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is easier for a camel, as Moses says," &c.), he delivered the sermon in his most impressive style, much to the delight of his own party, and to the satisfaction, as he unsuspectingly flattered himself, of all the rest of the congregation, among whom was Mr. Sheridan's wealthy neighbour, Mr. C—————.

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Some months afterwards, however, Mr. O'Bthat the family of Mr. C, with whom he had previously been intimate, treated him with marked coldness; and, on his expressing some innocent wonder at the circumstance, was at length informed, to his dismay, by General Burgoyne, that the sermon which Sheridan had written for him was, throughout, a personal attack upon Mr. C-, who had at that time rendered himself very unpopular in the neighbourhood by some harsh conduct to the poor, and to whom every one in the church, except the unconscious preacher, applied almost every sentence of the sermon.

ELECTION EXPENSES IN 1784.

R. B. Sheridan, Esq. Expenses at the Borough of Stafford for Election, Anno 1784.

248 Burgesses, paid £5 5 0 each...

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Yearly Expenses since.

House-rent and taxes £23 6 6

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board wages

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Coals, &c.

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Total expense of six years' parliament, exclusive of expense incurred during the time of election, and his own annual expenses

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MR. SHERIDAN AND THE SCOTCH BOROUGHS. He had been, singularly enough, selected, in the year 1787, by the burgesses of Scotland, in preference to so many others possessing more personal knowledge of that country, to present to the House the Petition of the Convention. Delegates, for a Reform of the internal government of the Royal Boroughs. How fully satisfied they were with his exertions in their cause may be judged by the following extract from the Minutes of Convention, dated 11th August, 1791 :—

"Mr. Mills, of Perth, after a suitable introductory speech, moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Sheridan, in the following words :

"The Delegates of the Burgesses of Scotland, associated for the purposes of Reform, taking into their most serious consideration the important services rendered to their cause by the manly and prudent exertions of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Esq., the genuine and fixed attachment to it which the whole tenor of his conduct has evinced, and the admirable moderation he has all along displayed,

"Resolved unanimously, That the most sincere thanks of this meeting be given to the said Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Esq., for his steady, honourable, and judicious conduct in bringing the question of the violated rights of the Scottish Baroughs to its present important and favourable crisis; and the Burgesses with firm confidence hope that, from his attachment to the cause, which he has shown to be deeply rooted in principle, he will persevere to exert his distinguished abilities, till the objects of it are obtained, with that inflexible firmness, and constitutional moderation, which have appeared so conspicuous and exemplary throughout the whole of his conduct, as to be highly deserving of the imitation of all good citizens.

"JOHN EWEN, Secretary."

HIS BETS.

"25th May, 1793.-Mr. Sheridan bets Gen. Fitzpatrick one hundred guineas to fifty guineas, that within two years from this date some measure is adopted in Parliament which shall be (bona fide) considered as the adoption of a Parliamentary Reform."

"29th January, 1793.-Mr. S. bets Mr. Boothby Clopton five hundred guineas that there is a Reform in the Representation of the people of England within three years from the date hereof."

29th January, 1793.-Mr. S. bets Mr. Hardy five hundred to fifty guineas, that Mr. W. Windham does not represent Norwich at the next general election."

"29th January, 1793.-Mr. S. bets Gen. Fitzpatrick fifty guineas, that a corps of British troops are sent to Holland within two months of the date hereof."

"18th March, 1793.-Mr. S. bets Lord Titchfield two hundred guineas, that the D. of Portland is at the head of an Administration on or before the 18th of March, 1796: Mr. Fox to decide whether any place the Duke may then fill shall bonâ fide come within the meaning of this bet."

"25th March, 1793.-Mr. S. bets Mr. Hardy one hundred guineas, that the three per cent. consols are as high this day twelvemonth as at the date hereof."

"Mr. S. bets Gen. Tarleton one hundred guineas to fifty guineas, that Mr. Pitt is First Lord of the Treasury on the 28th of May, 1795.--Mr. S. bets Mr. St. A. St. John fifteen guineas to five guineas, ditto.-Mr. S. bets Lord Sefton one hundred and forty guineas to forty guineas, ditto."

"19th March, 1793.-Lord Titchfield and Lord W. Russell bet Mr. S. three hundred guineas to two hundred guineas, that Mr. Pitt is First Lord of the Treasury on the 19th of March, 1795."

"18th March, 1793.-Lord Titchfield bets Mr. S. twentyfive guineas to fifty guineas, that Mr. W. Windham represents Norwich at the next general election."

SHERIDAN'S BAG..

IN the May of 1794 Mr. Sheridan was called upon for his reply on the Begum charge. It was usual, on these occasions, for the manager who spoke to be assisted by one of his brother managers, whose task it was to carry the bag that contained his papers, and to read out whatever minutes might be referred to in the course of the argument. Mr. Michael Angelo Taylor was the person who undertook this office for Sheridan ; but, on the morning of the speech, upon his asking for the bag that he was to carry, he was told by Sheridan that there was none— neither bag nor papers. They must manage, he said, as well as

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they could without them; and when the papers were called for, his friend must only put the best countenance he could upon it. As for himself, "he would abuse Ned Law--ridicule Plumer's long orations-make the court laugh-please the women, and, in short, with Taylor's aid, would get triumphantly through his task." His opening of the case was listened to with the profoundest attention; but when he came to contrast the evidence of the Commons with that adduced by Hastings, it was not long before the chancellor interrupted him, with a request that the printed minutes to which he referred should be read. Sheridan answered that his friend Mr. Taylor would read them; and Mr. Taylor affected to send for the bag, while the orator begged leave, in the meantime, to proceed. Again, however, his statements rendered a reference to the minutes necessary, and again he was interrupted by the chancellor, while an outcry after Mr. Sheridan's bag was raised in all directions. At first the blame was laid on the solicitor's clerk ;then a messenger was dispatched to Mr. Sheridan's house. In the meantime the orator was proceeding brilliantly and successfully in his argument, and, on some further interruption and expostulation from the chancellor, raised his voice, and said, in a dignified tone, "On the part of the Commons, and as manager of this impeachment, I shall conduct my case as I think proper. I mean to be correct; and your lordships, having the printed minutes before you, will afterwards see whether I am right or wrong."

During the bustle produced by the inquiries after the bag, Mr. Fox, alarmed at the inconvenience which he feared the want of it might occasion to Sheridan, ran up from the manager's room, and demanded eagerly the cause of this mistake from Mr. Taylor; who, hiding his mouth with his hand, whispered him (in a tone full of humour), "The man has no bag!"

The whole of this characteristic contrivance was evidently intended by Sheridan to raise that sort of surprise at the readiness of his resources, which it was the favourite triumph of his

vanity to create. Mr. Moore says, "I have it on the authority of Mr. William Smythe, that, previously to the delivery of this speech, he passed two or three days alone at Wanstead, so occupied from morning till night in writing and reading of papers, as to complain in the evenings that he had motes before his eyes.' This mixture of real labour with apparent carelessness was, indeed, one of the most curious features of his life and character."

HIS LETTER ON BEING APPOINTED RECEIVER OF THE DUCHY OF CORNWALL.

EARLY in the year 1804, on the death of Lord Elliot, the office of Receiver of the Duchy of Cornwall, which had been held by that nobleman, was bestowed by the Prince of Wales upon Mr. Sheridan, "as a trifling proof of that sincere friendship his Royal Highness had always professed and felt for him through a long series of years." His Royal Highness also added, in the same communication, the very cordial words, “I wish to God it was better worth your acceptance."

The following letter from Sheridan to Mr. Addington, communicating the intelligence of this appointment, shows pretty plainly the terms on which he not only now stood, but was well inclined to continue, with that minister :

George Street, Tuesday evening.

DEAR SIR,--Convinced as I am of the sincerity of your good will towards me, I do not regard it as an impertinent intrusion to inform you that the Prince has, in the most gracious manner, and wholly unsolicited, been pleased to appoint me to the late Lord Elliot's situation in the Duchy of Cornwall. I feel a desire to communicate this to you myself, because I feel a confidence that you will be glad of it. It has been my pride and pleasure to have exerted my humble efforts to serve the Prince without ever accepting the slightest obligation from him; but, in the present case, and under the present circumstances, I think it would have been really false pride and apparently mischievous affectation to have declined this mark of his Royal Highness's confidence and favour. I will not disguise that, at this peculiar crisis, I am greatly gratified at this event. Had it been the result of a mean and subservient devotion to the

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