Star.
London, England, 1825-10-08 00:00:00

sad contrast to coty halls, of which he had so
•• • lately been the !skit brilliant and favoured guest, and
which were possibly, at That vert-rucimeit,lighteek up
!!94 crowded with gay cunpany, unmindful of him
sw thin those prison walls: . .
- • " Toolse's-court, Carehorigreet, Thuriday, put Two.
• "I* have done everything in my power with the solicitors, White
Isadirbwnea, to obtain my release,. by stilasthothqg a better security
• .for them thait their detaining nii—but in vain.
64 Whitbread. putting all false professions of friendship and feel-
ing but of the question, you have no right to keep me here!—foe
ft is in truth your act—if you bad not forcibly withheld [min, me
the £14,000 in consequence of a threatening hatter front a Weenie
ble swindkr, whose claim you in reticular knew to be a he, I
should it least have been out of the reach of this state of miserable
insult-4er that, and that wily, lost me my seat in Parliament.
And I assert that you cannot find a lawyer in the land, that is not
Ofthdr esaturathoen fool or a corrupted scoundrel, who will not
*thee that your conduct in this respect was neither warrantable
orletal‘s-but let that pass for the present.
' Independently of the 41,000, ignorantly wiiiiltsld from me
' :4111 the day of considering my last claim, I require of you to answer
the draught I send herewith on the part of the Committee, plesig-
lug myself to prove to them on the first day I can personally mist
them, that there are still thousands and thousands due to me, both
legally and equitably, from the Theatre. My word ought to be
taken on this subject; and you may produce to them this daces
ment, if one among them could think that, under all the circum-
stance,. your conduct required a justification. 0 Goo! with what
mad confidence have I trusted your word—l ask justice front you,
and no boon. I enclosed you yesterday three different securities,
which, bad you been disposed to hate acted even as a private
"Mogi, would have made it certain that you might have done so
without the smallest risk. Those you discreetly offered to put into
the the, when you found the object or your humane visit satisfied.
by seeing me safe in prison.
" I shall only add, that, I think, if I know myself, bad our lots
been reversed, and T had seen you in my situation, and had left
Lady E. in that of my wife, I would have risked 6001. rather than
have left you so—although I had been in no way accessary in
bringing you into that condidon. " R. B. SHERIDAN."
S. Whitbread, Rs*
Even in this situation the sanguineness of his dis-
position did not desert him : for he was found by Mr.
Whitbread, on his visit to the sponging-house, confi-
dently calculating on the representation for Westmin•
ster, to which the proceedings relative to Lord Coch-i
rane at that moment promised a vacancy. On his re-
turn home, however, to Mrs. Sheridan (some arrange-
ments having been made by Whitbread for his release),
all his fortitude forsook him, and he burst into a long
and passionate fit of weeping at the profanation, as he
termed it, which his person had suffered.
He had for some months had a feeling that his life
was near its dose; and I find the following touching
passage in a letter from him to Mrs. Sheridan, after
one of those differences which will sometimes occur
beta een,the most affectionate companions, and which,
possibly, a remonstrance on his irregularities and want
of care of himself occasioned:—“ Never again let one
harsh word pass between us, during the period, which
may not perhaps be long, that we arc in this world
together, and life, however clouded to me, is mutually
spared to us. I have expressed this same sentiment to
any-son, in a letter I wrote to him a few days since,
and I bad'his answer—a most affecting one, and, lam
sure, very sincete—and have since cordially embraced
bun. Don't imagine that lam expressing an interest.
ed apprehension about myself which I do not feel."
Though the new Theatre of Drury-lane had now
been three years built, his feelings had never allowed
him to set his foot within its walls. Abtnf this time,
however, he was persuaded by his ftiend, Lord Essex,
to dine with him and go in the evening to his Lord-
ship's box, to see Kean. Once there, the genius loci
seems to have regained its influence over him ; for, on
missing him from the box, between the acts, Lord
Essex, who feared that he had left the house, hastened
out to inquire, and, to his great satisfaction, found him
installed in the Green-room' with all the actors arcund
him, welcoming him back to the old regions of his
glory, with a sort of filial cordiality. Wine was im-
mediately ordered, and a bumper to the health of Mr.
Sheridan was drank by all present, with the expression
of many a hearty wish that he would often, very often,
re-appear among them. This scene, as was natural,
exhilarated his spirits, and, on parting with Lord Essex
that night, at his own door in Saville.row, he said tri-
umphantly, that the wails' would soon hear of him, for
the Duke of Norfolk was about to bring him into Par.
liament. This, it appears, was actually the case; but
death stood near as he spoke. In a few days after his
lkst fatal illness began.
SHERIDAN'S CHARACTER.

11\

It has 'been seal, by a letter of his sister already '
given, thato.when young, he was generally accounted
handsome; bet is later years his eyes were the only
testimonlide of beauty that remained to him. It was,
indeed, in the upper part of his face that the spirit of
the man chiefly reigned ; the dominion of the world
and the senses being rather strongly marked out in the
lower. In his person he was above the middle size,
and his general make was, as I have already said,
robust and well-proportioned. It is remarkable that
his arms, though of powerful strength, were thin, and
appeared by no means muscular. His hands were
small and delicate ; and the following couplet, written
oa a cast from one of them, very livelily enumerates
both its physical and moral qualities:—

•

Good at a fight, but better at a play,
Godlike in giving, but—the Devil to Pay !
Among his habits, it may not be uninteresting to
kr.ow, that his hours of composition, as long as he con-
tinued to.be an author, were at night, and that he re-
quired a profusion of lights around him while he wrote.
Wine, too, was one of his favourite helps to inspira-
tion : u If the thought (he would say) is slow to come,
a glass of good wine encourages it, and, when it does
come, a glass of good wine rewards it."
Having taken a cursory view &his literary, political,
and social qualities, it remains for me to say a few
words upon that most important point of all, his moral
character.
There are few persons, as we have seen, to whose
kind and affectionate conduct, in some of the asNt 11.
teresting relations of domestic life, so many strong and
honourable testimonies remain. The pains he took to
win back the estranged feelings of his father, and the
filial tenderness with which be repaid long years of
parental caprice, thew a bean that had, at least, set
out by the right road, however, in after years, it may
have missed the way. The enthusiastic love which his
sister bore him, and retained, unbligbted by distance
or neglect, is another proof of the influence of his
amiable feelings, at that period of life when be was as
itt unspoiled by the world. We have seen the romantic
fondness which he preserved towards the first Mrs.
Sheridan, even while doing his utmost. and in vain, to
extinguish the same feeling in her. With the second
wife, a course, nearly similar, was run re—the same
scatterings and eclipses' of affection, from the irre-
gularities and vanities in which he continued taindulge,
but the saMe hold kept of each other's hearts to the
last. Her ugly letters to him breaths a passion little

~.~.

' sliort ofaidolatry, and Let ctevotell attentions beside hit
gdatth-ba, eteiredlhat the essential part of the-feeling
still, remained.- - '7:7 7 - -
To ebtim an ermption for frailties and irregularities
on the score of mitts, while there are such names as
Milton and Newton on record, were to_be brad to the
"example which these and other great men have Irk of
the grandest intellectual powersoombined with the most
viituous lives.. But, for the bias given early to the
mind by education and circumstances, rebn the least
charitable • usay be inclined to make large allowances.
We have seen how idly the young days of Sheridan
were wasted—how soon he was left (in the words of the
Prophet) "to dwell carelessly," and with what an
undisciplined temperament he was thrown upon the
world, to meet at every step that never-failing spring
of temptation, which, like the fatal fountain in the gar-
den of Armida, sparkles up for ever in the pathway of
such a man :

" Un fonte some in lei, the vaghe e monde
Ha Vacque si, she i rigitardanti asseta.
Ma demo ai freddi suni cristalli monde
Di tosco cstran malvagita steam."

PAPAL SLATES.

To enable our readers to judge of the intrigues of
the Court of Madrid at Rome, we have thought pro-
per to publish the following documents. By them it
will be seen that Senor Tejada was upon the point of
departing from the Papal States, in the month of Octo-
ber of last year, in consequence dim order. forged, we
have no doubt, by the Spanish embassy. But his Emi-
nence the Cardinal Secretary of State was so indignant
at this proceeding, that he immediately ordered a suds-
factory apology to be given to Senor Tejada.
This circumstance, added to information that we pos-
sess, of the publication, in the Gacde de Madsid, of
Pastoral Letters from his Holiness, exciting the people,
of America to the violation of their oaths and to anar-
chy, induces us to suspect that Spain, finding that she
cannot reduce us to subjection on the field of battle, is
determined to see what advantage she can obtain by
disquieting the consciences of the feeble-minded. We
nevertheless are too well assured of the good sense of
our fellow.citizens to apprehend the consequences of
such maneuvres. The enemies of America still think
that we are as unenlightened as the aborigines of our
continent, and consequently propose opening the cam-
paign with spiritual weapons. Let us then prepare our-
selves, and we shall not find much difficulty an dissi-
pating the brooding tempest. After the storm a calm
will ensue, and with it, eternal and undisturbed tran-
quillity. In the meantime we can state that Senor Te-
jada is at present at Florence, with well-founded hopes
of shortly attaining the object of his mission.
" Boum*, Oaroass 11, Is 2
" MOST &caustic Stn—An agent of the Govern-
ment has just made known tome an order of your
Excellency, or more properly speaking, of his Holiness,
to depart from his States in the shortest possible time.
" Although I was not entitled to expect an order of
this kind without knowing the motives of it, nor to be
treated. as I may say. like'a criminal, my only object
in coming to Rome having been to demand spiritual
assistance for the Catholics of my_ country, I am, not-
withstanding, disposed to obey it, however reluctantly,
as soon as the above order is sent to me in writing, and
my passport, which is in the office of the Governor of
that city, is returned to me
‘1 In the meantime, I beg of your Excellency to re
fleet for a moment on the disastrous effects which the
publication of what has already taken place in Rome,
and is actually on foot ai Bcleina, with regard to my
mission, must produce in America, and even in Eu-
rope, and what will be the consequences.
" I have had the honour to point them out to your
Excellency, with all the clearness I am capable, in my
letter of the 27th ult. and having thus exonerated my-
self from all blame on the part of my Government and
my countrymen, I shall myself go and inform them of
the unfortunate issue of the steps which I have taken to
attain the object of my mission.
" I hope your Excellency will reflect a moment, pre-
-
emus to deciding definitively on a question of so much
delicacy. I even venture to hope I may be allowed to
remain here for the answer, and I trust it will be such
as may render unnecessary the painful duty of an-
nouncing to my Government, that the Father of the
Faithful refuses to listen to the supplications of the Ca-
tholics of Colombia.—l have the honour to be, &c.

" IGNACIO TEJADA.

" To his Eminence Cardinal Sornogsglis, Secretary of State."
" Sts—Senor Chiaven has delivered to his Eminence
the letter which you addressed to him on the 21st of
this month. He has learned by this letter, with
'the greatest astonishment, that an agent of the overn-
ment had signified to you by his order, or rather by
order of his Holiness, to depart (tom his States with the
least possible delay. His Eminence immediately as-
sured Sr. Chiaven that he had never given an order of
the kind, and professed extraordinary surprise at a
thing of which he was perfectly ignorant. He assured
him at the same time, that his Holiness could never
have given such an order, because his Holiness would I
certainly have spoken of it to his Eminence. But
an intervie ea last evening, his Eminence learnt personally
from his Holiness that the latter was equally surprised.
His Eminence has ordered me explain to this to you, and to re-
guest of you at the same time ro acquaint him with the name of the
conunissar, who delivered it into your house, the local authority
who sent it, whether it was in the name of liondenere the Vice-
Delegate or of his Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of Boleyn;
of the Police Magistrate, or of the Senator of the town.
" I beg of you to return an answer upon this, and in fulfilling
the orders of his MIASMIC. the Cardinal Secretary of State who
has charged me to assure you of his esteem and eessideration, I
have the honour to subscribe myself, with perfect esteem and
respect, " IBRONIMO GALANT!.
" Clerk in the Secretary of State's Mee of his Holiness.
" To Dr. Ignado Triads."

the Emperor of Meiotic° with several men of war. A CApialn
has been appeieted to the awsnmand of the brig sold by Sardinia,
and three others are going- to be named for the Ametican vessels
which are tithe point of airiving.- 7t hiiot yet known whether
these latter are to be considered as a purchase or a present.
These armaments give some uneasiness to the Consuls, on account
of the project of the Moors to cruise in the Straits and molest the
vesols they may meet with.

E F. VENI N( STA R