DR. GOLDSMITH.

THIS charming poet and eccentric genius was a native of Ireland, being born at Roscommon, in the year 1729. Oliver Goldsmith, being intended by his father for the church, was sent to Trinity college, Dublin, where, in 1749, he obtained the degree of bachelor of arts. Having afterwards turned his thoughts to physic, in 1751, he went to Edinburgh; but, indiscreetly becoming surety for a fellow student, he was soon under the necessity of leaving Scotland. Proceeding to Rotterdam, he went from thence to Louvain and Strasburgh. He afterwards accompanied an English gentleman, as his tutor, to Geneva.

During his continuance in Switzerland, he assiduously cultivated his poetical talent : hence, he sent his first sketch of The Traveller to his elder brother Henry, a clergyman in Ireland. In the mean while, being thrown on the world, Goldsmith visited Padua, Venice, Verona, and Florence: his curiosity at length being gratified, he arrived at Dover on his way to England in 1756. Having only a few halfpence left, it was with difficulty he reached the metropolis, where he applied, under a feigned name, to several apothecaries to be employed in the capacity of a journeyman; but his broad Irish accent and uncouth appearance only exposed him to ridicule, till a chemist in the city, commiserating his forlorn condition, took him into the laboratory. Here he was found by an old friend, who recommended him as an able assistant to an academy kept by Dr. Milner, a dissenting minister at Peckham. Here, as he did not remain long, it appeared that he had been meditating the prosecution of his literary labours; for, in 1759, he published his Inquiry into the Present State of Polite Literature in Europe; a piece called The Bee; and occasionally contributed during eight months to the Monthly Review, for which he received in return, by formal agreement, his board and lodging, and a handsome salary, from Mr. Griffiths.

He next conducted the Lady's Magazine for Mr. Wilkie, and was the author of The Citizen of the World, which originally appeared under the title of The Chinese Letters, in the Public Ledger.

Goldsmith having now become an author by profession, his Traveller, his Vicar of Wakefield, his Good-natured Man, She Stoops to Conquer, his Deserted Village, and various other productions, rendered him uncommonly popular. He was, besides, the friend, or rather the butt, of Johnson, Garrick, &c. and a member of the celebrated literary club. But, though he received large profits from his writings, he was extremely deficient in economy; and, continuing addicted to gaming without being acquainted with its mysteries, he easily became the prey of the artful and designing; yet his liberality was such, particularly to his distressed countrymen, that he was often known to leave himself without a guinea. Sir Joshua Reynolds was of opinion, that Goldsmith owed no less than 20002.!"Was ever poet so trusted before?" He would sometimes give away his whole breakfast to poor housekeepers, saying, with a smile, after they were gone, "Now let me suppose I have eaten a heartier meal than usual, and am nothing out of pocket."

He died in April 1774, in the forty-fifth year of his age, after taking Dr. James's fever powder, contrary to the advice of his physician; and was interred in the Temple burying ground. A monument, executed by Nollekens, was erected for him in Westminster-abbey, at the expense of the literary club; consisting of a large medallion and a good resemblance of the doctor in profile, with an inscription written by Dr. Johnson, upon a tablet of white marble, and appropriate ornaments.

GRAY.

THOMAS GRAY, who has been characterised as the British Pindar, was born in Cornhill, London, in December 1716. His grandfather was a considerable merchant; but his father Philip, a money scrivener, is stated to have been of an indolent and brutal temper. He received his grammatical education at Eton school, under Mr. Antrobus, his mother's brother; and here he contracted a particular intimacy with Horace Walpole, afterwards earl of Orford; and Richard West, son of the chancellor of Ireland. Upon leaving Eton, he entered as a pensioner at Peterhouse college, Cambridge, of which his uncle was a fellow. At this university, he renounced the severity of mathematical studies in favour of classical literature: the first original production of his muse was addressed to his beloved West, who had some months before left Christ-church for the Inner Temple; and, with Gray, was destined to pursue the study of the law. From this, Gray was diverted by an invitation to accompany Mr. Horace Walpole on his travels: they accordingly set out together; and, in April 1741, left Florence for Venice, where an unhappy feud, caused by the difference of their tempers, separated them during their stay abroad; but, in the year 1744, a reconciliation was effected between them by a lady, a well-wisher to both.

Gray's father being dead, finding his patrimony too scanty to permit him to prosecute his law-studies, he took a bachelor's degree at Cambridge: here he principally resided; and, as Dr. Johnson has remarked, "without liking the place or its inhabitants, or pretending to like them, passed, except a short residence at London, the rest of his life."

On the death of his friend West weighed down by sickness and family misfortunes, in 1742, Gray is supposed to have begun, if not completed, his Elegy written in a Country Church-yard; which, when printed in 1750, rapidly ran through eleven editions. Gray's Ode on the distant Prospect of Eton College, and his Hymn to Adversity, bear sufficient indications of his deep regret for his lost associate. Those sublime effusions, the Bard and the Progress of Poetry, appeared in 1757.

Some time after this, he removed from Cambridge to Southampton-row, London, for the purpose of being near the British Museum at its opening. Here he passed three years in reading and transcribing. Having refused the appointment of poet-laureat, he afterwards obtained from the duke of Grafton, without solicitation, the professorship of modern history in the university of Cambridge. On this occasion, when his noble patron was installed chancellor, he wrote the Ode for music.

In July 1772, after many symptoms of declining health, he died at Cambridge of the gout.-Gray's poetry is sublime, fervid, and elegant; and he communicates the most exalted enthusiasm. The most complete edition of Gray's works, in every respect, was published by Mr. Matthias in 1815.

Of his Elegy in particular, the subject, like that of Milton's immortal Epic, is universally interesting, the allegory sublime, the natural description picturesque, and the numbers matchlessly melodious. Even Johnson admits, "that it abounds with images which find a mirror in every mind, and with sentiments to which every breast returns an echo." On his monument in Westminster Abbey are the following lines by his friend Mason:

No more the Grecian muse unrivall'd reigns,-
To Britain let the nations homage pay;

She boasts a Homer's fire in Milton's strains,
A Pindar's rapture in the lyre of Gray.

SIR THOMAS GRESHAM.

THOMAS GRESHAM, whom the founder of Caius College justly styled Doctissimus Mercator, "the very learned merchant," was the descendant of an antient family, which, according to Camden, took its name from a town in Norfolk. Thomas Gresham was born in London in 1519, and was bound apprentice to a mercer very young, though he afterwards went to Caius College. He, however, having engaged in trade, was made free of the mercer's company in 1543, and about this time married the daughter of William Fernley, of Suffolk. In consequence of the bad management of the King's mercantile concerns at Antwerp by Sir William Dansell, Mr. Gresham was summoned to the council; and, without any solicitation on his part, appointed agent, upon which he soon removed to Antwerp with his family, where, by his address, he absolutely turned the balance of trade in favour of England; so that the credit of the English crown rose so high, that Mr. Gresham could borrow any sums he thought proper on equitable terms. Edward VI. besides lands to the amount of £300 a year, settled a pension of £100 per annum upon Mr. Gresham and his heirs for ever.

When Elizabeth succeeded to the crown, he was one of the first taken into favour. She employed him to furnish the royal arsenals with arms, and the year following conferred upon him the honour of knighthood, and appointed him her agent in foreign parts; but, being resolved to fix his residence in the city, and to live in a manner suitable to his rank and fortune, he built a large and sumptuous house on the west side of Bishopsgatestreet. The merchants of London, still continuing to meet in Lombard-street in the open air, Sir Thomas resolved to revive his father's plan of building them a commodious exchange on the plan of the Bourse at Antwerp: and offered this at his own expense, if the corporation of London would assign over to him a commodious spot of ground suffi cient for his purpose, to which, as they consented, the ground plot was laid out immediately; and on the 7th of June 1567, the founder having laid the first stone, the workmen proceeded with such dispatch, that in November the roof was covered in. In 1569, the edifice was completed, and the shops opened.

About this time, the Duke of Alva, by order of Philip II. of Spain, with a view to ruin the English merchants, prohibited all commerce between Flanders and England; but, though they were compelled to remove from Antwerp to Hamburgh, by the measures recommended by Sir Thomas, the credit of England was not only maintained, but raised higher than before. Advising the Queen afterwards to purchase silver for a new coinage of shillings and sixpences, the silver currency became so plentiful, that the greatest part of the royal debts in Flanders were paid with it. Sir Thomas soon after built a magnificent seat at Osterley Park, near Brentford, where he indulged himself with short intervals of relaxation: at the same time, finding constant employment for various descrip tions of workmen, having paper, oil, and corn, mills within his park at Osterley. He also introduced into this kingdom the manufacture of pins, knives, hats, ribbands, &c.

His only son Richard dying in 1564, he now resolved to devote the greatest part of his very ample fortune to the benefit of his fellow citizens and their posterity; he accordingly announced his design of having his "mansion house," as it was then called, converted into a college.

After his affairs had been settled, he probably spent the few remaining years of his life in retirement, and expired on the 29th of November 1597, in an apoplectic fit. His remains were deposited in the family vault, at the north-east corner of St. Helen's, his parish church.