Goldsmith, Oliver

English man of letters, born at Pallas or Pall as more, co. Long ford, Ireland, and celebrated in English literature as the author of the "Vicar of Wake field"; a born genius, but of carele ways, and could not be trained to any profe ion, either in the Church, in law, or in medicine, though more or le booked for all three in succe ion; set out on travel on the Continent without a penny, and supported himself by his flute and other unknown means; came to London, tried teaching, then literature, doing hack-work, his first work in that department being "An Inquiry into the Present State of Polite Learning in Europe," which was succeeded by his "Citizen of the World"; became a member of the "Literary Club," and a ociated with Johnson, Reynolds, Burke, and others; produced poems, "The Traveller" and the "Deserted Village," besides comedies, such as "She Stoops to Conquer"; lived extravagantly, and died in debt; wrote histories of Greece and Rome, and "Animated Nature"; was a charming writer (1728-1774).