New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-15
RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN
"A W.T. AND BUI LITTLE ELSE.

sHERIDAN'S COMEDIES. "The Rivals and The
school for scandal" Edited with an Introduction
and Notes TO each Play and a Biographical Sketch OF
sheridan BIZ Erander Matthews. Boston and New
York: Houghton, Mifiin & Co. ouarto, PIP job.
Sheridan is fully and fairly presented in this
hook. and il would not be possible to find
more instructive or more agreeable work on this
subject The fronspiece is a likeness OF Sheridan.
obviously q capital one, engraved from the
portrat in cIayon. made in 1888. now at the
National Portrait Gallery at South kcnslnSton
This is all interesting novelty. The two great com
edies have been reprinted, in large and beautiful
tvpe and on fine paper from the text of the edition
Of ls?l, edited by Tom Moore The Notes are
ample and useful. The Introductions impart much
and various information. in a pleasant spirit.
The Biography contains every essential fact, ana
it has been written fuenty. vet compactly. out
OF a full mind. and with careful thought and deeD
sympathy Mr. Matthews claims that 1t is the
result of original research and his claim is valid
He does not pretend to have given many new
facts but lie has explored the original sources oil
information about Sheridan, he has wnnowed
out much error, he has presented the truth III
friendly light. and he has shown the famous
dramatist and orator in what the reader feels to
be the indubitablc aspect of life. His narrative.
Furthermore, is not too long The old materials
have been verified. compressed. rearranged. and
used with Just sense of proportion and Of
cumulative effect: and in this respect, particularly.
the sketch is admirable.
Sheridan, to this biographcr, was "a wit, and
but little else" 1t is not urged, and it would
not be true if 1t wcre,-that he was Il man Of
deep feeling. The oratorical temperament is
fervid: it is seldom or never profound. Sheridan,
although he never went on the stage, was always
an actor Mr.. Matthews credits him with sim
cerity even in his pyro'echncal attack on Warren
Hastings. This is generous view of the sub
ject and perhaps sound one: but since the love
of theatrical effect was much stronger in Sheri-
dams nature than moral conviction it seems far
more probable that he followed Burke into that
crusade rather from vanity than from virtue.
Nothing came of it, for either Of them, except
ocean of words. Mr.. Matthews finds the clue
20 Sheridan's character in "the uncommon
junction Of two irreconcilablc things, very high
standard of morals with an absence Of training
and discipline This is substantially what he
waggishly said Of himself that his ideal of virtue
was 80 high that he could not possibly live up TO
it, Sherdan's character undoubtedly was de-
graded by his association with the Regent and
other bad men of that time, and he was greatly
injured by intempcrance Most readers, however
prefer to attribute his falings and his mscon-
duct TO weakness and 10 the STRESS of crcum-
stances rather than to depravity and therefore
they will surely like the biography of him that
is furnished by Mr. Matthews.
Although this book contains but two of Sheri-
dams works il gives careful account of all the
others. The editor denies that "The Critic is
an adaptation" of the Rehearsal and he again
directs attention TO the fact that the commonly
received version Of Sherdans second speech against
Hastings is substantially spurious The original,
Taken in shorthand at the trial. was published
at the suggestion Of the late Sir George Cornwall
Lewis, but it has not displaced its uncouih pre-
dccessor. Slerdan's share in The Stranger, :,
we are told, was little more than u careful shap-
Ing Of the translator's prose. The translation