" Now you cannot be sure; for you have only your own opinion, and
the publick may think very differently.' SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. 'You must
upon such an occasion have two judgements; one as to the real value
of the work, the other as to what may please the general taste at the
time.' JOHNSON. 'But you can be SURE of neither; and therefore I should
scruple much to give a suppressive vote. Both Goldsmith's comedies
were once refused; his first by Garrick, his second by Colman, who was
prevailed on at last by much solicitation, nay, a kind of force, to
bring it on. His Vicar of Wakefield I myself did not think would have
had much success. It was written and sold to a bookseller before his
Traveller; but published after; so little expectation had the bookseller
from it. Had it been sold after the Traveller he might have had twice
as much money for it, though sixty guineas was no mean price. The
bookseller had the advantage of Goldsmith's reputation from The
Traveller in the sale, though Goldsmith had it not in selling the copy.
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