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step by step, always learning together, I have great obstacles to overcome; without which I should never have been sometimes the caprices of temper, at able to fix his attention. In this man- others the sallies of indocility; almost ner I made him learn all the best pieces always an agitation of body and a disin Lafontaine. The memory, under- sipation of mind that nothing can equal. standing, and taste, were all exercised at It requires address and indulgence both once. I take great care, when he is re- to prevent faults and to obviate disgust. peating any thing and makes a mistake, Sometimes, however, it is necessary to to present the idea instead of telling him punish: weakness would be still worse the word thus the operation of reason than severity. In the beginning, after is added to that of the memory. Rous- an unpardonable disobedience, I shut seau and other philosophers may well the books, and declared that I would not assert that these fables so employed are continue the lesson: he wept much, and admirable for children. They amuse begged permission to do what he had while they engage them: they develope before refused. I continued firm for or create ideas: they familiarize the pu- some time, and at length yielded only to pil with the graces of expression, and his most earnest intreaties. This meeven impart a feeling for beauties of thod has often been attended with sucstyle which mature age alone might be cess. I still employ it, though the tears. supposed capable of relishing. His me- no longer come. Í have sometimes agmory is ready, but not very retentive: gravated ennui by forcing him to pursue it retains ideas much better than words. a passage which he disliked. He would He has known more of geography accustom himself to any thing if one were than I did at twenty. He forgets it so to be inflexible. One day when he had easily that I merely now and then wilfully transgressed a formal prohibiplace the principal notions before his tion, I gave him his choice either to be eyes. On the other hand he will recol- deprived of the dessert, or to beg pardon lect, after an interval of several months, of God upon his knees. He chose the an anecdote related en passant, or a re- former. It was not long before he remark of the importance of which he is lapsed into the same fault. I immedinot aware. In short, ideas accumulate in ately ordered him to fall upon his knees his head, and though he often confuses and beg pardon of God, which he did them in a ludicrous manner, yet it is evi- after some hesitation, and I remitted the dent that he combines them very sens)- other part of the punishment. He never bly. This kind of memory must be ex- was guilty of the same fault afterwards. cellent when it comes to be seconded by Notwithstanding the indifference which reason. An extraordinary perspicacity he frequently affects towards reproof and also renders him as susceptible of in- even humiliation, he is not without pride. struction as the warmth of his temper I told him the other day, being satisfied tends to make him averse to it. I soon with him, that I wished to reward him, perceived and profited by this advantage. not with sweetmeats or amusements, but By appearing rather to converse than with honour. The best reward, he anteach; by contriving to afford him the swered, is the approbation of one's conpleasure of finding out things himself; science.-Very true, but it is just that by explaining every thing, and requiring those who deserve it should be farther reasons for every thing: in a word, and rewarded. I will mention your good this is my fundamental principle-by behaviour at table, and afford you an placing reason invariably at the threshold opportunity of doing yourself honour by of his understanding-I found means, repeating something of your lesson.without effort, in spite of his excessive This gave him great pleasure. giddiness, to make him acquire more already contrived several occasions for knowledge, and in particular more judg him to display his little acquirements, ment than I ever had in my life at a much and he has turned them to good account. more advanced age. As it is in his dis- When age and reason shall have temposition to kick when my bridle is held pered the petulance of the young prince, tight, and to run away when it is relaxed, instruction will produce in him the fairest Eng. Mag. Vol. IV.

W

I have

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fruit. The wish to please, combined regret. All the world knows that the with a store of knowledge, will excite treachery which enabled Buonaparte to him to distinguish himself by glorious secure the person of this prince, and his qualities. subsequent murder, are among the Such was in his childhood the prince blackest of the crimes by which he stainwho ought to have been the pride and ed his reign, unhappily of too long conthe prop of his house, and who is unfor- tinuance. tunately the subject of its everlasting

Concluded.

RIGHT HON. R. B. SHERIDAN.

ulations as should serve for precedents in Soon after this, the melancholy indis- any future exigency of a similar nature. position of his Majesty led to the consi- The French revolution, which was deration of a question of the greatest now in its portentous infancy, soon made magnitude, and which may truly be said such rapid strides to gigantic terror, as to have exceeded in importance the set- could not fail to attract universal attentlement of the crown after the abdication tion. In England this tremendous event of James the Second. On this question, was beheld by some with fearful expecwhich related to the mode of supplying tation, while by others it was contemthe defect of the exercise of the royal plated with pleasure, and the eager antiauthority, Mr. Sheridan, as might be ex- cipation of still more extensive changes pected, strenuously advocated the ex- for the diffusion of liberty. Among the clusive, unconditional right, of the heir- former, Mr. Burke took the lead; and apparent to assume the office of Regent, with the perspicuity of an enlightened without even consulting or being bound statesman who examines minutely into by parliament. In this doctrine he cer- the moral elements as well as the extertainly did not stand alone, but consider- nal movements of great bodies, he pering the favour in which he was held at ceived that all this pretext of freedom Carlton House, and the well known trust and the rights of man arose from the reposed in his opinion by the Prince, it corrupt motives of deep and designing was generally believed that he took the men to overturn a government for their lead in those counsels which were then own purposes. Mr. Sheridan, on the prevalent on this subject. Certain it is, other hand, whether out of pique or vanthat the letter written by the Prince to ity, though it is possible that there was Mr. Pitt on the parliamentary restric- in his conduct a mixture of both, seized tions, was the composition of Mr. Sher- every opportunity to eulogize the French idan; and from this fact alone, it is evi- army and the Convention for resisting dent that his influence exceeded that of the monarch and countenancing the his political associates. At present there atrocities committed in the name of libcan hardly exist two opinions on the erty. On the 9th of February 1790, matter which was then so strongly con- when Mr. Burke took occasion to anitested; and while due credit must be madvert upon some points advanced by given to the ability with which the friends Mr. Fox upon this subject, Sheridan inof the Prince maintained his claims, terfered, and attacked the former with every candid observer who knows any great vehemence, and charged him with thing of the constitutional principles of defending an accursed system of despotic the English government, must see the government. This could hardly be supglaring inconsistency of the Whigs on posed to sit quietly upon a mind so lofty this point, and their total departure from and irritable as that of Burke, who, in the great doctrines laid down at the Re- reply answered, that he most sincerely volution. Providentially, however, the lamented the inevitable necessity of now restoration of his Majesty's health at that publicly declaring, that henceforth his time put a stop to the practical necessity honourable friend and he were separated of adopting any further measure, than in politics; yet, even in the very mothe settlement of such positions and reg- ment of separation, he expected that his

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honourable friend, for so he had been in the applause for which he could hope the habit of calling him, would have from clubs was scarcely worth the sac treated him with some degree of kind- rifice which he had chosen to make for ness; or, at least, if he had not, for the so insignificant an acquisition." sake of a long and amicable connexion Thus terminated a friendship of long heard him with some partiality, he would, standing, and to which Sheridan was no have done him the justice of representing doubt indebted for a considerable porhis arguments fairly. On the contrary, tion of that knowledge which was nece he had cruelly and unexpectedly mis-stat- essary to establish his reputation, though ed the nature of his observations, by he wanted industry to cultivate his excharging him with being an advocate for traordinary powers by close applicadespotism, though it was in the recollec- tion.

tion of the honourable gentleman and It may here be proper to observe, that the whole house, that in the beginning so complete was this disruption, and of his speech he had expressly reprobat- such was the aversion of Mr. Burke to ed every measure which carried with it the political principles and private coneven the slightest appearance of despo- duct of his old acquaintance, that whentism. All who knew him could not ever Sheridan's name was announced, he avoid acknowledging that he was the always quitted the company, For this, professed enemy of despotism in every indeed, he seems to have had sufficient shape; whether it appeared as the splen- reason, as notwithstanding the rebuke did tyranny of Lewis the Fourteenth, which Burke had given in the speech or the outrageous democracy of the pre- just mentioned, the other continued, on sent government of France, which lev- many occasions, to goad him with severe elled all distinctions in society. The remarks in the house, particularly on honourable gentleman also had charged that subject which he knew would alhim with having libelled the National ways act poignantly on his feelings. Assembly, and stigmatized them as a This certainly was ungenerous and imbloody, cruel, and ferocious democracy. prudent, because it could only serve to Mr. Burke said, he appealed to the widen a breach, which by conciliation, house, whether he had uttered a single might have been healed; and it tended, syllable concerning the National Assem- in a great degree, to lesson the respect bly, which could warrant such a con- that was due to a man, who merited the struction as that put upon his words. thanks of all mankind, for the energy He felt himself warranted in repelling with which he resisted the deadly docthe imputation; because, the whole trines of political fanatics, who were obtenor of his life had proved that he was viously bent on the destruction of all soa sincere friend to freedom, and as such, cial order, in the levelling of rank and he was concerned to find that there were property. persons in this country who entertained In 1792, Mr. Sheridan lost his amiatheories of government not consistent ble partner, who died of a consumption with the safety of the state, and who at Bristol Wells, leaving two children, a were ready to transfer a part, at least, of son and a daughter; the former being that anarchy which prevailed in France now living at the Cape of Good Hope, to this kingdom, for the purpose of ef- but the latter died shortly after her mofecting their own designs. Having pur- ther of a similar complaint at Wansted. sued this strain of self-vindication to a Mrs. Sheridan's maternal family came considerable length, Mr. Burke, conclu- from Wells, in the cathedral of which ded, with saying it appeared that the city her remains were deposited, in the honourable gentleman had made a sacriof his friendship, for the sake of catching some momentary popularity. But if the fact was such, however greatly he should continue to admire his talents, he must In 1795 Mr. Sheridan married Miss tell him, that his argument was chiefly Harriet Ogle, youngest daughter of Dr. an argument ad invidiam and that all Newton Ogle, dean of Winchester and

same vault with those of her brothers Thomas and Samuel and her sister Maria Tickell, all of whom were remarkable for their extraordinary musical talents.

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prebendary of Durham, by whom he had then Chancellor, Lord Henry Petty, and one son named Charles, who is also living. other members of the cabinet, are said to Though this ingenious man and pow- have exerted their agility in the ball room erful speaker continued through life the till seven o'clock, in the morning; but inflexible opponent of Mr. Pitt, to whom, the most curious part of the festivity indeed, he seems to have had a personal consisted in the circumstance, that the repugnance, it is but a tribute of strict servants in waiting were bailiffs and their justice to say, that on some occasions, he followers, who being then in possession acted nobly in dissenting from his own on various executions, were put into party. Thus, when Mr. Fox thought it liveries obtained from Drury Lane Theunnecessary to attend his parliamentary atre, to disguise their character and renduties, because he could not obtain his der them useful. object, which was the adoption of a new But it was the fortune of Mr. Sheridan system favourable to the republican rules to be connected with very short-lived of France, Mr. Sheridan continued his administrations, and this soon terminated attendance, and in some critical instan- through the imprudence of the party in ces gave his support to government. endeavouring to impose upon the King, This patriotism was remarkably conspi- with respect to the great question of cuous and beneficial during the alarming catholic emancipation. On this occa mutiny among the seainen of the fleet, sion the wit observed, that he had heard which called for prompt measures and of men knocking out their brains by united strength, to save the country from running against a wall, but he had never destruction. Then Mr. Sheridan dis- known, till now, of any thing so foolish played his talents to great advantage, and as to build a wall for the purpose. acted most honorably in laying aside party politics for the general safety, while his associates either remained silent, or absented themselves from their public station as the representatives of the people.

From this period, Mr. Sheridan gradually declined in the public estimation, and became more and more embarrassed in his circumstances. Having succeeded in getting returned for the city of West minster, he was thrown out on a subse quent application at Stafford, and at the last general election he was not chosen for any place.

In 1799 Mr. Sheridan returned once more to theatrical concerns and produced a splendid drama, translated from the Germau of Kotzebue, under the name of Pizarro, though in the original, the piece bears the title of The Spaniards in Peru. This performance was sold to Mr. Sheridan by a German for one hundred pounds, but the version was so unintelligible that little use could be made of it; but two other translations in manuscript falling in his way he adopted his old companion and zealous adherent. them, and with a slight addition of his

The closing years of his life were passed under a cloud which depressed his faculties and injured his health. He was lost to the world and almost to society. They who once admired now forsook him; and such is the stability of political friendship, even Mr. Fox before his demise, behaved with great coolness to

The disease of which Mr. Sheridan own, contrived to render the piece high- died had its seat in the liver, and the ly attractive for that and the ensuing length of its continuance plainly evinced season. The play was printed with the the strength of the original stamina, had name of Mr. Sheridan prefixed, and it is the same been not undermined by irresaid, that not less than twenty-nine thou- gular habits, which increased as he adsand copies of it were sold in a short space of time.

When, by the death of Mr. Pitt, a new administration was formed, Mr. Sheridan was appointed Treasurer of the Navy, in which office, he no otherwise distinguish ed himself than by giving a grand fête at Somerset House, where Lord Erskine,

vanced in years and trouble, till he escaped from this mortal scene to enjoy, as we sincerely trust, eternal rest. He died on Sunday the 7th July, 1816, and was interred on the Saturday following in the Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey, near the graves of Gartick and Cumberland.