Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-06-20
MR.. SHERIDAN.

many disputes, relative to his real chara cter
and some pains have been taken TO discredi
MIR. Moore's celebrated Biography, whicf
work Is undoubtedly correct, or the Biogra.
pher would not have placed it before the world
The Octogenarian, an English publication, has
been employed TO do this, from which we ex-
tract the following statements and anecdotes
of Mr.. Sheridan:
"Mr. Moore is mistaken in stating that Sher-
ldan was IN the habit of manufacturing puns
ana other witty sayings before he went into
company; and that he generally remained -
ient vnti proper opportunity offered for let
fng OF good thmg-That he and other cell
ebrated wits may have occasionally done SO,
is not improbable; but that such was Sher-
dams practice, no one who knew him intimate
ly can for moment allow. Had the learned
blographer in question given the least conside-
ratlon>fo his practieaijokes upon those trades
! men and others who were in the habit Of dun
n'ng him, he would perceive that Mr. Sheri-
dams invention was nerer at a stand; for, on
such occasions, instead ofpaying, he generally
contrived 10 obtain longer time, and to run
more deeply into their debt: those who came
to shear went home shorn. But there are
thousand proofs on record that, like light pro-
duced by fre-boxes now in vogue, Sheridan's 5
wit was instantaneous and vivid. A few Of
these brilliant flashes, as they occur to the
writer's mind, shall here be displayed. the
reader bearing in mind that such only shall be
set down as are not mentioned by others, or
which, having appeared, have not been attri-
| buted to him by them.
Mr.. Whitbread, one evening at Brooks
Ia Ikad In,lIx and - al
for laying what was called the ,Dar tar upon
malt; every one present of course concurred
with him in opinion; but Sheridan could not re-
slst The gratiiication Of hit against the bre,D-
er himself He took out his pencil and wrote
upon the back of Il letter the following lines,
which he handed to Mr.. Wkhbread across the
table,
They've raised the price of table drink,
What Is the reason, do YOU think
The tax Oh MALT's the cause, hear .
But what has MALT 70 do with BLER?"
Being on parliamentary committee, he one
day entered the room as the members were
seated and ready to recommence business.
PerceWing no empty seat, he bowed; and
looking round the table with droll expression
of countenance, said, "will any gentleman
more that ! may take the choir?'
Looking over a number Of The QuarterIy
appearance, he said, in reply to gentleman
who observed that the editor, Mr. Clifford, had
boasted Of his power of comforting and istyib-
uti,ag literary reputation. Very likely: and
in the present instance l think he has done il
SO profusely as to hare left none for himself"
Soon after the Irish Members were admitted
into the British House of Commons at the Un-
ion of 1901, one Of them, in the midst of his
maiden harangue, and in the national warmth
OF his heart, thus addressed the chair: Z" And
now my lear Mr.. Speaker" &c. which created
loud laugh from all parts Of the house. As
soon as their mirth had subsidized, Mr.. Sheri-
dan gave 1t another FLIP BY observing, "that
the honorable member wa perfectly i'm order:
for, thanks to the Ministers nowadays, eueyv
thing is dear"
The Hon. MIR. S, having finished trage-
dy, sent it to Sheridan, with a note, request
ing an early opinion, and offering it for perform
ance at Drury-lane. The manager looked
over the manuscript, but seeing nothing fit for
representation, laid it on the tai Bile before the
noble author, who called two days after, with
out saying a word. "Well, now dear Sheri-
dan," said the dramatist, g what do you think |
of it, My friend Cumberland has promised mo
a prologue; and dare say, for the interest Of
the theatre, you will have no objection to sup
ply me with an epilogue?" "Trust me, my
his head, ii will never come to that, depend
ont"
A friend having pointed out to Mr. Sheridan
that Lord Kenyon had fallen asleep at the first
representation of Pizarro, and that, too, in the
midst Of ROiid'S fine speech to the Peruvian |
soldiers, the dramatist felt rather mortified; !
but instantly recovering his usual good humor,
he said, "Ah' poor man! let him sleep: he |
thinks he is on the Bench"
A rich member of the lower house, but ex- |
ceedmgly penurious, having one day descanted |
for half-an-hour, at the Cocoa Tree, on the ex- |
celent quality and cheapness of a Uaistcoaf, |
which, after much batting, he had just bought |
at tailor's shop in the Strand, and which he |
was exhibiting in triumph to the gentlemen
present, concluded by praising the high per-
lection Of the Manchester manufa ctures and |
saying, "Can they let me have it so cheap''
--"v Very easily" replied Sheridan, raising his
head from newspaper, and heartily tired Of
being bored by such subject, I" they took yoI
for one of the trade, and sold it 10 you ch0ie-
sale"
The Prince Of Wales, one day, at Brooks
expatiating on that beautiful but far-fe ched
idea Of Darwin's, that "the reason Of the bo-
som ofa beautiful woman being the object of
such exquisite delight for man to look upon,
arises from the first pleasurable sensations OF
sustenance and reposc, which he do
ives there from in his nfancy" Sheridan re-
,licd, Truly hath it been said, that there is
,ut one step from the sublime to the ridicu-
Gus. All children who are brought up By hand
must derive their pieasurable sensations from
very different source; yet believe no one ey-
n heard of any such,, when arrived al man
rood. eyincmg any very rapfurous or amdfe-
Y emotions at the sight of a D00den spoOng'
This very clever exposure of an ingenious abb
urdny was received by his Royal Hghness,
'Ir Fox, and every other gentleman present, :
With great ecfat. II was a tine elucIdation of .