The Sun.
London, England, 1816-12-06 00:00:00

tt ee was htenaOW ex teem-Cp'-TiWrify of the
Cynic, Awl partiodarly of Pizarro, co profit by
the sale of the copies. That this has 'never yet
been done' with respect to the manuscript of the
School for-Selaidal, is a mystery which cannot
easily be explained on the assumption (but it really
was the legitimate offspring of his muse whose
name it beats. The ground is very teiuler, but
the interests c.t truth are too sacre`thand•important
to be sacriAceil to delicacy. The silence 'ot' Mr.
Sheridan, on a subject that so nearly tiffeeted his
credit its A dramatist, cannot be justified either on
the plea of ignorance or of CollScidils dignity. He
would nOt botitacquainted with what macs very cm.;
manly reported 'soon atter the appearance' of .the'
play, for he has somebrosd allosions to the subject
in the celebrated farae which he avowedly brought
out for the purpose of making his detractors ridi"-
culous. :Bet contempt is ito answer, and ridicule
is no test of truth. The comedy of the School for
Scandal was exhibited as the production of the
ruanaget4nd it is still considered as exclusively
his composition. %'bile time rolls 011,$:the:dila- ,
eulty of settling the question must necessarily, bei
increasiog : and this; in all probability, will be.
one of those critical points uhotit which the spirit
of literary research will labour in vain. Like the
famous book ascribed to Charles the First, this
play may occasion, at a foture Ii rind, considerable
discassion,Aud contention, unless the friends and
cOntensporaries of Mr. Sheridan shall put the
mattereompletely at rest by pt '<wincing the wa-,
ouseript in his own hand writ ing, and suppotting
it by such testimonies of his claim 'as cannot he
crottroveAed, That at manuscript of this play,
in the rough and original state 'in which it came
front the author, with interliothition's and corTi
r.ections in anothet,hand, is in eisistence,, can be
assertt,d with confidence : it wilt remain., there-
fore, to ;re :whether, ;after it lapse of near forty
the best effosiiins -of the cninie.
ontsersh.di still continue locked' epfrote the public
as- ureNortliv of a.iteme,-,and' properly consigned
to the foundling hospital of wit. • •
" stories arc always to be received,
with great potion ; and hadtheright-Of Sheridan
II) the seine finittit havisig irriitere this'itley been
westioned, eyrie 'no other groonds, his vindica-
tlOn ‘vott,kthlP4vebeeterottilly unnecessary. lint,the
•accusation wore a grave aspect inany'years ag?,
and when be must -.have -been sensiilly apve. tie
every thing that kitiVetedltis literary fame. Some
of his enemies taxed hintit:Wl a breach oticonfi..
ciente, but others only asserted that he had akitoila
the character of a sponsor and, loiter-it:trek to a
picceoethicli the author rclingniskd ti,ons, motives.
of frienirship, and which he wa,afterwards. too
generous to' claim.
,'When such stUries wete.alloat, the obvious
course pointed out by prudence and justice Was,:
that of publishing the play 'it lcust, cven
it iiiight not 'hare been deemed necessary tairle.;•
scendintd lin explicit 'refutation, of, the celtrnmies.,
that' were in cliental ion. This was not done, and
the seclusion Of'the piece within the walls Of the,
theatre, together with a total' forbearance t,i'
explanation On the_ part pt the tnianager, served
ro'st'rengthen the 'suspicion,,, that .however em-
bellished the tele Might be, alt waa not altogether
fiction. ' ,'" • ...
-" No ratan likes to bt: deceived in what.bas
admit atian, and for the,repeted.,aitthOr.
of %%Ilia has being entertained the high respect
that is dite'To pre-eminent genius. ' That the'
doubt eariett 46 long since, In regard to the au-
thor of the Scheid! for Scandal, has never yet
been satklactoriFy cleared up, either by investie
gation or 'explanation by him. who was 11104 in•
terested in the matter, is .tit be,lamented,:bedanse'
an unfavourable impressiotibai been wide, which
will become deeper and wore extensive in propoe.
tion' to - the lapse of years, aced the efforts that
Maybe Madefor Its rethoval, 40 this comedy is,
the corner stone of Slieridan!s
.literary fame, the
question of his entire chilli foram composition is
of material importance, and ther,cfore 11‘)
hlitcoc
can be-limit-n.(l for 'baying sta.te4,the,charge
ofa
deception in the strongest hglit., and the eireom.
stantial evidence by which it is supported ; that,
if palate, the truth may beidainly developed be-
fore the.opportunity,ehall pass away. never to 're-
turn. `The acenseeion, is not now, for the first
time, broiight before the.pnblic ; and as it once
obtained so much credit as
,to be admitted into
a work of established authority, out the sub-
ject of dramatic history, to have suppressed all
notice of it ~iot this place would lustre argued
ei-
tiler a pitiful or a culpable partiality.
The standard ekaracter of the play itself roptires
that this question of its origin should be fairly
stated, that they who are competent 16 decide it
effectually may be stimulated .to the andertsking,
while the information of> living witnesses' can be
pt.oettreas and while written evidences,' to support
the iutire.right-,0( Mr. Sheridan to the compOsi-
tion, ,ean,be: prothiced.. This is •rendered more
indispeusabla
.by .the.pertinacious.silence which-
has Ititileeta been observed in regard to a dlrett
allegation, v.et'y et lllicitl.y, though 'not- perh4s
aitogcther accurately,:stated, upon the:sopticiP.
parentage of this comedy. Whether that aceOimt,
be correct or not, in the whole, 'cite implleation
*Web it conveyed was so verrierloois-'es- to' de;
serveeonsidetetion,. especially wheli it was' cone
fleeted with, other relation to the game' putt-Turf.,
"the.,pitly,is 661) exhibited on the stagelVa the
mriSt lummous production .oi the vittse of Sheri;
-dun ; and it has been conseeratedAseueler 4.111
'eon? of' his memory ; but, invitliotteits,
appear to throw a doubt ewer_ his claim, litersitl
justice demands an explivatrop of the tessoni,
why it has never been printed trout the original
manoscript,•and why not, the sotalleSt aUtit'c~ has
ever beets publicly Liken of the ascription of thris
-celebrated piece to Other hands', , ,Intlifftrence,
.:ctmstire may be lauattble tinder a consciousness:of
rectitude and silence amidst untneritt4l 441116;
is the triumph of dignity over melicel dolt the
. ease is of another uature, in a elorge,a deception
which affects the interest i of literature no I
'than the repotation'a'ati Ilere is a
,debt tine to the pubtle tor the eiritfidenee that
been pieced in
_private integrity ; and. whatever
ILt
titid U
ecraoe'lltiltis'a}f:
carelessness a myaentnie
tiliyi:sleseolrealyb.o
writing a'play,
tion'a honlany to defend the laurel which hasbeen
set upon his heed by the best jothzes of
excellence,,uni which is coefirmed by toilet:vial
sutirage."

• .
LNC
LAW

COU la OF KING'S BEN'Cii, DEC. S.

VIOLENT ASSAULT."

THE KING V. JACOB ROBSON'.
This was an indictment against the defendant,
a che'escmonger, in Great Russell-atrect, Covent-
garden, for an assault, on the 22d Jane, upon Eli-
zabeth, the wife of John Squires, a painter and
glazier .in Windmill-street, Tottenham-court-
road, wish intent carnally to know the said Eliza-
beth. There was a second count for a common

assault.
Mr. Guar:lN stated the case to the Jury; and
the citemnitanees pro Fed in
,evidence were these
The defendant hod employed the prosecutor to
paint his house and shop, and theOer, as an act
of reciprocal civility, desired his wife to make a
purchase of the butter necessary for his family
purposes, at the defendant's shop,. 4ectirdingly
on the morning of the 221 of Jane Mr.%.Striirea,
who
,was a young woman of.prepossessing appeat),-!.
mice, 19 years of. age, tind had:been married only
Mooths, called at the defeadant's
,shop, and.
bought a quantity of hatter, which was to be tokens
home by. her huSband at the dishier hoar; 'When'
the butter came to be tasted, it Appearedtis benefit
for use ; and in the evening, .about eight o'cloek,
the prosecutrix rettirried to the deleatiant's shop,
to complain of the quality of her purchase. There
were then two customers in the shop, and the de:.
fondant desired Mrs. Squires to.sit ,donlr. until he,
was rea'ly to attend her. She accordipgly did
-so, and when the other persons went away„
the defendant expressed his sorrow that the
hatter was nut sweet, and Elttrifi,SUlCT DAV to gave
so large a quantity at one tinte and. told liel,o3e
had better have it in small portions as she ‘vanted'
it.. lie then complimented:her upon her enmely
appearance, said he bud hatk her itt.liitklye
since
her visit in the morning,. and .was aAuch, smitten
'with her charms ; and, puttingi;m:hands,apon her
knees,,very rudely:asked herif she wit.fin:thellimily way At thia salutation ,Mrs► Seitiirei. ex-
ntessed herself with surprise and indignatian,and
said that' that was no affair Vroin which
the deleadatit caught bold of ber'with one hand
ronad her waist, and putting the other Upon her:
month, he dragged her into a back parlour, the
t, iatlon' otwhiels looked into the shop., .Hie tht re
liehaeed in i manner too indecent, ,to- repeat.
liming told her that he wanted d little boy: to
.-lea.ve his prapetty to, be expos it hiS 1;411 iterson,
and attemptin:. to. raise her totter gartueitts,
lte
her.yrolently with her back igains't the
Innitiel of the rutin), bat the prosecutrix resisting
his
.brutal behaviour, anti calling loudly for as-
sistance, and. that moment a customer having
come, into the shop, the defendant ceased his
violeace, and telling her to adjust her clothes,
told. her she might go home, but cautioned_
. .
her. against, Stating- w oat had happened..----Tile
prosecutrix then attempted to make her ..Cane
by o,„kide:tioor, but not being.:ahle •to find her'
way to the :..treet.in that direction, she was pros
eecding t0.,g0 out through the shop, when she Was
'met by. the defendant at the parlour door, having
dSsiuisst ;l •fps enstutner; when he again dragged
'her back into the' parlour, and repeattil his sio-
knett;' but not inceeeding in the attainment Let his
out rageoni.9bjert. he sufferered her to depart:. The
prosecutrix went ,iodine, rumediatety,, ,but before
She nould'coniKumieute to her friends the outage
that badbeen .criminitted upon her, she fell into
violent ;hysterics. I.lpon her recovery, however,
site told a female ,fatties :what had happened; and.
soon afterwards her husband was flunk acqaaint-
ed with the circumstance. He immediately eons--
aneneed proceedings against the defendant in the-
Crown ()dice, and the case was now, brought-6o
for trial. ,It appeared that the. defendant was
married man, without-children,, his.wife being a
young woman of agreeable person,
The ATTOawny--,Gat4suat. Addressed at be Jury at
Considerable length, upon the improbability- of
. the prosecntrix's: story.. • ,
'Witnesses were called to invalidateMrc Squires!.
evidence,..and that of the female friend to whom
she had complained of the defendant's misconduct,
and the principal.. object Of their testimony was,.
first, to thew that the room ip which the affair
was aliedged to have taken place, had beta fresh
painted that day, and consequently, if the prose-
cutor's back had gone against the pantie' of the
room, it, must :have been smeared with paint,
circumstance which she denied •as having taken
place ; and, secondly, that the proseentrises friend
had Oven a differeut, account of Abe statement
made to her by Mrs. Squires, nn itiormer ocea-
limn she had given to-day.- An attempt was
,also made to. luiptaeli the probeentrix's thoral•clia-
.
ratter.. . .
In contradictjon, of this defence,' Mr.-.Gtiateer
CRUM Sererai respectable witnesses: in of
the prosecution, she purport of whose ,evidence
W 45, to.FrOV4 II)(tt ,ill tact- the room in question
bad not been painted until the Montlei.- folltrwing,
and that the prosecntrix,had always borne the
highest .character for chastity, tuodestli, and ye-
, •
rocky;
GUittlY having replied at considerable
lerikth upon the defendant's. ease,. svisiola -lie'enn-
tenqed was a,gross,aggravation
LOrti ELLHNINIOVPO,4barged the, nry, with
strong aniinadveiat9nitr, on the course,which the
' deftadant bad thought porer to :adopt-in meet-
ing the charge,.ltir.,ip addition t4).-the. crime -ins,
pitted to-hirnlie hail called in aid the More wicked,
offence of perjhry, by suborned witnesses;-to avert
the dile course of Alia Lordship; however,
had some doubt; whether theeridenca was suffi-
cient to support the first count:of:the indictment..
Of the second being made out, there was.not ;a
'shadow of uncertainty, but:it ;was for the Jury-
to
say 'whether the, whole charge-se aa.proved to their
Satiifaction.
The Jury after about teti,minutes .eantidera-
tkin returnecl 4
sgeneral verdiet,oi—Cioilty upon
rtes I both Counts., .

, ()LI? B.ktLllY.—Tliere was nritbing icoportsui
•
tsterauy. .

On Sunday sennight, att attempt was mane by
several prisoners tinder set►tence of trankpnrtation
in Abeiticen, to break oitt pf the kill nf slat city.
Having ktiocficd down and 4)ruiseti the turnkey,
one of them, • named Wliilit U LeeN, succeeded in
effecting his ettape, anti his notset.bcen,taitca.