Oliver Goldsmith

Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774) was an Irish writer who succeeded in nearly every form he attempted. Born in County Longford and educated at Trinity College, Dublin, he wandered through Europe, failed as a physician and settled in London as a hack writer before his essays, The Citizen of the World, brought him notice and the friendship of Samuel Johnson, who made him a founding member of the Club. His novel The Vicar of Wakefield, his poem The Deserted Village and his comedy She Stoops to Conquer have all remained in print. Improvident and generous, he died in debt and is buried in the Temple Church.