Oliver Goldsmith

Oliver Goldsmith was born around 1728 in Ireland, the son of an Anglican clergyman whose modest circumstances and generous spirit would later inspire the character of Dr. Primrose. He studied at Trinity College Dublin with little distinction, attempted and abandoned careers in medicine, law, and the church, and wandered through Europe largely on foot before settling in London, where he scraped together a living as a hack writer, essayist, and literary journalist. His improvidence was legendary—Samuel Johnson once had to sell the manuscript of The Vicar of Wakefield to rescue Goldsmith from arrest for debt. This author hub collects 1 work in the Canon Compass ranking, led by The Vicar of Wakefield.