The Sun.
London, England, 1825-10-06 00:00:00

- - - -
MEMOIRS'y' RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN.

As this work, besides the interest which the
...Public must feel in relation to departed Genius
that was so ornamental to the country, whether
in a political or literary point of view, and as it.
was written by an author of -congenial powers,
and merited celebrity, we cannot be surprized at
the extraordinary eagerness with which it has al-
ready been received, and that considerable por-
tions of it s'iould occupy the columns of
,the
Daily Journals. 'We have selected, at present, an
account of the duels which took place in conse-
quence of Mr. SHERIDAN'S elopement from Bath
wit:► Miss LINLEY, one of the most beautiful,
amiable, and accomplished Ladies of her time. -
°' On the first discovery of the elopement, the landlord of the
house in which the Sheridans resided had, from a feeling of pity
-for the situation of the young ladies,--fiow left without the pro-
tection of either father or brother,—gone off, at break of day, to
the retreat of Charles Sheridan, and informed him of • the event
which had just occurred. Poor Charlesovholly ignorant till
then of his brother's attachment to M iss Linley, felt all that a
man may be supposed to feel, who had but too much reason to
thinkhilnself betrayed, as well as disappointed. He hastened
-to Bath; where he found a still itrore furious lover, Mr. Ma-
thews, inquiring at the house every particular of the affair, and,
almost avowing, in the impotence of his rage, the unprincipled
design which this summary step had frustrated. •In the-course
of their conversation, Charles Sheridan let fall some unguarded
expressions of anger against his brother, which this gentleman,
who seems to have been eminently qualified for a certain line of
characters indispensable -in all romances, treasured up in 'his
memory, and, as it will appear, afterwards availed himself' of
-them. For the four or five weeks during which the'young
couple were absent, he never ceased to haunt the Sheridan
family, with inquiries, rumours, and other distinbing
tions ; and at length, urged on by the restlessness of revenge,.
inserted the following violent- advertisement, in the Balk
Chronicle:—

" ' Wednesday, April 8, 1772.
" 4 Mr. Richard S having attempted, in a letter left
behind him for that purpose, to account for his 'scandalous
'method of running a,w.y from this place, by insinuations de.;
-rogating from my character, and that of a young lady, inno.
cent so far as relates to me, or my knowledge ; since which he
has neither taken any notice of letters, or even informed his
-own family of the place where he has hid himself ; I can no
longer think he deserves the treatment of a gentleman, and
therefore shall trouble myself no further about him than, in
this public method, to post him as a LL. . ~ and a treacherous

S -
" ' And as I am convinced there have been many malevo-
lent incendiaries concerned in the propagation of this Infamous
lie, if any of them, unprotected by age, infirmities, or profea-
sion, will dare toacknowledge the part they have acted, and
affirm to what they have said of me, they may'depend on re
-ceiving the proper reward of their villainy, in the most public
manner. The world will be candid enough to judge properly
i(I make no doubt) of any private abuse on this subject for the
future ; as nobody can defend himself from an accusation he is
ignorant of. • ` THOMAS MATHKWS.'
" On a remonstrance from Miss Sheridan upon this outra-
geous proceeding, he did nqt hesitate to assert that her brother,
Charles was privy to it—a charge which the latter with indig.
nation repelled, and was only prevented by the sudden depar
tare pf Mathews to London front, calling him. to a more serious
account for the falsehood. • • • •
On his arrival in Bath, .(whither he travelled with Alis
_ Linley and her father), Sheridan lost not a moment in ascer-.
taining the falsehood.of the charge against his brother. -While
Charles, however, indignantly denied the flagitious conduct im-
puted to him by Mathews, he expressed his opinion of the step
• mbich.Sheridan.and Miss Linley had taken, in terms of const-
. fierable warmth, which were:overheard by some of the family.
.As soon as the young ladies had retired to bed, the two bro..
.titers, without any announcement of their intention, set off post
together for London, Sheridan having previously written Mr.
Wade, the Master of the Ceremonies. * • •
"On the arrival of the brothers in town, Richard Sheridan
instanly called Mathews out. His second on the occasion was
Mr. Ewart, and the particulars of the duel are thtis stated by
himself, in a letter which he addressed to Captain Knight, the
-second of Mathews. soon after the subsequent duel in Bath
" 61a—On the evening preceding my last meeting with Mr,
Mathews, Mr. Barnett* produced a paper to me, written by
. Air. Mathews, containing an account of our former meetings in
London. As I had before frequently heard of Mr. Mathews's
relation of that Tfair. without interesting myself much in
-contradicting it, I s•tiould certainly have treated this in the same
_manner, had it not been seemingly authenticated by Mr.
Knight's name,being subscribed to it. My asserting. that the
paper contains much misrepresentation, equivocation, and
.ta:sity, might make it appear strange that I should apply to
you in this manner for . information on the subject ; but, as it
likewise contradicts what I have been told were Mr. Knight's
sentiments and assertions on that affair, I think I owe it to his
credit, as well as to my own justification, first, to be satisfied
from himself whether he really subscribed and will support the
truth of the account shown by Mi. Mathews. Give me leave
previously to relate what I have affirmed to be a real state of
our meeting in London, and which I ant now ready to support
'on my honour, or my oath, as the best account I can give of
Tyjr. Mathews's relation is, that it is almost directly opposite
.to Mine.

"Mr. Ewart accompaniedme to. Hyde-park,, about six in
the evening, where we met you and Mr. Mathews, and we
walked .togethebto the ring. Mr. Mathews refusing to make
arif other acknoWledgemeiit than he had done, I. observed that
we were conie to the grounds M. Mathews objected to the spot,
ard appealed, to you. We proceeded to the back of a building
on the other side of the ring, the ground was there perfectly
level. I called on him, and drew my sword (he having pre-
viously declined pistols). %lr. Ea-art observed a sentinel on
the other side of the building; we advanced to another part of
the Park. I stopped again at a seemingly convenient place:
Mr. Mathews objected to tile observations of some people at a
great distance, and proposed to retire to the Hercules' Pillars
till the park should he clear : we did so. In a little time we re-
'turned. I again drew my sword ; Mr. Mathews again objected
to the observation of a'person who seemed to watch us. Mr.
Ewart observed that the chance was equal, and engaged that no
one should stop him, should it be necessary for him to retire to
the gate, where he had a chaise and four, which was equally
at his service. Mr. Mathews declared that he would not engage
while any one was within sight, and
.proposed to defer it till
next morning. I turned to you and said that ' this was
trifling work,' that I could not admit of any delay, and en-
gaged to. remove the gentleman (who proveti to be an officer,
and who, on my going up to him, and assuring .him that any
interposition would be ill-timed, politely retired). Mr. Ma-
thews, in the mean time, had returned towards the gate ; Mr.
Ewart'andJ. called to you, and followed. We returned to the
Hercules' Pillars, and went from thence, by agreement, to the
Bedford Coffee-house, where, the master being alarmed, you
came and conducted us to Mr. Mathews at the Castle Tavern,
Henrietta-street. Mr. Ewart took lights up in his hand, and
almost immediately on our entering the room. we engaged. I
struck Mr. Matthews's point so much out of the line, that I
stepped up and caught hold of his wrist or the hilt of his
sword, while the point of saline was at his breast. You ran
in and caught hold of my arm, exclaiming, Don't kill him.'
I struggled to disengage my arm, and said his sword was in
my power. Mr. Mathews called out twice or thrice, 4 I beg
my life.' We were parted. You immediately said, These,
he has begged his life; and now there is an end of it ;' and, on
Mr. Ewart's saying that when his sword was in my power, as
I attempted no more, you should not have interfered, you re-
plied that you were wrong, but that you had done it hastily,
and to prevent mischief—or words to that effect. Mi. Mathews
then hinted that T was rather obliged to your interposition for
the advantage; you declared that 'before yoft did so, both
the swords were in 'Mr. Sheridan's power.' Mr. Mathews
still seemed resolved to give it another turn, and observed
that he had never quitted his sword. • Provoked at this, I
then swore (with too much heat, perhaps) that lie should either
give up his sword and I would break it, or Fo to his guard
again. He refused-,but, on my persisting, either gave it into
my hand, or flung it on the table, or the ground (which, I
will not absolutely affirm.) I broke it, and flung the hilt to
the other end of the room. He exclaimed at this. I took a
mourning sword from Mr. Ewart, and presenting him with
mine, gave my honour that what had passed •shOuld never be
mentioned by me, and he might now right himself again. He
replied, that he would never draw a sword against the man
who had given 'him his life :'—but, on his still exclaiming
against the indignity of breaking his sword (which he had
brought upon himself), Mr. Ewart offered him the pistols, and
some altercation passed between them. Mr. Mathews said,
that he could.never show his face, if it were known how his
sword was broke—that such a thing had never been done—that
it cancelled all obligations, &c. &c. You seemed to think it was
wrong, and we both proposed, that if he never misrepresented
the affair, it should notte mentioned by us. This was settled.
I then asked Mr. Mathews. whether (as he had expressed him-
self sensible of, and shocked at the injustice and dignity he
had done me in hls advertisement), it did not occur to, him
that" he owed me another satisfaction ; and that, as it
.was
now in his power to do it without discredit, I supposed he

* The friend of Mathews in the second duel.

would not hesitate. This he absolutely iefused, unless con.
ditionally ; I insisted on it, and said I would. not leave the
room till it was settled. After much altercation, and. with
much ill-grace, he g*e the apology which 'afterwards appear-
ed. We parted, and 1 returned immediately •to Bath. I,
there, to Colonel Gould, Captain Wade, Mr. Creaser, and
others, mentioned the ?Slur to Mr. Mathew's credit—said
that chance having given me the advantage, Mr. Mathews had
consented to that apology, and mentioning nothing of the
sword. Mr. Mathews came down, and' in two days I found
the whole affair had been stated in a different light, and insi-
nuations given out to the same purpose as in the paper which
has occasioned this trouble. I had undoubted authority that
these accounts proceeded from Mr. Mathews, and likewise that
Mr. Knight had never any share, in them. I then thought Ino
longer owed Mr. Mathews the compliment to conceal any cir-
cumstnce, and I related the 'affair to several gentlemen exactly
as above. a * * *~ * • * *
" I am your very humble servant.
" R. B. SHERIDAN.

" It was not till Tuesday morning that the young ladies at
Bath were relieved from their suspenie by the return of the
two brothers, who entered evidently much fatigued, not having
been in. bed since they left home, and produced the apology of
Mr. Mathews, which was instantly. sent to Cruttwell for in-
sertion. It was in the following terms
Being convinced that the expressions I made use of to
Mr. Sheridan's disadvantage were the effects of passion and mis-
representation, I retract what I have said to that Gentleman's
disadvantage, and particularly beg his pardon for my advertise-
ment in the Bath Chronicle.
" THOMAS MATHEWS.' "

"With the odour of this transaction fresh about him, Mr.
Mathews retired to his.otate in Wales, and, as he might have
expected, found himself universally shunned. An apology may
be,- according to circumstances, either the noblest effort of
manliness; or the last resource of fear ; and it was evident from
the reception'which ' this gehtlernan experienced every where,
that the former, at least, was not the class to svhieh his late re-
traction had been referred. In this .crisis of his character, a
Mr. Barnett, who had but lately come to reside in his neigh-
bourhood, observing with pain the mortifications to which he
was exposed, and perhaps thinking them, in some degree -tin-
merited, .took upon him to urge earnestly the necessity of a
second. meeting with Sheridan, as the only means of removing
the stigma left by the first; and with a degree of Irish friendli- ,
ness, not forgotten in the portrait of Sir Lucius 0' Trigger,
offered himself to be the bearer of the challenge. The desperation
of persons in Mr. Matthews's circumstances, is in general much
more formidable than the most acknowledged valour ; and we
may easily believe that it was with no ordinary eagerness he
accepted the, proposal of his new ally, and proceeded with him,
full •of vengeance, to Bath. • •
" The account of the duel, which 1 shall here subjoin, was
drawn up some months after, by the second of Mr. Matthews,
and deposited in the hands of Captain Wade, the master of the
ceremonies. Though somewhat partially . coloured,- and (ac-
cording to Mr. Sheridan's remarks upon it) incorrect in some
particulars, it is, upbn the whole, perhaps as accurate a state-
ment as could be expected. * * •
" "-COPY`OF A PAPER LEFT BY MR. BAItNETT IN THE
HANDS or CAPTAIN WILLIAM WADE, . MASTER OF THE
CEREMONIES AT BATH.
" ' On quitting our chaises at the top of Kingsdown, I en-
tered into- a conversation with Capt. Patimier, relative to some
preliminaries I thought ought to be settled in an affair which
was likely to end very seriously;—particularly the method•of
using their pistols, which Mr. Mathews had repeatedly signified
his desire to use prior to swords, front a conviction that Mr.
Sheridan would run in on him, and an uhgentlemanlike scuffle
probably be the conseluence. This, however, wad: refused by
Mr. Sheridan, declaring he had no piStola : Captain Paumier
replied he had a brace (which I know were loaded): By my
advice, Mr. Mathews's were not loaded, as I imagined it was
always customary to load on the field, which I mentioned to
Captain Paumier at the White Hart, before we went out, and
, desired he'would draw his pistols. He replied; as they were
already loaded, and they going on a public road at that time of
the morning, he might as well let them remain so, till we got
to the place appointed, when he would on his honour draw
them, which I am convinced he would have done had there
been time ; but Mr. Sheridan immediately drew his sword,
and; in a vaunting manner, desired Mr. Mathews to draw
(their ground was very uneven, and near the post-chaises.)
Mr. Mathews drew ; Mr. Sheridan advanced on him at
first; Mr. Mathews in turn advanced fast on Mr. Sheridan ;
upon which lie retreated, till lie very suddenly raw in upon
Mr. Mathews, laying ,himself exceedingly open, and endea-
vouring to get hold of Mr. Mathews's sword ; Mr. Mathews
' received him on his point, and, 1 believe, disengaged his
sword from Mr. Sheridan's body, and- gave him another
wound ; which.), I suppose,- must have been either against
one of his ribs or his breast-bone, as his sword broke, which I
hnagine happened from the resistance it met with from one of
those parts ; but whether it, was broke 'froni that, or on the
closing, I cannot aver.
" ' l',lr. Mathews, I' think, on finding his sword broke, laid
hold of Mr. Sheridan's sword.arrn, and tripped up his heels:
they both fell ; Mr. Mathews was uppermost, with the hilt of
his sword in his hand, -twang about six or seven inches of the
Made to it,: with which I- saw him give Mr. Sheridan, as I
imagined, a skin wound or two in the neck ; for it could be no
more—the remaining part of the sword being broad and blunt;
he also beat him in the face either with his fist or the hilt of his
sword. Upon this I turned from them, and asked Captain Pau-
mier if we should not take them up; but 1 cannot' say whether
-h heard me or not, as there was a good deal of noise ; however,
he made no reply. I again turned to the combatants, who were
much in the same situation : I found Mr. Sheridan's sword was
bent, and he slipped his hand bp the small part and gave Mr.
Mathews a slight wound in the left part of his belly : I that in-
stant turned again to Captain Paumier, and proposed again our .
taking then: up. He in the same moment called out, 'Oh! he
is killed, he is killed I' I as quick as possible truned again,
and found Mr. Mathews had recovered the point of his sword,
that was before on the ground, with which he had wounded
Mr. Sheridan in the belly : I saw him drawing the point out
of the wound. By this time Mr.. Sheridan's- sword was broke,
•which he told us. Captain Paumier called out to him, ' My
dear Sheridan, beg your life, and I will be yours for ever.' I
also desired him to ask his life ; he replied, " No, by G—ds I
won't.' I then told-Captain Paumier it would not do to wait
for thos punctilios (or words to that effect), and desired lie
would assist me in taking them up. Mr. Mathews most rea-
dily acquiesced first, desiring me to see Mr. Sheridan was dis-
armed. I desired him to give me the tuck, which he readily
did, as did Mr. Sheridan the broken part of his sword to
Captain Paumier. Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Mathews both got
up, the former was helped into one of the chaises, and drove
off for Bath • and Mr:Mathews made the best of his way for
London. . * * , * • - •
.
" Mr. Sheridan was driven ,from the ground to the White
Hart • where hitcher and Sharpe, the most eminent surgeons
of Bath, attended and dressed his wound, and, on the following
day, at the request of his sisters,' he was carefully removed' to
Ins own home. The newspapers, which contained the account •
of the affair, and even stated that Sheridan's life was in danger,
reached the Linleys at Oxford during the perforMance, but
were anxiously concealed from Miss Tinley by her father, who
knew that the intelligence would totally disaule her from ap-
pearing. Some persons, who were witnesses of the performance
that day; still talk of the touching effect which her beauty and
singing produced upon all present, aware, as they were, that a
heavy calamity had befallen her, of which she herself was per-
haps the only one in the assembly ignorant.
-" In her way back to Bath, she Was met at some miles from
the town by a Mr. Panton, a clergyman, long intimate with
the family, who, taking her from her father's chaise into his
own, employed the rest of -the journey. in cautiously breaking
to her the particulars of the alarnimg event that had occurred.
Notwithstanding this precaution, her feelings were so taken by
surprise, that, in the distress of le moment, she let the secret
of her heart escape, and passionately exclaimed, 4‘ My hus•
band ! my husband ! "—demanding to see him, and insisting
upon her right as his wife to be near him, and watch over him
day and night. Her entreaties, however, could not be complied'
with ; for the elder Mr. Sheridan, on his return froth town, in-
censed and grieved at the catastrophe ,to which his son's im-,
prudent paision had led, refused for, some time even to see him,
and strictly forbade all intercourse between his daughters and
the Linley family. But the appealing looks of a brother, lying
wounded and unhappy, had more power over their hearts than
the commands of a father ; and they, accordingly, contrived
to communicate intelligence of the lovers to each other.
44 The following Lent Miss Linley appeared in the oratorios
at Covent-garden ; and Sheridan, who,'from the nearness of his
retreat to London, (to use a phrase of his own, repeated in one
of his friend's letters,) 1. trod upon the heels of perilous proba--
bilities,' though prevented by the vigilance of her fattier from a
private interview, had frequent opportunities of seeing her in
" It appears, however, that a serious misunderstanding at
this time occurred between them, originating probably in some
public. Among many other stratagems which lie contrived for
the purposeof &changing a few words with her, he more than
once disguised himself. as a hackney. coachman, and drove her
home from the theatre. -
of those paroxysms of jealousy, into which a lover like Sheri-
dan
of his mistress attracted. Among various alliances in-
vented .for her by the public at this period, it was rumoured
in the Bath Chronicle of April, 1773, a correspondence is
; and
though pretty evidently a fabrication, yet proves the high opi-
nion entertained of the purity of her character. The corres-
pondence is thus introduced in a letter to the editor :.-,4; The
following letters are confidently said to have passed between
gdiinmausstauhtahveenbtiecenbtctowneteinnuhaelrlyandiroino,
r,dbyutrhoesvneunmorer,, numerous ad-
-miners mirera and pursuers of all' kinds which the beauty and cele-
brity
that she was about to be married to Sir Thomas Clargei

Lord G.--r and the celebrated English syren, Miss L-y.
send them to you for publication, not with any view to in-
crease the volume of literary scandal,
.which, I am sorry to
say, -at present needs no assistance' but with the most laud-
able intent of setting an example for our modern belles, by
holding out the character of a young woman, who, notwith-
standing the solicitations of her profession, and the flattering
example of higher ranks, has added incorruptible virtue to a
number of the most elegant qualifications.' '
" Whatever may have caused the misunderstanding between
her and her lover, a reconcilement was with no great difficulty
effected, by the mediation of Sheridan's young friend, Mr:
Ewart ; and, at length, after a series of stratagems and scenes,
which convinced Mr. Linley that it was impossible much longer
to keep them asunder, he,consented to their union, and on the
13th April, 1773, they were married by licence; Mr. Ewart
being at the same time wedded to a young lady with whom lie
also had eloped clandestinely to France, but was now enabled,
by the forgiveness of his father, to complete this double triumph
of friendship and love." '

We may very properly add to the account of these fero-
cious duets, which excited great curiosity and universal atten-
tion at the time, an Anecdote which we 'heard from the late
Mr. WILLIAM WOODFALL, a gentleman on whose candour
and veracity the utmost reliance may be placed. A gross and
most malignant misrepresentation of Mr. SHERIDAN appeared
in a Bath 'Journal about that period. ~111 r. Sheridan waited on
his friend Mr. Woodfall, who had founded, and then conducted
The Morning Chronicle, requesting that the latter would insert
the account in his' Paper. Mr. Woodfall naturally expressed
his surprise that Mr. Sheridan should wish to give increased
publicity to a narrative which he described as altogether malig-
nant and fallacious. Mr. Sheridan, in answer, alleged as the rea-
son, that it cottid not be sufficiently known in the limited range
of a Provincial Journal, and theretbre, by inserting it in a Lon-
don Print of high reputation, it would circulate through the
country ; and hence the contradiction,. which he would bring
the next day,..would be equally, in possession of the People at
large. It was therefore inserted in the Morning Chronicle; but
Mr. Woodfall never heard from Mr. Sheridan on the subject
again. Mr. Woodfall used to relate this anecdote in palliation
of Mr. Sheridan's negligence in relation to others, since he had
shewn such carelessness respecting himself, after having extend-
ed the circulation of a false and malicious attack on his cha-
racter, and laid it as the basis of his intended refutation and
defence.

i7ll-tX- * • fi* ‘%` //\
----e," ---W - :.--------I'-•-- -
,---- -1--A,-,
il.
cr
C. Affb"

MASONIC NOTICES FOR NEXT WEEK.
ENGLAND.
Monday, Oct. 10, LONDON. Nos. 40, 143, 241, 319,
329, 335.
COUNTRY. Nos. 131, 243, 320, 378,
433, 473, 517, 536, 546,
570, 574, 578;701.
Tuesday, - 11, Lorrnwr. Nos. 12, 23,,62, 100, 128,
290, 300, 367, 421, 479.
COUNTRY. Nos. 24, 67, 138, 1-15, 211,
263, 292, 427, 604, 626,
668. 714.
Wednesday, - 12, LONDON. Nos. 3, 11, 16, 19, 29, 47,
96, 237, 257,334; 353,
435.
COUNTRY. Nos. 159, 213, 215, 232,
314, 344, 440, 442, 447,
478, 647, 661.
Thursday, 13, LONDON. Nos. 6, 18. 25, 34, 79,
194, 271, 299, 301, 326,
338, 499. Quart. Gen.
Court Fern. Sch. at 11.
COUNTRY. Nos. 110, 111, 153, 172,
178, 269, 278, 354, 397,
531, 540, 591.
- 14, LONDON. No. 275.
• COUNTRY. Nos. 53, 282, 283.
15, LownoN• * * *
COUNTRY. No. 64.

Friday,

Saturday,

FRANCE.
The following from the French Papers is interesting to the

Craft :

" CADIZ, SEPT. 16.—Although the King's decree ordered
the authorities of Grenada to execute, in three days, the eight
freemasons taken flagrant/ delicto in their Lodge, the letters of
this city announce that these.individuals have not been put to
death and that, so far from it, their affairs take such a turn as
to make us think they will be acquitted."