not the last time; the last time was at Douglas Kinnaird's.

I have met him in all places and parties,-at Whitehall with the Melbournes, at the Marquis of Tavistock's, at Robins' the auctioneer's, at Sir Humphry Davy's, at Sam Rogers's,—in short, in most kinds of company, and always found him very convivial and delightful.

I have seen Sheridan weep two or three times. It may be that he was maudlin; but this only renders it more impressive, for who would see

From Marlborough's eyes the tears of dotage flow,
And Swift expire a driveller and a show?"

Once I saw him cry at Robins' the auctioneer's, after a splendid dinner, full of great names and high spirits. I had the honour of sitting next to Sheridan. The occasion of his tears was some observation or other upon the subject of the sturdiness of the Whigs in resisting office and keeping to their principles: Sheridan turned round:-"Sir, it is easy for my Lord G. or Earl G. or Marquis B. or Lord H. with thousands upon thousands a year, some of it either presently derived, or inherited in sinecure or acquisitions from the public money, to boast of their patriotism and keep aloof from temptation; but they do not know from what temptation those have kept aloof who had equal pride, at least equal talents, and not unequal passions, and nevertheless knew not in the course of their lives what it was to have a shilling of their own." And in saying this he wept.

I have more than once heard him say, "that he never had a shilling of his own." To be sure, he contrived to extract a good many of other people's.

In 1815, I had occasion to visit my lawyer in Chancery Lane; he was with Sheridan. After mutual greetings, &c., Sheridan retired first. Before recurring

to my own business, I could not help inquiring that of Sheridan. "Oh," replied the attorney, "the usual thing! to stave off an action from his wine-merchant, my client.”—“ Well," said I, "and what do you mean to do?"—"Nothing at all for the present," said he: "would you have us proceed against old Sherry? what would be the use of it?" and here he began laughing, and going over Sheridan's good gifts of conversation.

Now, from personal experience, I can vouch that my attorney is by no means the tenderest of men, or particularly accessible to any kind of impression out of the statute or record; and yet Sheridan, in half an hour, had found the way to soften and seduce him in such a manner, that I almost think he would have thrown his client (an honest man, with all the laws, and some justice, on his side) out of the window, had he come in at the moment.

Such was Sheridan! he could soften an attorney! There has been nothing like it since the days of Orpheus.

He told me that, on the night of the grand success of his School for Scandal, he was knocked down and put into the watch-house for making a row in the street, and being found intoxicated by the watchmen.

66

When dying, he was requested to undergo an operation," He replied, that he had already submitted to two, which were enough for one man's lifetime. Being asked what they were, he answered, "having his hair cut, and sitting for his picture."

When the bailiff (for I have seen most kinds of life) came upon me in 1815 to seize my chattels (being a

SHERIDAN AND COLMAN.

53

"what

peer of parliament, my person was beyond him), being curious (as is my habit), I first asked him, extents elsewhere he had for government?" upon which he showed me one upon one house only for seventy thousand pounds! Next I asked him if he had nothing for Sheridan? Oh-Sheridan!" said he: "ay, I have this" (pulling out a pocket-book, &c.); "but, my Lord, I have been in Sheridan's house a twelvemonth at a time—a civil gentleman-knows how to deal with us," &c. &c. &c.

SHERIDAN AND COLMAN COMPARED.

I have met George Colman occasionally, and thought him extremely pleasant and convivial. Sheridan's humour, or rather wit, was always saturnine and sometimes savage; he never laughed, (at least that I saw and I watched him,) but Colman did. If I had to choose, and could not have both at a time, I should say, "Let me begin the evening with Sheridan, and finish it with Colman." Sheridan for dinner, and Colman for supper; Sheridan for claret or port, but Colman for everything, from the Madeira and champagne at dinner, the claret with a layer of port between the glasses, up to the punch of the night and down to the grog, or gin and water of daybreak; all these I have threaded with both the same. Sheridan was a grenadier company of life-guards, but Colman a whole regiment of light infantry, to be sure, but still a regiment.

A CONVIVIAL PARTY WITH SHERIDAN AND COLMAN.
SHERIDAN AND THE WATCHMAN.

Yesterday, I dined out with a large-ish party, where were Sheridan and Colman, Harry Harris of Covent

Garden, and his brother, Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Douglas Kinnaird, and others, of note and notoriety. Like other parties of the kind, it was first silent, then talky, then argumentative, then disputatious, then unintelligible, then altogethery, then inarticulate, and then drunk. When we had reached the last step of this glorious ladder, it was difficult to get down again without stumbling; and, to crown all, Kinnaird and I had to conduct Sheridan down a corkscrew staircase, which had certainly been constructed before the discovery of fermented liquors, and to which no legs, however crooked, could possibly accommodate themselves. We deposited him safe at home, where his man, evidently used to the business, waited to receive him in the hall.

Both he and Colman were, as usual, very good; but I carried away much wine, and the wine had previously carried away my memory; so that all was hiccup and happiness for the last hour or so, and I am not impregnated with any of the conversation. Perhaps you heard of a late answer of Sheridan to the watchman who found him bereft of that "divine particle of air," called reason. "Who are you, sir?"-no answer. "What's your name?”66 -a hiccup. What's your name?"—Answer, in a slow, deliberate, and impassive tone-"Wilberforce!!!" Is not that Sherry all over? -and, to my mind, excellent. Poor fellow, his very dregs are better than the "first sprightly runnings" of others.-London, Oct. 31, 1815.

SHERIDAN'S JOKE UPON WHITBREAD'S PHOENIX.

Soon after the "Rejected Addresses" scene in 1812, I met Sheridan. In the course of dinner, he said, "Lord Byron, did you know that amongst the writers

LORD BYRON'S PANEGYRIC ON SHERIDAN.

of addresses was Whitbread himself?" I answered by an inquiry of what sort of an address he had made. "Of that," replied Sheridan, " I remember little, except that there was a phoenix in it."- "A phoenix!! Well, how did he describe it ?"-"Like a poulterer," answered Sheridan "it was green, and yellow, and red, and blue he did not let us off for a single feather."

LORD BYRON'S PANEGYRIC ON SHERIDAN.

Lord Holland told me a curious piece of sentimentality in Sheridan. The other night we were all delivering our respective and various opinions on him and other hommes marquans, and mine was this:"Whatever Sheridan has done, or chosen to do, has been, par excellence, always the best of its kind. He has written the best comedy (School for Scandal), the best drama (in my mind, far before that St. Giles's lampoon, the Beggar's Opera), the best farce (the Critic-it is only too good for a farce), and the best Address (Monologue on Garrick), and, to crown all, delivered the very best Oration (the famous Begum Speech) ever conceived or heard in this country." Somebody told S. this the next day, and on hearing it he burst into tears!

Poor Brinsley! if they were tears of pleasure, I would rather have said these few, but most sincere, words than have written the Iliad or made his own celebrated Philippic. Nay, his own comedy never gratified me more than to hear that he had derived a moment's gratification from any praise of mine, humble as it must appear to "my elders and my betters."-Diary, Dec. 17, 1813.