Mrs. Oakes, of Dr. Macauley's recommendation, I should be glad to have here on the occasion; and think it would do honour to the list of examiners to have Dr. Macauley with us.
I am, Dear Sir, your most obedient servant, STE. ALDRICH.
If Dr Macauley can conveniently attend, should be glad you'd acquaint Lord Dartmouth with it, who seemed to be at loss to recommend a gentleman of the faculty at his end of the town.
St. John's Square. Monday noon.
To the Revd. Dr. Douglas.'
Endorsed 'Mr. Aldrich, Feb. 1762, about the Cock Lane ghost.--Examination at his house.'
[1197] Boswell was with Paoli when news came that a Corsican under sentence of death 'had consented to accept of his life, upon condition of becoming hangman. This made a great noise among the Corsicans, who were enraged at the creature, and said their nation was now disgraced. Paoli did not think so. He said to me:--"I am glad of this. It will be of service. It will contribute to form us to a just subordination. As we must have Corsican tailours, and Corsican shoemakers, we must also have a Corsican hangman."' Boswell's Corsica, p. 201. See post, July 20 and 21, 1763, April 13, 1773, and March 28, 1775.
[1198] 'Mallet's Dramas had their day, a short day, and are forgotten.' Johnson's Works, viii. 468.
[1199] See ante, p. 384, note.
[1200] 'A man had heard that Dempster was very clever, and therefore expected that he could say nothing but good things. Being brought acquainted, Mr. Dempster said to him with much politeness, "I hope, Sir, your lady and family are well." "Ay, ay, man," said he, "pray where is the great wit in that speech?"' Boswelliana, p. 307. Mr. Dempster is mentioned by Burns in The Author's Earnest Cry and Prayer to the Scotch Representatives in the House of Commons:--'Dempster, a true-blue Scot I'se warran.' In 1769 he was elected member for the Forfar Boroughs. Parl. Hist. xvi. 453.
[1201] The Critical Review, in which Mallet himself sometimes wrote, characterised this pamphlet as 'the crude efforts of envy, petulance and self conceit.' There being thus three epithets, we, the three authours, had a humourous contention how each should be appropriated. BOSWELL.
[1202] Johnson (Works, ix. 86) talks of the chiefs 'gradually degenerating from patriarchal rulers to rapacious landlords.' In Boswell's Hebrides, the subject is often examined.
[1203] See ante, i. 365.
[1204] 'Dr. Burney spoke with great warmth of affection of Dr. Johnson; said he was the kindest creature in the world when he thought he was loved and respected by others. He would play the fool among friends, but he required deference. It was necessary to ask questions and make no assertion. If you said two and two make four, he would say, "How will you prove that, Sir?" Dr. Burney seemed amiably sensitive to every unfavourable remark on his old friend.' H. C. Robinson's Diary, iii. 485.
[1205] See post, April 24, 1777, note, and Oct. l0, 1779, where he consults Johnson about the study of Greek. He formed wishes, scarcely plans of study but never studied.
[1206] See post, Feb. 18, 1777. It was Graham who so insulted Goldsmith by saying:--''Tis not you I mean, Dr. Minor; 'tis Dr. Major there.' Boswell's Hebrides, Aug. 24, 1773.
[1207] See post, Sept. 19, 1777.
[1208] Of Mathematics Goldsmith wrote:--'This seems a science to which the meanest intellects are equal.' See post, March 15, 1776, note.
[1209] In his Present State of Polite Learning, ch. 13 (Misc. Works, i. 266), Goldsmith writes:--'A man who is whirled through Europe in a post-chaise, and the pilgrim who walks the grand tour on foot, will form very different conclusions. Haud inexpertus loquor.' The last three words are omitted in the second edition.
[1210] George Primrose in the Vicar of Wakefield (ch. 20), after describing these disputations, says:--'In this manner I fought my way towards England.'
[1211] Dr. Warton wrote to his brother on Jan. 22, 1766:--'Of all solemn coxcombs Goldsmith is the first; yet sensible--but affects to use Johnson's hard words in conversation.' Wooll's Warton, p. 312.
[1212] It was long believed that the author of one of Goldsmith's early works was Lord Lyttelton. '"Whenever I write anything," said Goldsmith, "I think the public make a point to know nothing about it." So the present book was issued as a History of England in a series of Letters from a Nobleman to his Son. The persuasion at last became general that the author was Lord Lyttelton, and the name of that grave good lord is occasionally still seen affixed to it on the bookstalls.' Forster's Goldsmith, i. 301. The Traveller was the first of his works to which he put his name. It was published in 1764. 16. p. 364.
[1213] Published in 1759.
[1214] Published in 1760-1.
[1215] See his Epitaph in Westminster Abbey, written by Dr. Johnson. BOSWELL.
'Qui nullum fere scribendi genus Non tetigit, Nullum quod tetigit non ornavit.'
Post, under June 22, 1776.
[1216] In allusion to this, Mr. Horace Walpole, who admired his writings, said he was 'an inspired ideot;' and Garrick described him as one
'----for shortness call'd Noll, Who wrote like an angel, and talk'd like poor Poll.'
Sir Joshua Reynolds mentioned to me that he frequently heard Goldsmith talk warmly of the pleasure of being liked, and observe how hard it would be if literary excellence should preclude a man from that satisfaction, which he perceived it often did, from the envy which attended it; and therefore Sir Joshua was convinced that he was intentionally more absurd, in order to lessen himself in social intercourse, trusting that his character would be sufficiently supported by his works.