These, in their turn, with appetites as keen,
Deserting fifty, fasten on fifteen :

Miss, not yet full fifteen, with fire uncommon,
Flings down her sampler, and takes up the woman;
The little urchin smiles, and spreads her lure,
And trys to kill, ere she's got power to cure.
Thus 'tis with all: their chief and constant care
Is to seem every thing-but what they are.
Yon broad, bold, angry spark, I fix my eye on,
Who seems t' have robb'd his vizor from the lion;
Who frowns, and talks, and swears, with round parade,
Looking, as who should say, Damme! whose afraid?
[Mimicking.

30

20

25

Strip but this vizor off, and, sure I am,
You'll find his lionship a very lamb.
Yon politician, famous in debate,
Perhaps, to vulgar eyes, bestrides the state;
Yet, when he deigns his real shape t' assume,
He turns old woman, and bestrides a broom.
Yon patriot, too, who presses on your sight,
And seems, to every gazer, all in white,
If with a bribe his candour you attack,

He bows, turns round, and, whip-the man's a black! 40

Yon critic, too-but whither do I run?
If I proceed, our bard will be undone !

Well, then, a truce, since she requests it too:
Do you spare her, and I'll for once spare you.

35

VERSES IN REPLY TO AN INVITATION
TO DINNER AT DR. BAKER'S.1

[Written about 1769. It was first published from his family papers by Major-Gen. Sir Henry Bunbury, Bart., through Prior's edition of Goldsmith's Works, 1837.-ED.]

"This is a poem! This is a copy of verses!"

YOUR mandate I got,
You may all go to pot;

Sir Joshua Reynolds' physician. He became Sir George Baker.—

ED.

Had your senses been right,
You'd have sent before night;
As I hope to be saved,
I put off being shaved;
For I could not make bold,
While the matter was cold,
To meddle in suds,
Or to put on my duds;
So tell Horneck' and Nesbitt,
And Baker and his bit,
And Kauffman2 beside,
And the Jessamy bride,3
With the rest of the crew,
The Reynoldses two,
Little Comedy's face,
And the Captain in lace."
(By the bye you may tell him,
I have something to sell him;
Of use I insist,

4

When he comes to enlist.

Your worships must know
That a few days ago,
An order went out,
For the foot guards so stout
To wear tails in high taste,
Twelve inches at least:
Now I've got him a scale
To measure each tail,
To lengthen a short tail,
And a long one to curtail.)—
Yet how can I when vext,
Thus stray from my text?

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10

15

20

25

30

1 Mrs. Horneck, the widow of Capt. Kane Horneck.-ED.

2 Angelica Kauffman, the at that time popular artist, whose romantic story Miss Thackeray has told in her Miss Angel.'-ED.

6

3 Miss Mary Horneck, afterwards Mrs. Gwyn. She lived to 1840, and gave some reminiscences of Goldsmith to Hazlitt, which he published in his 'Conversations of Northcote.' See also p. 108.-ED.

+ Miss Catharine Horneck, afterwards (1771) the wife of Henry Bunbury, the caricaturist, who sometimes drew, and wrote, under the name of Geoffrey Gambado. See also p. 108.-ED.

5

Ensign, afterwards General Horneck: see v. i., p. 33.—ED.

35

Tell each other to rue
Your Devonshire crew,
For sending so late
To one of my state.
But 'tis Reynolds's way
From wisdom to stray,
And Angelica's whim
To be frolick like him,

1

But alas! your good worships, how could they be wiser, When both have been spoiled in to-day's Advertiser ?1 OLIVER GOLDSMITH.

In these bold times, when Learning's sons explore
The distant climate and the savage shore;
When wise astronomers to India steer,
And quit for Venus many a brighter here;
While botanists, all cold to smiles and dimpling,
Forsake the fair, and patiently—go simpling;
When every bosom swells with wond'rous scenes,
Priests, cannibals, and hoity-toity queens,
Our bard into the general spirit enters,
And fits his little frigate for adventures.
With Scythian stores, and trinkets deeply laden,
He this way steers his course, in hopes of trading—

40

PROLOGUE TO ZOBEIDE.

['Zobeide' was a tragedy founded upon Voltaire's 'Les Scythes,' and written by Joseph Cradock, a gentleman of fortune, and friend of Goldsmith. The play was produced at Covent Garden Theatre, Dec. 11, 1771, and the prologue was spoken by the comedian Quick in the character of a sailor. Our text is from the edition of 1772, which it will be seen varies considerably from the earlier editions.—ED.]

5

10

1 In allusion to some verse in the Public Advertiser' on Angelica Kauffman's portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds.-ED.

2 At this time Captain Cook had just returned from his first voyage round the world, a voyage projected by the Royal Society and Mr. (afterwards Sir Joseph) Banks for scientific purposes. Cook and Mr. Charles Green were the astronomers of the expedition, and were charged with the observation of the transit of Venus, &c., while Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, of the British Museum, were the botanists.-ED.

3 These two lines are not in the earliest editions.-ED.

Yet ere he lands he's order'd me before,

To make an observation on the shore.

Where are we driven? our reckoning sure is lost! 15
This seems a barren1 and a dangerous coast.
Lord, what a sultry climate am I under!

Yon ill-forboding cloud seems big with thunder:

[Upper Gallery. There mangroves spread, and larger than I've seen 'em

Here trees of stately size-and turtles in 'em.2

[Balconies. [Stage.

Here ill-condition'd oranges abound— And apples, [takes up one and tastes it] bitter apples strew the ground.

The place is uninhabited, I fear:

I heard a hissing-there are serpents here!
Oh, there the natives are, a dreadful race!
The men have tails, the women paint the face.
No doubt the're all barbarians.-Yes, 'tis so;
I'll try to make palaver with them though:

[Pit. 20

[Making signs.*

30

'Tis best, however, keeping at a distance.
Good savages, our Captain craves assistance: 5
Our ship's well stored-in yonder creek we've laid her,
His Honour is no mercenary trader.

6

1 Var.-a rocky, &c.

3 Var. The inhabitants are cannibals, &c.

25

This is his first adventure; lend him aid,

Or you may chance to spoil' a thriving trade.

His goods, he hopes, are prime, and brought from far, 35 Equally fit for gallantry and war.

What? no reply to promises so ample?

-I'd best step back-and order up a sample.

2 Var.-billing turtles in 'em.

4 These four lines are not in the early editions.-ED.

5 Var.-Oh, there the people are best keep my distance: Our Captain, gentle natives, craves assistance.

6 Cradock gave the profits of the performance to Mrs. Yates, who played the heroine.-ED.

7 Var.-And we may chance to drive, &c.

8 Goldsmith's note, sent to Cradock with this Prologue, will be found with the Letters at the end of vol. i.-ED.

THRENODIA AUGUSTALIS:

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF HER LATE ROYAL HIGHNESS THE

PRINCESS DOWAGER OF WALES.

[This piece was produced upon the occasion of the death of Augusta of Saxe Gotha, the relict of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and mother of George III., and was performed at Mrs. Conely's, or "the Great Room," Soho Square, Feb. 20, 1772. The only separate edition, which so appeared without Goldsmith's name, seems to have been the usual pamphlet one for selling " at the doors," on the evening of performance. This exists, but is very rare. The poet's name does not appear upon the work, probably because he deemed it, as he says below, "a compilation rather than a poem." Steevens and Reed suggested that it should be included in Goldsmith's works; and Chalmers first (1810) so included it, printing from a copy given by the author to Cradock, and then in the possession of Nichols. See also note 2 at p. 106, and the letter to Cradock dated "Sunday Morning," with the Letters in vol. i.-Ed.]

ADVERTISEMENT.

The following may more properly be termed a compilation than a poem. It was prepared for the composer in little more than two days: and may therefore rather be considered as an industrious effort of gratitude than of genius.

In justice to the composer, it may likewise be right to inform the public, that the music was adapted in a period of time equally short.

SPEAKERS-Mr. Lee and Mrs. Bellamy.

SINGERS-Mr. Champnes, Mr. Dine, and Miss Jameson; with Twelve Chorus Singers.

THE MUSIC PREPARED AND ADAPTED BY SIGNOR VENTO.