(Oliver’s Brother.)
Maurice, the next child of the Revd. Charles Goldsmith after Oliver,
was born on 7 July, 1736, and was followed a year later (16 August,
1737) by Charles, and in 1740 by a fourth son John. Maurice was
not therefore, as stated erroneously in a note on page 86 of the
Percy _Memoir_ “our poet’s youngest brother.” He first emerges from
obscurity early in 1770, when he was in his thirty-fourth year, and
wrote to Oliver a letter from the Lawder’s house at Kilmore asking for
assistance. Oliver’s reply has fortunately been preserved. It bears no
date, but Percy ascribes it to “January 1770,” which is about right, as
endorsed upon it is Maurice’s receipt dated 4 February, 1770, £15, the
amount of a legacy left by Uncle Contarine to Oliver which he made over
to his brother (I, 89).
According to Prior (II, 519), Sir Joshua Reynolds undertook after
the death of the poet on 4 April, 1774, “to superintend his affairs
until the arrival from Ireland of such of his relatives as should be
authorised to receive them.” For answer Maurice Goldsmith appeared in
London “a plain unlettered man, too homely it seems in appearance
and manners to command much consideration from his late brother’s
accomplished friends” (Prior II, 524). The still surviving Mrs. Gwyn
(the “Jessamy Bride”) told Prior long years after that:
“Being in a small party in the house of Sir Joshua when the latter
was summoned downstairs, he returned after a considerable absence
and whispered her that he had been below with Goldsmith’s brother,
but thinking a little beer or spirits there better adapted to his
taste than tea in the drawing room, he had entertained him in what he
considered the most appropriate manner. She, with the usual kindness of
her sex, thought his behaviour scarcely becoming in the President to so
near a relative of his departed friend.” (II, 524.)
Doubtless it was at this time that Sir Joshua gave Maurice the
subjoined (undated) note of introduction to the “Revd. Dr. Percy
Northumberland House” still preserved amongst the Percy papers:
“Sir Joshua Reynolds’s compliments and begs leave to introduce to Dr.
Percy Mr. Goldsmith brother of his late friend Dr. Goldsmith.”
As the next of kin, Maurice was entitled to administer his brother’s
affairs, and there is at Somerset House the formal Probate granted on
28 June, 1774, to “Maurice Goldsmith, the natural and lawful brother
and next of kin to the said deceased.” As Oliver died in debt, there
was nothing for Maurice to administer or receive, and he left London
on 10 June, 1774, writing to Mr. Hawes, the apothecary who attended
his brother, his “most sincere thanks for your kind behaviour to me
since my arrival here,” and for his “care, assiduity and diligence with
respect to my brother Doctor Goldsmith.”
No doubt Percy improved the occasion, when Maurice came to see him
at Northumberland House with Sir Joshua’s note of introduction in
his pocket, by giving him some sound advice, with perhaps a cash
contribution on account, and certainly with an admonition to collect
all his brother’s letters to members of the family in Ireland that he
could manage to pick up. For on 15 July, 1776, Maurice wrote to Percy
as under:
July 15, 1776.
Revd. Sir,
When I last had the honour of seeing you at your Chambers in
Northumberland House you most kindly told me you wod willingly serve
me, I have Sir according to your Order collected in this Country all
the Letters and a few anecdotes of my Brother, the late Dr. Goldsmith
that I cod procure which I assure you Sir are entirely Jenuine, the
Anecdotes wrote by his Sister who ware both inseperable Companions in
their youth.
I am much concernd that two of these Letters which I send are not
entirely Legibl and that it will cost som pains to make them and the
Memoirs fitt for the press; So Dr Sir to your goodness and protection
I commit them thoroughly satisfied you will serve the Brother of a
Man who really lovd and Esteemd you.
I can assure you Sir I have gon several Miles to collect them and as
my circumstances at present are not very affluent a small assistance
wod be gratefully accepted, shd any accrue from these papers wich
with what my good Friend Sr. Joshua Reynolds and Mr. Garrick promisd
to supply, will not be deemd I hope unworthy of yr publication which
you and Sir Joshua told me you wod get affected.