"Though Goldsmith ultimately rose to associate with birds of a finer feather, his heart would still yearn in secret after the 'Three Jolly Pigeons.'"
If this be correct, as it most likely is, the song referred to, and the scene it illustrates, were not suggested by the inn at Brentford.
B. M.
Philadelphia.
The alehouse situate at Lishoy in Ireland, where Goldsmith's father was vicar, was, no doubt, "The Three Pigeons" of She Stoops to Conquer. There is a sketch of it in the Tourist's Handbook for Ireland, p. 175. The author refers to Mr. John Forster's Life of Goldsmith, which I have not at hand.
Thompson Cooper.
Cambridge.
Corporation Enactments (Vol. ix., p. 300.).—It is an easy, but generally an unsafe thing to quote from quotations. Abhba should have referred to The Dublin Penny Journal, vol. i. p. 226., for his extracts from the Town Books of the Corporation of Youghal, co. Cork; and, even then, might have made farther reference to Crofton Croker's Researches in the South of Ireland, p. 160., whence the paragraph (unacknowledged) was introduced into The Dublin Penny Journal. Mr. Croker, moreover, fell into error with respect to the dates of these curious enactments, which were long antecedent to 1680 and 1703. I have seen them in the original (Book A), and vouch for the accuracy of the subjoined:
"1613-14. Thomas Geoffry made a freeman (being a barber), on condition that he should trim every freeman for sixpence per ann.
"1622. John Bayly made free, on condition to dress the dinners of the several Mayors."
I may give you some farther extracts from a MS. Note Book relative to this corporation at a future period.