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A peculiarity in Beauclerc's conversation seems, undoubtedly and half unconsciously, to have impressed every one. Boswell tries to describe it by assigning to it 'that 'air of the world which has I know not what impressive

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effect, as if there were something more than is expressed, or than perhaps we could perfectly understand.' It might more briefly have been defined, I imagine, as the feeling of a superiority to his subject. No man was ever so free, when he was going to say a good thing, from a look which expressed that it was coming; or, when he had said it, from a look that expressed that it had come. This was a sense of the same superiority; and it gave Beauclerc a predominance of a certain sort over his company, little likely to be always pleasant, and least so when it pointed shafts of sarcasm against his friends. Even Johnson was not tolerant of these. Sir,' he said to him, after one of his malicious sallies, you never open your mouth but with intention to 'give pain; and you have often given me pain, not from 'the power of what you said, but from seeing your inten'tion.' No one suffered from the evil habit so much as Goldsmith.

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His position in the Club will be better understood, from this sketch of its leading members. He found himself, of course, at a great disadvantage. The leading traits of character which this narrative has exhibited, here, for the most part, told against him. If, on entering it, his rank and claims in letters had been better ascertained, more allowance would have then been made, not alone by the

Hawkinses, but by the Beauclercs and Burkes, for awkwardness of manners and ungainliness of aspect, for that ready credulity which is said to be the only disadvantage of an honest man, for a simplicity of nature that should have disarmed instead of inviting ridicule, and for the too sensitive spirit which small annoyances overthrew. Those who have no other means of acquiring respect than by insisting on it, will commonly succeed; but he had too many of those other means unrecognised, and was too constantly contending for them, to have energy to spare for that simpler method. If he could only have arrived, where Steele was brought by the witty yet gentle ridicule of Estcourt, at the happiness of thinking nothing a diminution to him but what argued a depravity of his will, then might anything Beauclerc or Hawkins could have said, of his shape, his air, his manner, his speech, or his address, have but led to a manly enforcement of more real claims. But there was nothing in this respect too trifling for him not to think a diminution, exacting effort and failure anew. It was now he called William Filby to his aid, and appeared in finery which made plainer the defects it was meant to hide. It was now he resented non-acceptance of himself by affecting careless judgments of others. It was now that his very avarice of social pleasure made him fretful of the restraints of Gerrard Street; and all he had suffered or enjoyed of old, in the college class room, at the inn of Ballymahon, among the Axe Lane beggars, or in the garret of Griffiths, reacted on his cordial

but fitful nature. Not to spoil, but often to obscure it. Too little self-confidence begets the forms of vanity, and self-love will exaggerate faults as well as virtues. If Goldsmith had been more thoroughly assured of his own fine genius, the slow social recognition of it would have made him less uneasy: but he was thrust suddenly into this society, with little beyond a vague sense of other claims than it was disposed to concede to him, however little it might sympathise with the special contempts of Hawkins; and what argued a doubt in others, seems to have become one to himself, which he took as doubtful means of reinforcing. If they could talk, why so could he; but unhappily he did not talk, as in festive evenings at Islington or the White Conduit, to please himself, but to force others to be pleased. Tom Davies was no very acute observer; yet even he has noted of him, that, so far from desiring to appear to the best advantage, he took more pains to be esteemed worse than he was, than others do to appear better than they are: which was but saying, awkwardly enough, that he failed to make himself understood. How time will modify all this; how far the acquisition of his fame, and its effects upon himself, will strengthen, with respect, the love which even they who most laughed at, already bore him; and in how much this laughing habit will nevertheless still beset his friends, surviving its excuses and occasion; the course of this narrative must show. That his future would more than redeem his past, Johnson was the first to maintain; for his own experience

of hardship had helped his affection to discern it, and he was never, at any period of their intercourse, so forbearing as at this. Goldsmith's position in these days should nevertheless be well understood, if we would read aright the ampler chronicle which later years obtained.

He who was to be the chronicler had arrived again in London. 'Look, my lord!' exclaimed Tom Davies, with the voice and attitude of Horatio, addressing a young gentleman who was sitting at tea with himself and Mrs. Davies, in their little back parlour, on the evening of Monday the 16th of May, and pointing to an uncouth figure advancing to the glass door by which the parlour opened to the shop, 'It comes!' The hope of the young gentleman's life was at last arrived. Don't tell where I come from,' he whispered, as Johnson entered.

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'Mr. Boswell, sir,' said Davies. Adding waggishly, 'from Scotland, sir!' 'Mr. Johnson,' said poor Boswell in a flutter; for the town was now ringing with Number Fortyfive, Bute had just retired before the anti-Scottish storm, and Johnson's antipathies were notorious; 'I do indeed 'come from Scotland, but I cannot help it.' That, sir, I 'find,' said the remorseless wit, 'is what a very great many 'of your countrymen cannot help. Now,' he added, turning to Davies as he sat down, regardless of the stunned young gentleman, 'what do you think of Garrick? He 'has refused me an order to the play for Miss Williams, 'because he knows the house will be full, and that an order 'would be worth three shillings.' Boswell roused himself

at this, for what he thought would be a flattering thing. He knew that Garrick had, but a few years before, assisted this very Miss Williams by a free benefit at his theatre; but he did not yet know how little Johnson meant by such a sally, or that he claimed to himself a kind of exclusive property in Garrick, for abuse as well as praise. 'O, sir!' he exclaimed, 'I cannot think Mr. Garrick would grudge 'such a trifle to you.' 'Sir!' rejoined the other, with a look and tone that shut up his luckless admirer for the rest of the evening, 'I have known David Garrick longer 'than you have done; and I know no right you have to 'talk to me on the subject.' A characteristic commence

ment of a friendship very interesting to all men. The self-complacent young Scot could hardly have opened it better, than by showing how much his coolness and selfcomplacency could bear. He rallied from the shock; and, though he did not open his mouth again, very widely opened his ears, and shewed eagerness and admiration unabated.

'Don't be uneasy,' said Davies, following him to the door as he went away. I can see he likes you very well.' So emboldened, the 'giant's den' itself was daringly invaded after a few days; and the giant, among other unusual ways of shewing his benevolence, took to praising Garrick this time. After that, might the fat little pompous figure now eager to make itself the giant's shadow, be seen commonly on the wait for him at his various haunts: in ordinaries at the social dinner hour, or by Temple Bar in

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