Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/200

 196 GOLDSMITH. in similar exigencies; but his premature death unhappily prevented the execution of his plans, and gave occasion to malignity to impute those failures to deliberate inten tion, which were merely the result of inevitable mor tality.” - In the spring of 1774, he was attacked in a very severe manner by a f i t o f the strangury; a disease o f which h e had often experienced slight symptoms, owing probably t o the severe confinement t o which he a t times devoted himself when engaged i n his compilations, and the very free and intemperate life t o which h e afterwards gave himself up. He usually hired apartments a t a farm-house i n the neighbourhood o f London, and wrote without the least cessation o r exercise for weeks, until he had com pleted his task. He then returned t o his friends the book sellers, received his compensation, and engaged, perhaps for months, i n a l l the gaieties and amusements o f the me tropolis. Such frequent changes had materially injured his constitution; his mind too, was distressed; and the attack o f strangury terminated i n a nervous fever, which required medical assistance. He told Mr. Hawes o n his arrival, that h e had taken two ounces o f ipecacuanha wine, a s a n emetic, and that i t was his intention t o take Dr. James's fever powders. Mr. Hawes i n vain repre sented t o him the impropriety o f the medicine a t that time; Goldsmith was inflexible. Dr. Fordyce was called in, who corroborated the apothecary's opinion; Gold smith, however, could not b e prevailed o n t o alter his resolution, and o n the following day, the alarming symp toms had increased. Dr. Turton was now called in, but their united skill and abilities did not avail. He died on 24th April, a t the age o f forty-five. His literary friends had originally intended t o have testified their respect for him b y a sumptuous public fune ral; a slight investigation o f his affairs, however, shewing that h e was 2000l. i n debt, this plan was abandoned, and h e was privately interred i n the Temple burying ground, o n the Saturday following. A subscription was afterwards