LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATES

PORTRAIT OF OLIVER GOLDSMITH

Frontispiece

CROAKER THRASHING THE POSTBOY (Good-Natur'd Man).
From an engraving published in 1805. To face p. 72

MR. QUICK IN THE CHARACTER OF TONY LUMPKIN (She
Stoops to Conquer). From the 1780 edition of Poems

To face p. 188

To face p. 199 from a

drawing by W. Turner; published in 1798
From an engraving by Stothard;

GEORGE'S DEPARTURE.

published in 1792

To face p. 200

WAKEFIELD BRIDGE. Engraved by J. Rogers
drawing by N. Whittock; published in 1829
CHANTRY ON THE BRIDGE AT WAKEFIELD. Engraved by
J. Rogers from a drawing by N. Whittock; published
in 1829

SANDAL CASTLE, NEAR WAKEFIELD.

published in 1785

To face p. 202

From an engraving

To face p. 204

MR. BURCHELL READING THE BALLAD OF THE HERMIT.
From an engraving in the Faris edition of 1806.

To face p. 226

To face p. 330

DISCOVERY OF OLIVIA. From an engraving by Stothard;
published in 1792
PICKERING, YORKSHIRE. Engraved by J. Walker from an
original drawing by J. Hornsey; published in 1797

To face p. 354

INTERIOR OF PICKERING CASTLE. Sketched and engraved
by W. Tombleson

THE VICAR AND HIS FAMILY. From an engraving by
Stothard; published in 1792

ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD' By William Mulready, R.A., 1843

The Vicar, the Stroller, and the entrance of Arabella Wilmot 276

PREFACE

WHEN I undertook to write a comedy, I confess I was strongly prepossessed in favour of the poets of the last age,and strove to imitate them. The term, genteel comedy, was then unknown amongst us, and little more was desired by an audience, than nature and humour, in whatever walks of life they were most conspicuous. The author of the following scenes never imagined that more would be expected of him, and therefore to delineate character has been his principal aim. Those who know any thing of composition, are sensible, that in pursuing humour, it will sometimes lead us into the recesses of the mean; I was even tempted to look for it in the master of a spunging-house; but in deference to the public taste, grown of late, perhaps, too delicate, the scene of the bailiffs was retrenched in the representation. In deference also to the judgment of a few friends, who think in a particular way, the scene is here restored. The author submits it to the reader in his closet; and hopes that too much refinement will not banish humour and character from ours, as it has already done from the French theatre. Indeed the French comedy is now become so very elevated and sentimental, that it has not only banished humour and Molière from the stage, but it has banished all spectators too.

Upon the whole, the author returns his thanks to the public for the favourable reception which The GoodNatur'd Man has met with: and to Mr. Colman in particular, for his kindness to it. It may not also be improper to assure any, who shall hereafter write for the theatre, that merit, or supposed merit, will ever be a sufficient passport to his protection.