奥利弗·哥尔德斯密斯的《威克菲尔德的牧师》是英国感伤主义的名作之一，这部名作既是社会小说，又是家庭小说。小说主人公普里姆罗斯博士以第一人称叙述他一家悲欢离合的经过。他们本属小康之家，待人宽厚，宾至如归。但过于天真，缺乏处世经验，屡遭欺凌。普里姆罗斯受经理他财产的商人之累，不幸破产，只得远离家乡去担任一个小教区的牧师。不久，长女奥利维亚为当地乡绅桑希尔诱骗后又遭遗弃。同时住宅失火，全家几乎无栖身之地，桑希尔又暗使奸计，使牧师无力还债而入狱；次女索菲娅险入歹徒之手：长子因找玷辱他家门风的桑希尔决斗而被捕。正当山穷水尽之时，幸得桑希尔的叔父威廉爵士搭救，绝处逢生。威廉爵士娶索菲娅为妻，取消了桑希尔继承他财产的权利，并把其中的三分之一划归奥利维亚，牧师一家得以团聚。小说一方面描写了社会现实的黑暗和罪恶，另一方面又创造了一幅纯朴、真诚、理想化了的田园家庭生活的图画以鼓舞读者。其中的主人公普里姆罗斯博士启发狄更斯创作小说《‘匹克威克外传》的主人公匹克威克的形象。哥尔德斯密斯的小说在其他方面也对狄更斯的创作发生过影响。

Chapter 1 The description of the family of Wakefield;

 in which a kindred likeness prevails as

 well of minds as of persons

Chapter 2 Family misfortunes. The loss Of fortune only

 servesto increase the pride of the worthy

Chapter 3 A migration. The fortunate circumstances

 of our lives are generally found at last to

 be of our own procuring

Chapter 4 A proofthat even the humblest fortune

 may grant happiness, which depends

 not on circumstance, but constitution

Chapter 5 A new and great acquaintance introduced.

 What we place mosthopes upon,

 generally proves most fatal

Chapter 6 The happiness of a country;fire-side

Chapter 7 A town wit described. The dullest fellows

 may learn to be comical for a night or two

Chapter 8 An amour, which promises little good

 fortune, yet may be productive of much

Chapter 9 Two ladies of great distinction introduced.

 Superior finery ever seems to confer

 superior breeding

Chapter 10 The family endeavours to cope with their

 betters. The miseries of the poor when

 they attempt to appear above their

 circumstances

Chapter 11 The family still resolve to hold up their

 heads

Chapter 12 Fortune seems resolved to humble the

 fami!y of Wakefield. Mortifications are

 often more painful than real calamities

Chapter 13 Mr Burchell is found to be an enemy; for

 he has the confidence to give disagreeable

 advice

Chapter 14 Fresh mortifications, or a demonstration that

 seeming calamities may be real blessings

Chapter 15 All Mr Burchell's villainy at once detected.

 The folly of being-over-wise

Chapter 16 The family use art, which is opposed with

 still greater

Chapter 17 Scarce any virtue found to resist the power

 of long and pleasing temptation

Chapter 18 The pursuit of a father to reclaim a lost

 child to virtue

Chapter 19 The description of a person discontented

 with thepresent government,, and

 apprehensive: of the loss of our liberties

Chapter 20 The history of a philosophic vagabond,

 pursuing novelty, but losing content

Chapter 21 The short continuance of friendship amongst

 the vicious, which is coeval only with

 mutual satisfaction

Chapter 22 Offences are easily pardoned where there

 is love at bottom

Chapter 23 None but the guilty can be long and completely

 miserable

Chapter 24 Fresh calamities

Chapter 25 No situation, however wretched it seems,

 but has some sort of comfort attending it

Chapter 26 A reformation in the gaol. To make laws

 complete, they should reward as well

 as punish

Chapter 27 The same subject continued

Chapter 28 Happiness and misery rather the result of

 prudence than of virtue in this life. Temporal

 evils or felicities being regarded by heaven as

 things merely in themselves trifling and

 unworthy its care in the distribution

Chapter 29 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

Chapter 30 Happier prospects begin to appear. Let us

 be inflexible, and fortune will at last change

 in our favour

Chapter 31 Former benevolence now repaidwith

 unexpected interest

Chapter 32 The conclusion