Quote: Hamish took his book of Goldsmith’s poems out of his bag and read his account of how to travel cheaply: ‘Whenever I approached a peasant's house towards nightfall, I played one of my most merry tunes. That generally procured me not only lodging, but food for the next day.’ In a hopeful voice he went on ‘I can do the singing, Claudie boy. Can you do the flute?’  ‘Claudius is my name,’ came the reply. ‘I can’t do much on the flute but I can play the violin.’ €

• Oliver Goldsmith and the Flute: Goldsmith was a skilled player who used his talent to finance his studies at Edinburgh University.
• Inspiration for "The Vicar of Wakefield": The character Sir William Thornhill playing the flute might be linked to Goldsmith's experiences.
• Walking Tour and Earning by Performance: Goldsmith traveled through Europe playing his flute to fund his journey, later inspiring Claudius Buchanan.
• Claudius Buchanan Follows Goldsmith's Example: After leaving Scotland, Buchanan adopted Goldsmith's method of playing music to travel cheaply.