Richard Brinsley Sheridan
"To Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Esq." was first published in the 29 January 1795 "Morning Chronicle". Richard Brinsley Sheridan was a famous comic playwright, but Coleridge emphasized the sentimental aspects of Sheridan's writing. This is what prompted Coleridge to dedicate a poem to the playwright and not to someone else. Coleridge also knew of Sheridan as a political figure; Sheridan was a witness during the 1794 Treason Trials and also argued for the repeal of the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act.