In the
following month two gentlemen called at Green Arbour Court to enlist the
services of its author. One was Smollett, with a new serial, 'The
British Magazine'; the other was Johnson's 'Jack Whirler,' bustling Mr.
John Newbery from the 'Bible and Sun' in St. Paul's Churchyard, with a
new daily newspaper, 'The Public Ledger'. For Smollett, Goldsmith wrote
the 'Reverie at the Boar's Head Tavern' and the 'Adventures of a
Strolling Player,' besides a number of minor papers. For Newbery, by a
happy recollection of the 'Lettres Persanes' of Montesquieu, or some of
his imitators, he struck almost at once into that charming epistolary
series, brimful of fine observation, kindly satire, and various fancy,
which was ultimately to become the English classic known as 'The Citizen
of the World'. He continued to produce these letters periodically until
the August of the following year, when they were announced for
republication in 'two volumes of the usual 'Spectator' size.' In this
form they appeared in May, 1762.
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