and fhewed it to a few people; what was faid to me on the occafion encouraged me to take fome pains in the finishing of it. Mr. Garrick was preffing to fee it, and accordingly I read it to him myself. What his opinion of it is, you may judge by his immediately requesting it to be put into his hands, and undertaking to play the fecond character, a comic, and very original one.* Mr. Sheridan is to play the first, one of a graver caft, and a great deal of variety, and which requires a confiderable actor to perform. My first theatrical effay has fo far met with an almost unprecedented fuccefs; most of us, poor authors, find a difficulty in getting our pieces on the stage, and perhaps are obliged to dangle after Managers a season or two: I on the contrary was folicited to give mine as soon as it was feen. It is to come out early in January (the best part of the winter) and as it is admirably well caft, I have tolerable expectations of its fucceeding. Mr. Sheridan has written to Mr. Sheen, to give you one of his books which he will foon receive from hence. He is now, as I mentioned to you formerly, bufied in the English Dictionary, which he is encouraged to pursue with the more alacrity, as his Majefty has vouchfafed him fuch a mark of Royal Favour. I fuppofe you must have heard, that he has granted him a penfion of two hundred pounds a year, merely as an encouragement to his undertaking, and this without folicitation, which makes it the more valuable.† *See the Note annexed at the end of this Letter. He + Mr. Bofwell, always ready to detract from Mr. Sheridan, and edge in a compliment to Johnson at another's expence, contrives to give an invidious twist to this mark of Royal Favour, stating, as noticed in our Remarks, that, "Mr. Sheridan's Penfion was granted to him as a fufferer in the cause of Government," which this account of Mrs. Sheridan's, confirmed by the printed addrefs to Lord Bute, clearly refutes, and thews Mr. Bofwell was greatly misinformed, or wilfully deviates from the truth. He intends giving a new Courfe of Lectures in March; the preparing of which, together with his getting ready in the Comedy, (his part being a very long one) will fully take up his time the remainder of the winter; whatever hours he can make beside must be employed in the Dictionary, as he does not purpose playing any other characters; nor would he have appeared at all this season, if my play could have been got up well without him, as he has been far from being well these two months past. I know not whether Mr. Armstrong ever gave you any account of himself. The circumftance which I mentioned to you he afterwards cleared up, in a way which was not at that time satisfactory either to me or himself; however it is now over; a failure on his fide occafioned his lofing the little place which was ready for his acceptance; but this, as he begged of me not to mention, I charge you never to take notice of it, to any of his friends: Perhaps he has done better; for on his miffing that, I got him fo well recommended, that he was fent with the army to Portugal in a very good station, where I fuppofe he now is. Your former little pupils are all very well, and fend their love to you. Mr. Sheridan joins me in wishing you all fuccefs. I am, Dear Sam, Yours fincerely, FRANCES SHERIDAN. MRS. * Mr. Garrick was pressing to fee it, &c. See page preceding..... This behaviour of Garrick does him infinite honour; but the particular compliment to Mrs. Sheridan, as a writer, in her modest way of relating it, does not appear in its full force; which is greatly heightened by the confideration, that at the time Sheridan and he were upon very unfriendly terms. Davies on the subject says.... "Notwithstanding it was become impoffible to adjust differences between the Manager and Mr. Sheridan, in such a manner as to bring them on the fame Stage, and upon the usual terms of acting, yet when Mrs. Sheridan's Comedy of the Difcovery MRS. SHERIDAN то MR. WHYTE. DEAR SAM, I RECEIVED yours by the hands of Mr. Sheridan, whose fudden arrival not a little furprised me. Though I cannot plead guilty to the charge of not answering your letters; yet I do not really well know how to defend myself; for I cannot take upon me to affert, merely from memory, that I answered all your letters; but can venture to fay, from the general tenour of my conduct, that I am fure it is impoffible, that I could have received fo many from you without answering them. One letter I know I was in your debt when Mr. Sheridan went over, which I commiffioned him to answer perfonally, and if, as you say, you had written three before that, I either did not get them, or you did not get my answers. But to have done with justifications (which between friends are always best when shortest) I am extremely glad to hear you are established so advantageously, with so good a character, which I have no doubt you deserve, and with such desirable profе pects Discovery was offered to Mr. Garrick, he accepted it, and confented that Mr. Sheridan fhould play the principal part in the play, and receive for his labour the advantage of two nights' profits, befides thofe for the Author.... He was indeed fo warm in behalf of the Discovery, that he affured a Publisher, who afterwards bought a fhare in it, that it was one of the best Comedies he ever read, and that he could not do better than to lay out his money in so valuable a purchase.".. ... Memoirs of Garrick as before, vol. i. p. 310. Obferve, my young Readers! what a difference in conclufions a few words may create. Here are two writers, without the fmalleft intention to mislead, perfectly agreed in the principal point, yet by a small variation of phrase, throwing a quite different light on the acceffories. Mr. Davies, in the usual routine of his profeffion, gives Mr. Garrick the credit of accepting the Comedy, purely as a matter of favour. Mrs. Sheridan, on the contrary, more naturally from her feelings on the occafion, without affuming to herself any extraordinary airs of merit, in pure fimplicity of heart, afcribes the compliment to his judgment, and the probable expectations of fuccefs. And that this is the proper and true construction to be put upon it, Mr. Garrick's fubfequent converfation with the publisher abundantly evinces. pects before you. Mr. Sheridan expreffes himself much obliged to you for your friendship; for which you have my warmeft acknowlegements. And now, Sam, not by way of compensation, for that is not in my power to make you; but as a fort of little regale in your own way, for want of other matter, I will send you the refult of a morning's meditation. ODE TO PATIENCE. Say, you who fearch with curious eyes Thy threaten'd flight to ftay; Long haft thou been a welcome guest, Thro' all the various turns of fate, My wayward lot has known; What taught me filently to bear, When forrow weigh'd me down? "Twas Patience. Temperate Goddess, stay! ... For ftill thy dictates I obey, Nor yield to Paffion's Power; Tho' by injurious foes borne down, My fame, my toil, my hopes o'erthrown, In one ill-fated hour. When When robb'd of what I held moft dear, What, when mute forrow chain'd my tongue, Forbade the tide to fwell? "Twas Patience!... Goddess ever calm! Oh! pour into my breast thy balm, Which flowing from thy nectar'd urn, Our loffes into gain. When fick and languishing in bed, What taught me calmly to sustain A feverish being rack'd with pain, And drefs'd my looks in fmiles? "Twas Patience! ... Heaven-defcended Maid! Implor'd, flew fwiftly to my aid, And lent her foftering breast; Watch'd my fad hours with parent care, Say, when diffever'd from his fide, When my prophetic foul, Anticipating all the storm, What could my fears controul? "Twas |