CHAPTER I
The Description of the Family of Wakefield, in Which Kindred Likeness Prevails, as Well of Minds as of
Persons..............................................3
  CHAPTER II
Family Misfortunes-The Loss of Fortune Only Serves to Increase the Pride of the Worthy ...................10
  CHAPTER III
A Migration-The Fortunate Circumstances of ou Lives are Generally Found at Last to Be of Our own
Procuring............................................ 16
  CHAPTER IV
A Proof That Even the Humblest Fortune May Grant Happiness, Which Depends not on Circumstances but
Constitution......................................... 27
  CHAPTER V
A New and Great Acquaintance Introduced-What we Place Most Hopes upon Generally Proves Most Fatal.... 33
  CHAPTER VI
The Happiness of a Country Fireside 39
  CHAPTER VII
A Town Wit Described-The Dullest Fellows may Learn to be Comical for a Night or Two............... 45
  CHAPTER VIII
An Amour Which Promises Little Good Fortune; yet May Be Productive of Much............................ 52
  CHAPTER IX
Two Ladies of Great Distinction Introduced-Superior Finery Ever Seems to Confer Superior Breeding........ 62
  CHAPTER X
The Family Endeavors to Cope with Their Betters- The Miseries of the Poor When they Attempt to Appear above Their
Circumstances..................... 67
 CHAPTER XI
The Family Still Resolve to Hold Up Their Heads........ 73
  CHAPTER XII
Fortune Seems Resolved to Humble the Family of Wakefield-Mortifications are Often More Painful than Real
Calamities..................................81
  CHAPTER XIII
Mr. Burchell is Found to Be an Enemy; for He Has the Confidence to Give Disagreeable Advice......................89
  CHAPTER XIV
Fresh Mortifications, or a Demonstration that Seeming Calamities May Be Real Blessings............................94
  CHAPTER XV
All Mr. Burchell's Villainy at Once Detected-The Folly of Being Over-Wise....................................104
  CHAPTER XVI
The Family Use Art; Which is Opposed with Still Greater.....................................................111
  CHAPTER XVII
Scarcely Any Virtue Found to Resist the Power of Long and Pleasing Temptation................................120
CHAPTER XVIII
The Pursuit of a Father to Reclaim a Lost Child to Virtue......................................................132
  CHAPTER XIX
The Description of a Person Discontented with the Present Government, and Apprehensive of the Loss of Our
Liberties............................................139
  CHAPTER XX
The History of a Philosophic Vagabond, Pursuin Novelty, but Losing Content.................................151
  CHAPTER XXI
The Short Continuance of Friendship among the Vicious, Which is Coeval only with Mutual Satisfac-
tion.........................................................173
  CHAPTER XXII
Offences are Easily Pardoned Where There is Love at Bottom.......................................................185
  CHAPTER XXIII
None but the Guilty can be Long and Completely Miserable....................................................192
  CHAPTER XXIV
Fresh Calamities...............................................200
  CHAPTER XXV
No Situation, However Wretched It Seems, but Has Some Sort of Comfort Attending It............................207
  CHAPTER XXVI
A Reformation in the Gaol-To Make Laws Complete They Should Reward as well as Punish.........................214
  CHAPTER XXVII
The Same Subject Continued.....................................222
  CHAPTER XXVIII
Happiness and Misery Rather the Result of Prudence than of Virtue in this Life-Temporal Evils or Feli- cities Being Regarded
by Heaven as Things Merel in Themselves Trifling, and Unworthy Its Care in the Distribution.............................................228
  CHAPTER XXIX
The Equal Dealings of Providence Demonstrated with Regard to the Happy and the Miserable Here Below -That from the
Nature of Pleasure and Pain, the Wretched Must Be Repaid the Balance of Their Sufferings in the Life
Hereafter.......................243
  CHAPTER XXX
Happier Prospects Begin to Appear-Let Us Be Inflexible and Fortune Will at Last Change in Our
Favor..................................................250
  CHAPTER XXXI
Former Benevolence Now Repaid with Unexpected Interest...............................................262
  CHAPTER XXXII
The Conclusion...........................................283
  THE DESERTED VILLAGE.....................................29

   There are a hundred faults in this Thing, and a hundred things might be said to prove them beauties. But it is needless. A book
may be amusing with numerous errors, or it may be very dull without a single absurdity. The hero of this piece unites in himself
the three greatest characters upon earth; he is a priest, a husbandman, and the father of a family. He is drawn as ready to teach
and ready to obey; as simple in affluence, and majestic in adversity. In this age of opulence and refinement, whom can such a
character please? Such as are fond of high life will turn with disdain from the simplicity of his country fireside. Such as mistake
ribaldry for humor will find no wit in his harmless conversation; and such as have been taught to deride religion will laugh at one
whose chief stores of comfort are drawn from futurity.

About the print version
The Vicar of Wakefield
Oliver Goldsmith : The Fountain Press
Chicago 1965
Published: 1766

English

Revisions to the electronic version
April 1994 Timothy Jarrett
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