The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-16
8 Fl e r I D A N A N A

Sherdans were, and are, aremarkabie race
The first was DIR. Thomas Sheridan. tn
friend and correspondent OF Dean Swift, Em
inent and successful as n schoo,naster n
had great taste for polite letters as h
translated the Satires of Perseus i'm 10 prose
ana the "Phtloetetes' of Sophocies into verse
Born IN 1854, this eminent lrishman died i,
l73s "'eu a.
The second, also Thomas, was son OF tn,
above born in i72i, AT Ouilca, in Ireland
educated at Westminster School and Trinit,
college, DnbIn, and led by wavward "a =.
into the theatrical profession, in which h,
Succeeded, being. indeed, formidable rival Il
farriek AT one time. Then he became the,
ricai manager with i'll success Next he ilour
lshed as a lecturer on eloc uttoa. After that hs
became manager of Drury Lane Theatre under
nus son iesseeship Finally he returned 10 his
lectures on eiocution, and wrote an ssOrtloepi.
cal Dictionary of the English Language -
which Is still held in estimation. lie died in
17ss. "
Frances Sheridan, wife OF the above was an
able put eccentric female-noyelist and dra ma
ust. She wrote Sidney Biddulph," novel,
which could boast among its warm panegy-
rists Lord North and Mr.. Fox, and "Nonria-
had, an Eastern tale, with two plays, THE
Dupe'' and 1.-The Discovery" The lttter was
pronounced by Garrick e be 'one of the hes,
wrotea play called The Trip to Bath " ne yer
acted nor published, which, Thomas More
says, has been supposed by some TO have
passed, with her other papers into the pos
session of her son, and after Transforming
sleep, like that of the chrysalis, in his hands,
TO have taken wing, in length, in the brilliant
form of The Rivals
Next came Richard Brinsley Sheridan. second
son OF the player, and this lady dramatist-
Born at Dublin. in September, 1852, he died in
1915. "
He left two sons-Thomas, a man of great
ability. and 10y his second marriage) Charles. a
poet, whom the writer of this knew very we'll
for his death took place only few years AFRO
He was Sheridan by the second wife
Miss Ogle, and had none of the hereditary
good looks of the family: for his complexion
was muddy, his eyes small, and some of his
teeth projecting like discoiored tusks. He died
unmarried.
Tom Sheridan left one son I Orchard Brinslcv
Sheridan, now member of Parliament for the
borough OF dorchester, near which he has a
large estate. ACC CURED by an advantageous
marriage,) and three daughters, who from
their beauty. merited the appeilation of The
traces. Nearly twenty one years ago. one of
tbese-then Lady Seymour but now Duchess
OF Sumerse t-presitied at the Eglintown tour.
nament, as Queen of Love and Beauty, and
surely, at the time, she well merited the com |
pliment OF being en- throned.
Another, the Hon. Mrs. Norton novelist |
and poet, so well known by her genius as |
We'll AS her grievanees-many OF the latter be- |
ing OF her own making. The third was the
late Lady Dnfferin authoress of many Irish
songs of more than ordinary merit
Lord Duiferin only son of the last named
possesses the hereditary talent of the Sheri-
dams. A good scholar, Il clever lecturer and
an eloquen speaker, he has won repute in lit
erature by his Letters from High Latitudes
being some account of "A Yacht Voyage to lee |
land, San Mayen and Sptzbergen, in 1856. >,
one OF the liveliest and most pleasant books of
the kind. Last year Lord Dufferin was sent
out as a British commissioner 10 SYRIA
Here, then, we have traced a long line ofil-
lustrious Sheridans, through nearly two cen
turtles. L. The Doctor, friend and biographer
OF Swift. =. Thomas Sheridan nc tor Iectur-
er, and author, with his wife, Il novelist and
dramatist. 3. Richard Brinsiey, The Sheridan
''orator, dramatist, minister who ran
Through each mode OF the Tyre and mast or of |
ALL
4. Tom Sheridan, wit and poet, and his broth
er Charles. o. Mrs. Norton and her sisters
o. Lord DuHern, nephew OF Mrs. Norton
Surely no family can trace such an unbroken |
line OF genius and talent as this
The great Sheridau-dramatist orator wit |
and bon pipdat-was pronounced an "imn |
trabe Ounce at Schoolgirls teacher being that {
lnsuferabie and bearish pedant, Dr. Parr In
1918 he married produced The Rivals'' and
the opera OF The Duenna" in l775; 1.-The
School for Scandal in 1777 purchased Gar G
rieks Drury Lane Theatre III 1915; wrote
1.-The Critic" in 1873; entered Parliament I7sI. T
became Under Secretary of State, under the
short lived Rockingham Admins tration in
1Is2; moved the Dude charge against Warren
hastings February, 1857; summed up the
Degum charge III a five hours speech
April, 1889 married his second wife in 1885
Treasurer of the Navy 1906 defeat ted at West
minister Election 1907 lost his seat in Parlil-
ment 1872 died July Z, 1916. &,
These, in small compass, are the leading G
facts OF Sheridan's career-so brilliant when | =
II began, and ending, sadly; in ruin of L
health, hope and fortune. 1t is a career
which carries a great moral with it, a moral so
plainly written that 1t would be superfuous i
TO point il out. Some other day, perhaps, we y,
may treat of Sheridan more closely thai time L
ana space now permit. To-day we shall Gull
a few illustrative traits and anecdotes from
the agreeable and general accurate volume
which we noticed on Saturday ye
First, of Miss Liniey, whom Sheridan ran 81
away with, when he had reached the mature OF
age OF twenty-five, taking her to France to
where they were married by degraded cler- q,
gyman We learn that ''Miss Linley was one of ID
a family who have been called mes OF night O,
ngales.' Young ladies who prac tice elaborate | II,
pieces and sing simple ballads in the voice of a st
white mouse, know the name of Linlay wall W
+ or ages the Linleys have been the bard of Je
England-composers, musicians, singers al H
ways popular, always English. Sheridan's "
owe was one OF the most renowned of the T.
amiiy, bnt the Maid of Bath, as she was "a
ailed, was As celebrated for her beauty as for or
he magnificence of her voice. When Sheri- =
Ian first knew her she was only sixteen years :.
beautiful, clever, modest, and a
firt OF the first water. She was a singer mr.
~ profession, living at Bath, as Sheridan
'nly three years Older than herself also was to
II attending concerts, oratorios, and so forth co
II other places, especially at Oxford. Her
ldorers We're legion; and the Oxford boys es- 80
in love as they are-were -
Linong them. The fact is she started us q ffirt -
md a fiirt she remained to the last greatly 10
Ter husbands annoyance. -
VI Sheridan 8 first play, ''The Rivals it is 1
onsotlhg 10 aspiring dramatists to know that
failed on its first appearance, owing to the vi
bad acting OF the part of Sir Lucius O. Trigger on
~ Mr.. Lee but when anot Their tor was sab M
the piece was at once successful and Pc
lcted with overfowlng houses all over the -!
ountry. "a
Elected a member of DR.. Jonson's lannon's
Ind stiii-existIng Literary Club, AT the age OF
wenty eight, he became acq tainted in the
Glowing year, with that able, unprincipled
ro8igate, Charles James Fox. We learn Thar
r OK, alter his first interyie with him ar
rmed that he had always thought Hare and
)haries Townsend the wittiest men ha had
yer met but that Sheridan surpassed them
oth. Fale meeting was at Brookes' Club
great drinking and gambling resort of the
poser wings, eighty years ago. .sThe tables
we're for stakes of twenty or fifty yuiueas hu1
Don ran mp TO hundreds. What did il mattar
Charles James Fox, to the Man of the PEG
ne, whether he lost five, seven or ten tbou =
ana OF night, when the one hal came on of "
rs iather's, the other out OF Hebrew pocke,s Y
.the sleek, thiek-lipped owners of which ca
nroh8ed MS Jerusalem chamber as he Called n
ne oaek sitting ROOM only too glad TO 'oblige' -
mn 70 any amount The rage for gambling at rsu
his panoemo1ium may be unders TODD from a | In
uie oi the club, which II was found necessary r
make 10 In terdict il in the eu ting room hui
which was added the truly British eycen | Cas-
ion which allowed two members of parIiaa Gal
tent IN those days, or two gentlemen, of anv moi
ind 10 loss mp for what they had ordered ~.
ma again, ITO show how high gaming ran a., o.
his assembly Of wits, even so early rs III ~ =
here Is a memorandum in the books. stat,n1 N
hat Mr.. Thyme retired from the club in dis .,p.
ust, because he had only Won fl2 200 in two son
months. A'i TWO Ioq
Sheridan was voted In a mem har nj proo,., liAt
Ftck. One black ball would have multi mel
"a the eiecuon, and George Selwyn was de Nv
v,-aihea 70 throw inthat. But the Prince of mo,