OLIVER GOLDSMITH'S LIFE AND TIMES, IHU..K \\.
months scoured through those eighteen centurion. It YMH
a scheme of the London booksellers to thwart the HUCCCHS of
Hume, which promised just then to be too considerable for
an undertaking in which the craft had no concern. HIM
Commonwealth volume, profiting by religious outcry against
its author, was selling vigorously j people were inquiring
for the preceding Stuart volume j and PaternoBter Row,
alarmed for its rights and properties in standard history
books, resolved to take tho field before the promised Tudor
volumes could be brought to market. They huckril their
best man, and succeeded. The CompUte J./wfw//, wt' nro
told, " had a very disagreeable effect on Mr, lhmut*H
" performance." It had also, it would appear, a very
disagreeable effect on Mr, Hume's temper, " A Frenchman
" came to me," he writes to Robertson, " and spoke of
" translating my new volume of history: but as ho also
" mentioned his intention of translating Biuollett, 1 gavo
"him no encouragement to proceed."* It hud benidcH, it
may be added, a very disagreeable effect on tho tempers* of
other people. Wai-burton heard of itn nwift Httlo whilu IUH
own Divine Legation lay heavy and quiet at Im pubiinhcr'n ;
and " the vagabond Bcot who writes iionBonHU," wan tlua
character vouchsafed to Smollett by tho vehement proud
priest. But it is again incumbent on me to nay that
Goldsmith keeps his temper : that, in this as in former
instances, there is no disposition-to carp at a great BUCOCBB
or quarrel with a celebrated name, His notice has evident
marks of the interpolation of Griffiths, though that worthy's
more deadly hostility to Smollett had not yet begun; but
even as it stands, in the Review which had so many points
* " I am afraid," lie writes in a letter .to Millar (0th April, 1758), "the extra-
" ordinary run upon Dr. Smollett'ban a little hurt your mlw j but tlww thing*
" are only temporary." Burton's fAfe> ii. 185,