Set

The other ten, including two Benefits, were in orderThe Double Dealer, Ditto fecond Night, Hamlet, The Double Dealer, Jane Shore, Double Dealer, Venice Preserved, King John, Julius Cæfar, and on Friday March 20th, The Double Dealer, for his last Benefit. The particular receipts are not preserved; but, as his novelty muft have fomewhat abated, we cannot prefume with altogether equal fuccefs. down the entire upon an average at 130l. per night, by which with the addition of two Benefits, it may be admitted that he cleared 650l; no part of which, either by compact or implication, his Creditors had any claim to. He had his own neceffities to provide for, and a young family with none but himself to look up to; their moft excellent mother was no more; and the state of his finances put it out of his power to indulge in works of fupererogation.*

The hearfe his wife's refpected corfe that bore
Left him poffefs'd of scarce one louis-dor.

WHYTE'S POEMS, p. 22.†

No calculation can be made to fupport the ftory from the fucceeding occurrences. Mr. Barry, notwithstanding the extraordinary affiftance he had derived from his union with Sheridan, soon after found himself obliged to refign to his then more fortunate antagonist; but mindful of his late obligations to the man, whom his rafh oppofition had formerly fet adrift, in fettling with Moffop, he provided in the body of the Article for Sheridan's being engaged, which was certainly with a friendly and good intention on the part of Barry. Sheridan took it otherwife, and was fo offended that any man fhould prefume to carve for him, that he would accede to no offers, and did not appear that winter. In the month of April following, Sheridan and Moffop accidently meeting at

an

See his Letter as before, dated Blois, August 1ft, and alfo that of O&ober 13th, 1766.

+ Mirrour for Youth addicted to the Theatro-Mania, line 552.

an entertainment given by a mutual friend, former bickerings were speedily forgotten, and, resentment giving place to convenience, the parties came to an agreement. Sheridan appeared a few days after in Hamlet, Richard and Cato fucceffively; but Moffop declining a propofal to unite their powers and appear together, the connection was diffolved; and Sheridan, without taking a benefit, went off to England, to meet his young family on their return from France.

The amount of Mr. Sheridan's debts, as fet forth in the paragraph under consideration, widely differs from the return given in by Mr. Knowles, who, being some time treasurer to the Theatre and Mr. Sheridan's agent, as well as married to his fifter, must have thoroughly known the fituation of his affairs. The schedule was made out for my Father, fuppofing he might have occafion for it, on his examination before the Committee of the Houfe of Commons, touching the particulars; a cafe which required circumfpection.

By this time our Readers must have perceived, from the very nature of the circumstances, the authority of the paragraph was too hastily admitted, and the flourish on liberality grounded on mifreprefentation. If the Alderman had really acted in the manner defcribed, it would have been no compliment to Sheridan; the compliment would have been to the Creditors, whofe diftributive fhares would have been thereby proportionally augmented, as the Alderman's quota, so relinquifhed, mult have merged in the general fund. Confequently, without detracting from the merits of Mr. Faulkner, and great merits he certainly poffeffed, on his part the culogium was undeserved, and we risk nothing in afferting, that on the other it was equally undefired. Sheridan had a confcioufnefs of integrity and rectitude within, that fupported

fupported him in every emergency through life; no praife was of any value in his eftimation but what was honestly obtained. He realized in his conduct, to the fullest extent, the fentiment contained in thofe beautiful lines of Pope, which I have heard him, more than once, in his impreffive manner, with pointed and peculiar energy recite:

All fame is foreign, but of true defert;

Plays round the head, but comes not to the heart:
One felf-approving hour whole years outweighs

Of ftupid ftarers, and of loud huzzas;

And more true joy Marcellus exil'd feels,

Than Cæfar with a fenate at his heels.

ORIGINAL

LETTERS,

&c. &c.

THE fubfequent LETTERS, felected from a long course of

epiftolary correspondence between Mr. and Mrs. SHERIDAN and my FATHER, establish the Facts, in contradiction to Mr. Bofwell and others, fet forth in our REMARKS on that Writer's voluminous MEMOIRS of the LIFE OF DR. JOHNSON, for which purpose the printing of them was chiefly intended. But, though few in number, they have recommendations which render them intrinsically valuable. They have the merit of being genuine, and written immediately to the occafion, without the leaft view to publication, which confeffedly was not the cafe with most of the productions of our first-rate geniufes in this way. Their compositions, under the name of Familiar Letters, however admirable in other refpects, are rather Epiftolary Effays, like the papers of the Spectators, the refult of premeditation and care; fcrupulously corrected and polished for the prefs.* Here we have examples of familiar writing as it fhould be, in its native fimplicity and eafe; every thought in its original N conception

We are told that a certain author of great learning and talents, used to employ a month in writing a letter of moderate length; and Pliny apologizes for the unusual length of a letter, by faying, he had not time to make it shorter, which is a proof that he was not accustomed to fet down his thoughts currente calamo, or without reserve, to commit to his friends and pofterity, the genuine effufions of his heart. Collections of Familiar Letters, are indeed numerous, by far the greatest part made in the life time and printed under the inspection of the authors. Mr. Addifon has been known to fufpend bufinefs of high importance, and ftop the prefs to alter a comma or revise a word.

conception as it arose in the mind, fpontaneoufly flowing from the pen. Truth is not facrificed to ornament, nor fincerity disguised in studied periods. Several literary anecdotes contained in these Letters will probably be found interesting;.

but they poffefs in an eminent degree an excellence for which Familiar Letters are esteemed peculiarly valuable. They truly exhibit in pure unaffected language an undisguised picture of the heart, and ferve to illuftrate the character of the Writers; Writers too who have meritoriously approved themselves in the eye of the Public, and who must hereafter be distinguished in the Hiftory of Literature.

MRS. SHERIDAN* TO MR. WHYTE.
LONDON, Nov. 11th, 1758.

DEAR SAM,

I RECEIVED yours by the last Irish mail, and am much obliged to you for the notice you have given me in regard to the children. I fhould indeed have fixed them with you entirely as Boarders on my leaving Ireland; but as I expected to have returned long before this time, I thought that for fo short a space, and especially as the exercise of walking in fummer might be of use to them, that they could not be the worse for spending their evenings at home. However, as I am convinced of the justness of your reflections on the subject, I would by all means have them lodged in your house, and the fooner they are removed the better. Though I have an entire reliance as well on your care as that of Mrs. Whyte, yet I should not choose, at this distance from myself, to have

the

This Lady is an exception to Mr. Bofwell's general rule; she was a perfon Dr. Johnson and He highly valued, and always spoke well of. See Memoirs of the Life of Johnson, vol. i. pp. 352, 3, 4, paffim. alfo Note on the preceding Remarks, p. 9.