The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-01 00:00:00

MR. SHERIDAN.

It is not so surprising that there should he
some inaccuracies in Mr. MooßE's life of Mr.
SHERIDAN, as that he should have been able to
collect so much authentic matter, now that most
of the parties concerned -are in the grave. Refer--
-ring to the funeral of Mr. RICHARDSON, Mr.
IVIooRE says, " with a fidelity to his old habits
-of unpunctuality, at which the stiade of RICHARD.
-SON might have smiled, he (Mr. S.) arrived too late
at Bagshot for the funeral of his friend." On this
occasion Mr. SHERIDAN is wholly free from
blame. The fact is exactly as follows :—The
mourners were Mr. SHERIDAN, Mr. RICHARD
IVILsoN, Doctor COMBE, and the writer of this
article. The party called in a post-coach and
'four at Mr. SHERIDAN'S in George-street,
Hanover-square.. He was ready and came to the
door to say that he was obliged to wait upon the
Duke of BEDFORD, hut would overtake us on
the road. lie did so at Turnham-green, and
'then we hastened to Egham, (not Bagshot) and
'bad the mortification to find that the funeral had
taken place. The time fixed was one o'clock,
and the party reached the place at precisely a
quarter after. The fault was in the undertaker,
who had another funeral to attend, and there-
fore hurried this. Mr. SHERIDAN paced the
church-yard with great dejection, observing that
the fault would be imputed wholly to him, and
that he should be ashamed to appear at BROOKS'S
or to face the common friends of Mr. RICHARDSON,
and himself. At this juncture, the clergyman who
had performed the ceremony came into the
church-yard, and being asked by one of the party
• if the ceremony could cbe performed again, to
satisfy the feelings of the friends of the deceased,
he said he would ask his father, to whom he
was Curate, and if he obtained permission he
would return properly attired for the occasion.
Hearing this Mr. SHERIDAN most anxiously ex-
pressed his wish that the ceremony might be re-
peated, stating who he was, and sending his most
earnest entreaties to the father of the Clergyman
for that purpose. In a few moments the Clergy-
man returned with his surplice on, and the funeral
service was repeated with due solemnity in the
church, and at the grave, without removal of the
body. On returning it was settled that Mr.
SHERIDAN should write an Epitaph on his depart-
td friend, and that Dr. COMBE should select a
durable tomb-stone, but, alas, they too are in the
grave,—no Epitaph was written, and No atone
selectOtl, and the remains of Mr. RICHARDSON,
a gentleman of .high talents, and deservedly ad-
mired for his classical attainments and literary
eminence, are undistinguished by any memorial
of his worth and genius ! On the return to town
Mr. SHERIDAN, accompanied by the present
'writer, walked with great. dejection from Picca-
dilly to his house in George-street, in bitter
agony deploring the death of one who, he said,
was his friend and counsellor on all matters of a
domestic as well as of a public nature, and the
loss of whom, at his time of life, it was im-
possible for him ever to repair!

RESURRECTION MEN.—SOMC short time since
two of those ingenious gentlemen, in prowling
round the suburbs of the Metropolis, heard of
a Lady who was seriously ill, but the nature
of her complaint her medical attendants were
-amble to ascertain. She., however, shortly
afterwards 'died, and in order to be " quite
correct," the Resurrection men mixed up with
the spectators at the burial, and took mea-
sures accordingly. Previous to the death of the
Lady, the church-yard in the neighbourhood had
been aisited, a subject disinterred and' carried
of, and hence, the sick Lady became alarmed
least her remains might meet with similar treat-
ment, and she made a dying request, that her grave
might be watched for ten days and nights after
interment. This was promised, and executed as
folle7ws :—The person employed got four stout
fellows with sheets and cudgels, to he used as
occasion might require; and at 11 o'clock on the
night of the funeral, he had two placed within
the church, and two others on the road from Lon-
don. When nearly 12 o'clock, the latter perceiv-
ed a horse and cart with two men drive into a
lane near the church-yard, who alighted quickly,
carrying two spades, a small crow-bar, and
sack ; with which they proceeded rapidly to the
grave, and at once began their filthy occupation.
While in the act, one of the guardians in the
church stole out and placed himself at the gate 4
raising the- sheet on high with his cudgel, and
the other took up his station by a headstone, a
few yards from the operators, and then gave a
hollow groan. They at once looked round, and
petrified with fear and astonishment, beheld a
tall and pale figure before them; a simultaneous
movement brought them to the gate, where an-
_other figure no less horrible, appeared, and which
motioned them to depart. On leaping the wall
facing the lane, to get the horse and cart away,
they perceived another figure about 12. feet high
standing upright in the cart. Amazement seized
them, and they became rooted to the spot, when
.the ghost at the gate coming up, they were soon
convinced by the sturdiness of the blows dealt
them, that something more substantial than
aerial beings were the authors of their fright.
Ultimately, they became indebted to their heels
for safety, at the same time leaving their horse,
cart, and impliments behind to the mercy of the
" Ghosts."