The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-06-02

Sheridan, Protestant Bishop of XII
more. born in 1856, the son Of an apostate
Catholic priest, the Rev. Dionysius
Sheridan. The bishops sou, DR.. Sher-
idan, was contemporary and friend Of
Dean Swift, and the Dr's son, Thomas
Sheridan, born at Quilca, county Cavan,
in 1921, was the actor, lessee Of the old
S1nockalley Theatre, author Of 'tThe
Life and Works of Jonathan Swift, /" and
father Of Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
The mother Of the subject Of our sketch,
Frances Sheridan, was also possessed OF
much literary ability. When only fifteen
years Of age she published 'tAdelaide, y
a romance in two volumes, and her
Sidney Bidulpbs,'' written in the ma
turity Of her powers, was styled the best
novel of the age by Charles James Fox.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan had two sons
Thomas and Charles-both Of whom
had literary ability, the latter especially,
having written some respectable verse.
Thomas had three daughters, famed for
their beauty and wit-Selina, who mar
ried the Hon. Price Blackwood, after
wards Lord Dutferin, and is the aothoress
of those exquisite Irish ballads, ''Katie's
letter. :'Terence's Farewell" and
1.-The Irish Emigrant;" Caroline, poetess
and novelist, who married the Hon. j. G.
Norton, and afterwards Sir William
Stirling Maxwell; and Jane, who became
through marriage Duchess of Somerset.
Selma was the mother OF the present
Lord Dufferin, ViceroY of India. Rich
ard Brinsley Sheridan's two sisters,
Alicia and Elizabeth, married two broth
ers named LeFanu, name not unkno wn
either in Irish literature. One of Alicia
LeFanu's grandsons was Joseph Sher-
idan LeFanu, the novelist. ind author
of the we'll known poems, ''Shamus
O'Brien," and "Patrick Crohore," and
was-being a Conservatiye--for many
years editor and proprietor OF the Dublin
Evening Mail. And last. but by all
means not least, James Sheridan
Knowles, author, dramatist, and preach
err, and born il Cork, WAS first cousin
of Richard BlinsleY Sheridan.
Sheridan WIS born in 1861 ut IL Dorset
street Dublin, His mother, to whom I
have already referred, seems to have
had, and not without reason, very poor
opinion of his capacity when . boy, Tor
ON sending him at the age of seven to a
famous academy kept by Mr.. Samuel
Whyte in Grafton street, she told the
worthy pedagogue that her son was q
Ounce, Whyte agreed with the mother
and wrote Sheridan down as ga rnost i'm
penetrable Ounce" so that Moore was
fully justified in saylng-':The dawn Of
Sheridan's intellect WAS as dull and TN
promising as it's meridian day was
bright When eleven years OF age
young Sheridan was sent to Harrow (his
parents having removed to England), and
il is curious circumstance thai in this
famous English school also he gave no
promise whatever of his subsequent
magnificent career as q poet, dramatist,
and orator. DIR. Parr, who was head
master at Harrow at the time. wrote to
Moore in relation to Sheridan
"He was inferior to many Of his
in the ordinary business Of
the school, and I don't remember any
one instance in which he distinguished
himself by learned or eloquent compo~
sitlon in prose OF verse. y
The first we hear of Sheridan as a
litterateur is as the author, in partner
ship with a Mr.. Halhead, Of a farce en-
titled "Jupiter'' which was produced at
Bath, about ITO. Bath was also tine
scene OF Sheridan's first courtship. The
object of his affections was the beautiful
Miss Linley, vocalist, then in her
eighteenth year. His friend Halhead
was a rival for the hand OF Miss Linlsy,
and both young men were, we may pre-
sumo, utterly disconsolate when it was
announced that she was about 10 marry
a rich elderly gentleman at the sugges-
ton Of her father. Miss Linley, how
ever, told the old sutton that she could
never really love him, and he, instead of
waxing wrathful and vowing the most
blood-curdling vengeance on his success
full rival-as most old discarded lovers
do in plays and noyels-gave up the
game and settled $4,000 upon her with
his blessing. Halhead was induced by
Sheridan to relinquish his suit, and then
Sheridan went in and won. The father
of the young lady proving obstinate, the
pair eloped to Calais, where they were
married, he being then in his
twentieth year and she entering on her
This event occurred in 1772.
Moore thus'writes of Mrs. Sheridan
st1,l,o~o hos oo11o,,o rarhana existed