The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-10-30
RIoHAR BR1NsLEY sH1R1DEN

Let the world that owes a debt to
 genius take off it's hat to its knees.
 Let a faithless friend-and a George
 IV.!-arise from his ashes, and. paler
 than the lining of his marble tomb.
 bend before bruised genius. Richard
 Brinsley Sheridan, what tears and
 thanks we owe to thee! The author of the School for
 Scandal the wittiest comedy in ne English language; the author of 'The Rivals" of "The Duenna," of '"The Critic" etc., Richard Brinsley sherf~ dan, poet, dramatist, orator and
 statesman, was born in Dublin. Ire land, on October, 3Oth, 1751. Amidst the efficient suns of that brilliant, that binding, literary era, the era of Goldsmith, Fielding, Garrick, Hume Grafton, Scott, Byron. Burke, Fox there were giants in the earth in those days-the name of Sheridan glitters, eloquence that fingers among great utterances that "dart fire into men". At school at Harrow, young Sheridan was a favorite. That airy, sparkling face was to make friends all through life, destined to love with almost fatal passions; that hubbling wit that tossed off great comedies; that scorching eloquence that held a House of Commons of noted debaters and men of genius enthralled for five hours at a time, was to end in penury and well-n:gh disgrace, forsaken by a Prince whom his pleadings before | the House had lifted over extremely rough places and threatened public | censure.
 | In 1770, in Bath whither the family 1 of the Sheridans had removed, Sheri- | dan met the beautiful Miss Linly, l whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs | today at Knole. Kent. To protect | the beautiful singer from thronging l suitors, some of these reckless fiber | tines, to have her, ah, there was no l half way measures with men of the | Eighteenth century!-Sh eridan TO- | matically escorted Miss Linley to l nunnery in France (for papa did not 1 favor the suit of a man who had only l his genius for bankbook). On the | way to the Continent, the young lovers l were married. Sheridan returned to 1 Bath, to fight a duel over her, with i the Ibertine Matthews whose illicit | addresses to Miss Linfey she had | confided to Sheridan. Those were
 the big paying days of deep-souled i men, prize hounds id the blue ribbon | contests of life, men of duels, and | deep play, and deep bumpers. and 1 deep passions-men of genius, how
 ever. The father of the "beautiful l Miss Linley'' was at last won over | and Sheridan and his youthful bride 1 took house in London. Relying on 1 his wits, Sheridan furnished the house
 grandly, and entertained like the | fashionable world. "The Rivals" was produced in 1775. It took that place
 on the stage which 1t has never lost. There followed ''st. Patrick's Day.; l and then "The Duenna". And now 1 Sheridan became part owner with | Garrick of Drury Lane Theatre.
 | Comedy after comedy followed from 1 his sparkling pen. The famous
 School for Scandal" was produced in 1777. It immediately established
 Sheridan's fame. In the dreadful
 years that were to follow, the gen. i erous Byron pronounced, thus, upon
 his friend "Brinsley': "He has
 written the best comedy; the best
 opera, the best farce; the best ad- dress (MonoIogue on Garrick) and, to crown all, delivered the best ora tion (the famous Begun speech in conceived or heard in this country"
 When Sheridan heard this next day through his friends he burst into i tears Strange fate", says Thomas l Moore, ''the Stage that was to be his glory and his ruin; the property which made his master, was exactly of that | treacherous kind which not only de- i ceives man himself, but enables
 him, to deceive others; and thus com- 1 b1ned all that person of Sheridan's
 carelessness and ambition had most | to dread. An uncertain income, by | eyading calculation gave an excuse for improvidence, amidst the intoxi- | cation of as deep and thick draughts ! or lame as ever young author | quaffed. Scarcely had the zest Of this excitement worn off, when he 1 became the companion and friend of
 nobles and princes. Sheridan entered | Parliament in 17S0. Here his bril-
 liance glittered in impassioned de-
 bate. In the notorious banquets at | Carleton House where the Prince of l Wales was host, Sheridan was a | sparkling figure. He was the friend
 of the Prince, 'The first Gentleman
 in Europe who lifted a toast as
 none of the others has done before l or since, and whose outrageous pro- l higacy and extravaganza oyerflowed | into the days of the Regency when l the insanity of the king, George III,
 made the Regency obligatory for the | nation.
 There followed the fearful decline.
 Debts, debts and more debts for | Sheridan to pay-who could not.
 He was seized. and imprisoned in a | sponging house for debt Theatre and | Parliament closed to him-most hor- | rible of all; health failing; his young | wife's death. from consumption;
 iebts. debts, betty borrowings from : he few friends left in his adyersity.