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

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MOORE'S LIFE OF SHERUYAN.
We are sure our Reeder, will be gratified by same find*
tracts from thh,work, which is oue of the most interesting vaisistais
that has appeared for many years.
SHERIDAN'S MISFORTUNES.
The failure of Sheridan at Stafford completed his
ruin. He was now excluded both from the Theatre and
from Parliament ; the two anchors by which he held in
life were gone, and he was left a lonely and helpless
wreck upon the waters. The Prince Regent offered to
bring him into Parliament; but the thought of. return-
ing to that scene of his triumphs and his freedom with
the Royal owner's mat k, as it were, upon him, *as more
than he could bear; and he declined the offer. Indeed,
miserable and insecure as his life was now, when we
consider the priblic humiliations to which he would
have been exposed, between h's ancient pledge to Whig-
gisin and his attachment and gratitude to Royalty, it is
not•wonderful that he should have preferred even the
alternative of arrests and imprisonment to the risk of
bringing upon his political name any further tarnish in
'such a struggle.. Neither could Iris talenta,,beve Moch
longer continued to do ,themselves justice, amiiithe
pressure of such cares, and the .increased iadulgence of
habits, which, as is usual, gained upon him; as all other
indulgences Vanished. The ancients, pm: are toldilty a
significant device, inscribed. or; the weevil, they 'wore at
banquets the nittile of. Minerva. Unfortunately, from
the festal wreath of Sheridan this name was now but
too often effaced; and the same charm that once had
served to give a quicker flow to thought; was inn* erl-
.ployed tq muddy the strean4es ij bee!me painful to
contemplate what was at th ettom of it. By his ex-
clusion, therefore, from Parliament, he w,asperlsaps,4
sonably saved from ;fording to that " Fulls; which
loves the martyrdom of Faine,"* the spectacle of a great
mind, not only surviving itself, but, like the cbampion
in Berni, continuing the combat. after life is gone;
" Andava combattendo, ed era mono."
In private society, however, he could, even now (44-
fore the Rubicon of the cup was passed), fully justifr
his high reputation for agreeableness and wit; and a
day which it was my good fortune to spend with bini,
at the table of Mr. Rogers, has too many mournful, as
well as pleasant, associations connected With it, to be
easily forgotten by the survivors of the ?any. • The
company consisted but of Mr. Rogers luroseiglOti
Byron, Mr. tleridao, and th 4 writer of this, Ae`.qicap,
Sheridan•knew the admiration his audienctifekler him;
the presence of the young poet, its articular, stiemett to
bring back his own yOuttieand.wifi and ilik "flettilYhe
;gave of hi. early life were riot less ,interesting and ani-
mating to himself than delightful to us. •It was in the
course of this evening ,thitt....stescribing to us the poem
which Mr. Whitbread, had written andssen.t.in, tmong
-the other Addresses for, the Opening.of Dtury-laneontd
which, like the rest, 'turned. chiefly on allusions to the
.Phoenix, he said—' But Whitbread made More of this
;hirct.Ahatt rateml, ig#o mid-Wars, akd
described its wings.. befit.. tail,. flte,, in shoo,* ,tiffs a
poislterer's description 913 19Keit4 . •
.1
LORD BYIIOWS 'Ott ItACTI* OP SHERIDAN,
The folloiving extrierfrcitn a diary, In my possession,
kept by Lord Byron daringlirt Months of his residence
in London, 181$=19, will she* the admirati9it which this
great and generona spirit' felt for Sheridan : '

" Saturday, December 18, 1813.
" Lord Holland told me a curious piece of sentimentality in She-
ridan. The other WPt we were all delivering our respective and
various opinions.on him and other &mums tunpans, and mine was
this Whatever Sheridan has done or chosen to do, has been,
'par excellence, always the best of its kind. He has written the best
comedy (Sisheelfor dastedat), the best opera (The Duenetx)--la my
Wad far before that St. Giks's lampoon (The *awes Opera), the
test farce (The Critic—it is only too good for an afterplece), and the
list address (Mineolcipie as Garrick)—and, to crown all, delivered
the very belt oration (the famous Awe Speech) ever conceived or
heard in this country.' Somebody told Sheridan this the next day,
and on bearing it be burst into tears I—Foor 'dealer 1 If tkey.were
tears of pleasure, I would have rather said those few, but sincere,
words, than !refs .wrhtee thine*. or made his awn celebrated phi,
lippic. Nay. )cis own comedy Dever gratiEld than to bear
that he had derived a moment's gratification praise Of
mine—humble as It mast Ilitirarto 4 my elders eild thy betters,' "
I•
MC111411114 D P OitLTIES OF 3.III4tiOAN.
The dismisses of 4heri4efi.noir increased every day,
and through the short,repsainder of .his lifejt is * me-
lancholy. task to follow him. The svm arising from the
sale of his theatrial property was soon exhausted by
the various claims upon it, and •he was ,driven to part
with all that be most yaltteds to Satisfy further demands
and provide for.tbe subsistence of the day. Those bouts
which, as I have already mentioned, were presented to
him by various friends, new stood, in 001... splendid
bindings f, on the shelves of the pawnbroker. The
handsome cup given him by the electors of Stafford-
shared the same fate. Three or four fine. pictures by.
Gainsborough, and one by Morland, were sold for little 7
more than five hundred pounds ; and even the preci- .
eus portrait of his first wife§, by Reynolds, though
actually sold during his lite, vanished away froe'isid"•
eyes into other hands.
One of the most humiliating trials of his pride was
yet to come. In the spring of this year he was arrested
and carried to a sponging-house, where he remained
two or three days. This abode, from which the
ing painful letter to Whitbread was written, formed a
• " And Folly loves the martyrdom of Feriae."
This fine line is in Lord Syroe's Monody to his memory.
There is another line, equally true and touching, where, alluding
to the irregularities of the latterv.rt of Sherldan's life, he says,
" And what to theth seeth'd vice might be but Woe."
•t .In most of dews, lota Weise she tames of the given. The
delicacy with which Mr. Amine, of Wardoes.Mvirt (thopaven- •
broker with whom the books and the cup were. dqsaiited), be-
haved, aftei the death of Mr. *sadden, deserves to be eavedithed
with praise. • Instead otavalliaeldnr`self of sate Iteldic=ist
that motaiLet,ley sithedidm; dose precious sellesie vie
of a sale,l=irsestemicated tof thicatliyagallOsor. Wells
lilnislrati; and derniaded nothing more than the sum ISt*.
dee on them. &Word cep is bathe pomades' of Mr.
Sheridan. • • •
sis use falkewierg extract from a mote to his solicitor, he:elms
to these pktores
" Pear BurSellr 'am perfectly satisfied with your aremai ;
whisk can be moire clear or fair* or more disinterested.. pow
We; Sic I must grieve to think that awe or dx handesd penal.
Ise **pour pictures are added to the expenditure. Howevert'are
.00me througkr
As St. Cecilia. The portrait of Mrs. Sheridan at Kaowle,
diauxh ksildeall than that of Sir Joshua, is (for this very tease.,
Wimps, as brads; a closer resembling* to the erighial) oda mote
beautiful.
•

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