It was not, however, actually published until the 19th of December,
1764, and the title-page bore the date of 1765*. The publisher was John
Newbery, of St. Paul's Churchyard, and the price of the book, a quarto
of 30 pages, was 1s. 6d. A second, third and fourth edition quickly
followed, and a ninth, from which it is here reprinted, was issued in
1774, the year of the author's death. Between the first and the sixth
edition of 1770 there were numerous alterations, the more important of
which are indicated in the ensuing notes.
[footnote] *This is the generally recognized first edition. But the
late Mr. Frederick Locker Lampson, the poet and collector, possessed a
quarto copy, dated 1764, which had no author's name, and in which the
dedication ran as follows:--'This poem is inscribed to the Rev. Henry
Goldsmith, M.A. By his most affectionate Brother Oliver Goldsmith.' It
was, in all probability, unique, though it is alleged that there are
octavo copies which present similar characteristics.
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