buy a book, has bought a Boswell ; in perfect good humour, he added Johnson is known to all the read- -“ Sir, I should have released the ing world. I also knew him well, lady from any further trouble, if respected him highly, loved him it had not been for your remark ; sincerely: it was never my chance but you have reminded me that I to see him in those moments of want one of the dozen, and I must moroseness and ill humour, which request Mrs. Cumberland to round are imputed to him, perhaps with up my number—" When he truth, for who would slander him? saw the readiness and complacenBut I am not warranted by any ex- cy, with which my wife obeyed perience of those humours to speak his call, he turned a kind and of him otherwise than of a friend, cheerful look upon her, and said who always met me with kindness, “ Madam, I must tell you for your and from whom I never separated comfort, you have escaped much without regret. When I sought better than a certain lady did ahis company he had no capricious while ago, upon whose patience I excuses for withholding it, but intruded greatly, more than I have lent himself to every invitation done on yours ; but the lady askwith cordiality, and brought good ed me for no other purpose but humour with him, that gave life to make a Zany of me, and set me to the circle he was in. He pre- gabbling to a parcel of people I sented himself always in his fash- knew nothing of ; so, madam, I ion of apparel ; a brown coat with had my revenge of her : for I metal buttons, black waistcoat and swallowed five and twenty cups of worsted stockings, with a flowing her tea, and did not treat her with bob wig, was the style of his as many words” I can only wardrobe, but they were in per- say my wife would have made tea fectly good trim, and with the la- for him as long as the New River dies, which he generally met, he could have supplied her with water. had nothing of the slovenly phi- It was on such occasions he was losopher about him ; he fed hear- to be seen in his happiest motily, but not voraciously, and was ments, when animated by the extremely courteous in his com- cheering attention of friends whom mendations of any dish that pleas- he liked, he would give full scope ed his palate ; he suffered his to those talents for narration, in next neighbour to squeeze the which I verily think he was unriChina oranges into his wine glass valled, both in the brilliancy of his after dinner, which else perchance wit, the flow of his humour, and had gone aside, and trickled into the energy of his language. Anhis shoes, for the good man had ecdotes of times past, scenes of neither straight sight nor steady his own life, and characters of hunerves.

mourists, enthusiasts, crack-brainAt the tea-table he had consid- ed projectors, and a variety of erable demands upon his favourite strange beings, that he had chanbeverage, and I remember when ced upon, when detailed by him Sir Joshua Reynolds, at my house, at length, and garnished with those reminded him that he had drank episodical remarks, sometimes eleven cups, he replied—“Sir, I comick, sometimes grave, which did not count your glasses of wine, he would throw in with infinite why should you number up my fertility of fancy, were a treat, cups of tea ?" And then laughing which, though not always to be purchased by five and twenty cups and applauded in its manuscript by of tea, I have often had the happi- Edmund Burke, and the circle in ness to enjoy for less than half the which he then lived and moved : number. He was easily led into under such patronage it came with topicks ; it was not easy to turn those testimonials to the director him from them ; but who would of Covent Garden theatre, as could wish it? If a man wanted to shew not fail to open all the avenues to himself off, by getting up and rid- the stage, and bespeak all the saing upon him, he was sure to run vour and attention from the perrestive and kick him off : you formers and the publick, that the might as safely have backed Buce- applauding voice of him, whose phalus, before Alexander had lun- applause was fame itself, could ged him. Neither did he always give it. This comedy has enough like to be over-fondled ; when a to justify the good opinion of its certain gentleman out-acted his literary patron, and secure' its aupart in this way, he is said to have thor against any loss of reputation, demanded of him—“ What pro- for it has the stamp of a man of vokes your risibility, Sir ? Have talents upon it, though its popu. I said any thing that you under- larity with the audience did not stand ? Then I ask pardon of the quite keep pace with the expectarest of the company” But this tions, that were grounded on the is Henderson's anecdote of him, fiat it had antecedently been honand I won't swear he did not make oured with. It was a first effort it himself. The following apology, however, and did not discourage however, I myself drew from him, its ingenious author from invokwhen speaking of his tour, I observe ing his Muse a second time. ed to him upon some passages as was now, whilst his labours were rather too sharp upon a country in projection, that I first met him and people, who had entertained at the British Coffee-house, as I him so handsomely- Do you have already related somewhat think so, Cumbey ?” he replied, out of place. He dined with us as “Then I give you leave to say, and a visitor, introduced as I think by you may quote me for it, that there sir Joshua Reynolds, and we held are more gentlemen in Scotland a consultation upon the naming than there are shoes.”

of his comedy, which some of the company had read, and which he

detailed to the rest after his manOliver Goldsmith began at this ner with a great deal of good hutime to write for the stage, and it

Somebody suggested is to be lamented that he did not She Stoop18 to Conquer- and that begin at an earlier period of life to title was agreed upon. When I turn his genius to dramatick com- perceived an embarrassment in positions, and much more to be his manner towards me, which I lamented, that, after he had begun, could readily account for, I lost no the succeeding period of his life time to put him at his ease, and I was so soon cut off. There is no flatter myself I was successful. doubt but his genius, when more As my heart was ever warm tofamiliarised to the business, would wards my contemporaries, I did have inspirod him to accomplish not counterfeit, but really felt a great things. His first comedy of cordial interest in his behalf, and I The Good-natured Man was read had soon the pleasure to perceive

It

.....

that he credited me for my sin- would have done any day, or every cerity—“ You and I,” said he, day of his life. In the mean time “ have very different motives for we did not forget our duty, and resorting to the stage. I write though we had a better comedy for money, and care little about going, in which Johnson was chief fame-.” I was touched by this actor, we betook ourselves in good melancholy confession, and from time to our separate and allotted that moment busied myself assi- posts, and waited the awful drawing duously amongst all my connex- up of the curtain. As our stations ions in his cause. The whole were pre-concerted, so were our company pledged themselves to signals for plaudits arranged and the support of the ingenuous poet, determined upon in a manner, that and faithfully kept their promise gave every one his cue where to to him. In fact he needed all look for them, and how to follow that could be done for him, as Mr. them up. Colman, then manager of Covent We had amongst us a very Garden theatre, protested against worthy and efficient member, long the comedy, when as yet he had since lost to his friends and the not struck upon a name for it. world at large, Adam Drummond, Johnson at length stood forth in of amiable memory, who was giftall his terrours as champion for the ed by nature with the most sonopiece, and backed by us his clients rous, and at the same time the and retainers demanded a fair most contagious, laugh, that ever trial. Colman again protested, echoed from the human lungs. but, with that salvo for his own The neighing of the horse of the reputation, liberally lent his stage son of Hystaspes was a whisper to to one of the most eccentrick pro- it ; the whole thunder of the theaductions,that ever found its way to tre could not drown it. This kind it, and She Stoops to Conquer was and ingenuous friend fairly foreput into rehearsal.

warned us that he knew no more We were not over-sanguine of when to give his fire, than the cansuccess, but perfectly determined non did that was planted on a batto struggle hard for our author : tery. He desired therefore to have we accordingly assembled

our

a flapper at his elbow, and I had strength at the Shakspeare Tavern the honour to be deputed to that in a considerable body for an ear- office. I planted him in an upper ly dinner, where Samuel Johnson box, pretty nearly over the stage, took the chair at the head of a in full view of the pit and galleries, long table, and was the life and and perfectly well situated to give soul of the corps : the poet took the echo all its play through the post silently by his side with the hollows and recesses of the theatre. Burkes, sir Joshua Reynolds, Fitz- The success of our maneuvres herbert, Caleb Whitefoord and a was complete. All eyes were phalanx of North-British pre- upon Johnson, who sate in a front determined applauders, under the row of a side box, and when he banner of Major Mills, all good laughed every body thought themmen and true. Our illustrious selves warranted to roar. In the president was in inimitable glee, mean time my friend followed sigand poor Goldsmith that day took nals with a rattle so irresistibly all his raillery as patiently and comick, that, when he had repeatcomplacently as my friend Boswelled it several times, the attention

Vol. III. No. 7. 2W

when it was decided to publish from alluring, whilst her demands his Retaliation, and Johnson at the were extremely urgent. In this sanie time undertook to write an crisis of his fate he was found by epitaph for our lamented friend, Johnson in the act of meditating to whom we proposed to erect a on the melancholy alternative bea monuinent by subscription in fore him. He shewed Johnson Westminster-Abbey. This epi- bis manuscript of The Vicar of taph Johnson executed ; but in Wakefield, but seemed to be withthe criticism, that was attempted out any plan, or even hopc, of against it, and in the Round-Robin raising money upon the disposal signed at Mr. Beauclerc's house of it ; when Johnson cast his eye I had no part. I had no acquain- upon it, he discovered something tance with that gentleman, and that gave him hope, and immewas never in his house in my diately took it to Dodsley, who life.

paid down the price above-menThus died Oliver Goldsmith in tioned in ready-money, and added his chambers in the Temple at a an eventual condition upon its fuperiod of life, when his genius ture sale. Johnson described the was yet in its vigour, and fortune precautions he took in concealing seemed disposed to smile upon the amount of the sum he had in

him. I have heard Dr. Johnson hand, which he prudently adminis* relate with infinite humour the tered to him by a guinea at a time.

circumstance of his rescuing him in the event he paid off the landlafrom a ridiculous dilemma by the dy's score, and redeemed the perpurchase-money of his Vicar of son of his friend from her emWakefield, which he sold on his braces. Goldsmith had the joy behalf to Dodsley, and, as I think, of finding his ingenious work sucfor the sum of ten pounds only. ceed beyond his hopes, and from He had run up a debt with his that time began to place a confilandlady for board and lodging of dence in the resources of his talsome few pounds, and was at his ents, which thenceforward enabled wit's-end how to wipe off the him to keep his station in society, score and keep a roof over his and cultivate the friendship of head, except by closing with a many eminent persons, who, whilst very staggering proposal on her they smiled at his eccentricities, part, and taking his creditor to esteemed him for his genius and wife, whose charms were very far good qualities.

LITERATURE OF NORTH-CAROLINA.

Ixtrad of a letter from a gentleman at Raleigh, N. C. to the Editors of the Anthology, Feb, 24.

AN account of the literature of leigh, two in Newbern, and one in this State might be comprized in each of the towns of Edenton, a.single page, and if the length of Halifax, Wilmington, Fayetteville, the account was regarded only in Salisbury, and Warrenton. From the proportion it bears to its inter- each of these presses issues a est, that page would be deemed weekly paper, except the one in tedious. There are only ten pres- Salisbury, which is employed in ses in the state, viz. two in Ra- printing handbills and pamphlets.