in imagining that this poem was written in anger by the Doctor; it was just the contrary; the whole on all sides was done with the greatest good humour; and the following poems in manuscript were written by several of the gentlemen on purpose to provoke the Doctor to an answer, which came forth at last with great credit to him in Retaliation."——--D. GARRICK, [MS.]

"For this highly interesting account, (now first printed, or even referred to by any biographer or editor of Goldsmith,) I am indebted to my friend Mr. George Daniel, of Islington, who allowed me to transcribe it from the original in Garrick's own handwriting discovered among the Garrick papers, and evidently designed as a preface to a collected edition of the poems which grew out of Goldsmith's trying his epigrammatic powers with Garrick. I may observe also that Garrick'ş epitaph or distich on Goldsmith is (through this very paper) for the first time printed as it was spoken by its author.

"Retaliation was the last work of Goldsmith, and a posthumous publication-appearing for the first time on the 18th or April, 1774."

CUNNINGHAM.

RETALIATION.

Or old, when Scarron his companions invited, Each guest brought his dish, and the feast was united;

If our 'landlord supplies us with beef and with fish, Let each guest bring himself, and he brings the best dish:

plains;

Our 2 dean shall be venison, just fresh from the [brains; Our Burke shall be tongue, with the garnish of Our Will shall be wildfowl, of excellent flavour, And 5 Dick with his pepper shall heighten the

4

savour:

[tain, Our Cumberland's sweetbread its place shall ob

6

1 The master of the St. James's Coffee-house, where the Doctor, and the friends he has characterised in this poem, occasionally dined.

2 Doctor Barnard, Dean of Derry, in Ireland.

3 Mr. Edmund Burke.

4 Mr. William Burke, late secretary to General Conway, and member for Bedwin.

5 Mr. Richard Burke, collector of Grenada.

6 Mr. Richard Cumberland, author of the West Indian,' Fashionable Lover,' 'The Brothers,' and other dramatic pieces.

7

And Douglas is pudding, substantial and plain;

8

Our & Garrick's a salad; for in him we see

Oil, vinegar, sugar, and saltness agree:

To make out the dinner, full certain I am

That Ridge is anchovy, and 10 Reynolds is lamb;

11

That 11 Hickey's a capon, and, by the same rule,
Magnanimous Goldsmith a gooseberry fool.
At a dinner so various, at such a repast,
Who'd not be a glutton, and stick to the last?
Here, waiter, more wine! let me sit while I'm able,
Till all my companions sink under the table;
Then, with chaos and blunders encircling my head,
Let me ponder, and tell what I think of the dead.

12 Here lies the good dean,18 reunited to earth, Who mixt reason with pleasure, and wisdom with mirth :

7 Doctor Douglas, canon of Windsor, an ingenious Scotch gentleman, who has no less distinguished himself as a citizen of the world, than a sound critic, in detecting several literary mistakes (or rather forgeries) of his countrymen; particularly Lauder on Milton, and Bower's History of the Popes.

8 David Garrick, Esq.

9 Counsellor John Ridge, a gentleman belonging to the Irish Bar.

10 Sir Joshua Reynolds.

11 An eminent attorney, whose hospitality and good humour acquired him in his club the title of honest Tom Hickey.'

12 Here lies the good dean] See a poem by Dean Barnard to Sir J. Reynolds, in Northcote's Life of Reynolds, p. 130.

13 Vide page 77.

If he had any faults, he has left us in doubt,
At least in six weeks I could not find 'em out;
Yet some have declar'd, and it can't be denied 'em,
That slyboots was cursedly cunning to hide 'em.

Here lies our good 14 Edmund, whose genius

was such,

We scarcely can praise it or blame it too much; Who, born for the universe, narrow'd his mind, And to party gave up what was meant for mankind. Though fraught with all learning, yet straining his. throat [vote;

To persuade 15 Tommy Townshend to lend him a Who, too deep for his hearers, still went on refining, And thought of convincing, while they thought of dining:

Though equal to all things, for all things unfit; Too nice for a statesman, too proud for a wit; For a patriot too cool; for a drudge disobedient; And too fond of the right to pursue the expedient. In short, 'twas his fate, unemploy'd or in place, sir, To eat mutton cold, and cut blocks with a razor.

mint,

Here lies honest 16 William, whose heart was a [was in't; While the owner ne'er knew half the good that

14 Vide page 77.

15 Mr. T. Townshend, member for Whitchurch.-See H. Walpole's Letter to Lord Hertford, p. 6.

16 Vide page 77.

The pupil of impulse, it forc'd him along,
His conduct still right, with his argument wrong;
Still aiming at honour, yet fearing to roam,

The coachman was tipsy, the chariot drove home: Would ask for his merits? alas! he had none; you

What was good was spontaneous, his faults were his own.

Here lies honest Richard, whose fate I must

sigh at;

Alas that such frolic should now be so quiet!
What spirits were his! what wit and what whim,
17 Now breaking a jest, and now breaking a limb;
Now wrangling and grumbling to keep up the ball,
Now teasing and vexing, yet laughing at all!
In short, so provoking a devil was Dick,

That we wish'd him full ten times a day at Old
Nick;

But, missing his mirth and agreeable vein,
As often we wish'd to have Dick back again.

Here 18 Cumberland lies, having acted his parts, The Terence of England, the mender of hearts; A flattering painter, who made it his care To draw men as they ought to be, not as they are.

17 Mr. Richard Burke; vide page 77. This gentleman having slightly fractured one of his arms and legs, at different times, the doctor has rallied him on those accidents, as a kind of retributive justice for breaking his jests upon other people.

18 Vide p. 77.