contribute to the Decline of Learning,

397

A View of the Obscure Ages,

405

A Parallel between the Rise and Decline of Ancient and Modern

Learning. (Now first collected,)

409

On the Present State of Polite Learning in Italy,

409

Of Polite Learning in Germany,

414

Of Polite Learning in Holland, and some other countries of

Europe,

418

VII. The Polite Learning of England and France incapable of Com-

IV.

VI.

422