But，beforethe\"VicarofWakefield\"appearedinprint，camethegreatcrisisofGoldsmith’sliterarylife。InChristmasweek，1764，hepublishedapoem，entitledthe\"Traveller。\"Itwasthefirstworktowhichhehadputhisname;anditatonceraisedhimtotherankofalegitimateEnglishclassic。Theopinionofthemostskilfulcriticswas，thatnothingfinerhadappearedinversesincethefourthbookofthe\"Dunciad。\"Inonerespectthe\"Traveller\"differsfromallGoldsmith’sotherwritings。Ingeneralhisdesignswerebad，andhisexecutiongood。Inthe\"Traveller，\"theexecution，thoughdeservingofmuchpraise，isfarinferiortothedesign。Nophilosophicalpoem，ancientormodern，hasaplansonoble，andatthesametimesosimple。AnEnglishwanderer，seatedonacragamongtheAlps，nearthepointwherethreegreatcountriesmeet，looksdownontheboundlessprospect，reviewshislongpilgrimage，recallsthevarietiesofscenery，ofclimate，ofgovernment，ofreligion，ofnationalcharacter，whichhehasobserved，andcomestotheconclusionjustorunjust，thatourhappinessdependslittleonpoliticalinstitutions，andmuchonthetemperandregulationofourownminds。
Whilethefourtheditionofthe\"Traveller\"wasonthecountersofthebooksellers，the\"VicarofWakefield\"appeared，andrapidlyobtainedapopularitywhichhaslasteddowntoourowntime，andwhichislikelytolastaslongasourlanguage。Thefableisindeedoneoftheworstthateverwasconstructed。Itwants，notmerelythatprobabilitywhichoughttobefoundinataleofcommonEnglishlife，butthatconsistencywhichoughttobefoundeveninthewildestfictionaboutwitches，giants，andfairies。Buttheearlierchaptershaveallthesweetnessofpastoralpoetry，togetherwithallthevivacityofcomedy。Mosesandhisspectacles，thevicarandhismonogamy，thesharperandhiscosmogony，thesquireprovingfromAristotlethatrelativesarerelated，OliviapreparingherselfforthearduoustaskofconvertingarakishloverbystudyingthecontroversybetweenRobinsonCrusoeandFriday，thegreatladieswiththeirscandalaboutSirTomkyn’samoursandDrBurdock’sverses，andMrBurchellwithhis\"Fudge，\"havecausedasmuchharmlessmirthashaseverbeencausedbymatterpackedintososmallanumberofpages。Thelatterpartofthetaleisunworthyofthebeginning。
Asweapproachthecatastrophe，theabsurditiesliethickerandthicker;andthegleamsofpleasantrybecomerarerandrarer。
ThesuccesswhichhadattendedGoldsmithasanovelistemboldenedhimtotryhisfortuneasadramatist。Hewrotethe\"GoodnaturedMan，\"apiecewhichhadaworsefatethanitdeserved。GarrickrefusedtoproduceitatDruryLane。ItwasactedatCoventGardenin1768，butwascoldlyreceived。Theauthor，however，clearedbyhisbenefitnights，andbythesaleofthecopyright，nolessthan500pounds，fivetimesasmuchashehadmadebythe\"Traveller\"andthe\"VicarofWakefield\"together。Theplotofthe\"GoodnaturedMan\"is，likealmostallGoldsmith’splots，veryillconstructed。Butsomepassagesareexquisitelyludicrous;
muchmoreludicrous，indeed，thansuitedthetasteofthetownatthattime。Acanting，mawkishplay，entitled\"FalseDelicacy，\"