ham and Lord Camden entitled to the warmeft thanks of their country for the meafures they adopted on both thefe occafions. But perhaps we are of opinion that they ought to have made rather larger allowances for other minifters, who afterwards endeavoured to go fomewhat greater lengths, under circumstances which it would have been but candid to fuppofe might to them feem equally neceffary. It will naturally be asked, If Lord Camden was Chief Juftice of the Common Pleas, at the time when he, first rendered himself fo remarkably popular-an office which, being held during the good behaviour of the party, was of courfe independent in the highest degree-by what means could he be prevailed on to relinquish fuch a fituation? To this it may be anfwered, that a penfion of 1500l. a year on the Irish establishment, a reverfionary grant of a tellership for his fon, and (perhaps above all) the title of Lord Camden, with a hint at the future chancellorship, were by no means flight confiderations. The chancellorship certainly fol lowed his lordship's refignation; and it would be the groffeft injustice, not to obferve that his conduct in that exalted fituation, gave the utmost fatisfaction to the public in general, and to the gentlemen of the profeffion and their clients in particular. To the former his deportment was constantly. polite and unaffuming; and his deCrees were equally the offspring of a good understanding and of a liberal heart. Perhaps fomething like a difpofition for party in the character of Lord Camden, may appear from the ftate of facts which we have thus inartificially thrown together and interwoven with our own fentiments: in all other refpects we have never heard but one opinion of his lordship that he is one of the belt lawyers, and the best men, this country ever produced. His fpeeches in parliament are re-j plete with found judgment, and conAitutional knowledge, and his manner is admirably perfuafiye. We have always particularly admired the following elegant eulogium of Milton, which came out in the courfe of his lordfhip's arguments againff establishing the perpetuity of Literary Property, on the famous Appeal to the House of Lords, in the year 1774, and hope it will not prove unacceptable to any of our readers. If there be any thing in the world common to all mankind, fcience and learning are in their nature publici juris, and they ought to be as free and general as air or water. Thofe favoured mortals, thofe fublime spirits, who fhare that ray of divinity which we call genius, are intrufted by Providence with the power of imparting to their fellow creatures that inftruction which Heaven meant for univer fal benefit, Glory is the reward of fcience, and those who deferve it fcorn, all meaner views. I fpeak not of the fcribblers for bread, who teaze the prefs with their wretched productions; fourteen years is too long a privilege for their perishable trash. It was not for gain that Bacon, Newton, Milton, Locke, inftructed and delighted the world. When the bookfeller offered Milton 51. for his Paradife Loft, he did not reject it, and commit his poem to the flames, nor did he accept the miferable pittance as the reward of his labour; he knew that the real price of his work was immortality, and that pofterity would pay it!" Had we the pen of Milton, we would nobly thank Lord Camden for thefe generous and juft fentiments of the true eftimation of real genius! His lordship married Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas Jeffreys, Efq fon and heir of Sir Geoffry Jeffreys, of Brecknock priory, in the county of Brecknock, by whom he has iffue one fon, John Jeffreys Pratt, born in 1759 and four daughters. Author of Mifs Sidney Biddulph, and other novels, and grandfon of Dr.Tho mas Sheridan, the celebrated friend of Dean Swift, was born about the year 1750, at Quilea, near Dublin. Mr. Richard Brinsley Sheridan had but just reached his fixth year, when his father, finding it neceffary to leave Ireland, brought the young gentleman to England, and placed him at Harrow School, under the care of Dr. Sumner. At fchool, Mr. Sheridan was rather remarkable for a vivacity of difpofition, than for any extraordinary application to learning; though his quicknefs of apprehenfion, ftrong me. mory, and lively imagination, occa fionally displayed themfelves. The verfatility of his father's fortune, who was fometimes on the stage as an actor, at others delivering his lectures, and once at least manager of the Dublin Theatre, may ferve to account for the little we hear of Mr. Sheridan, till he became a student of the Middle Temple, intending to be called to the bar. The ftudy of the law, however, but ill accorded with his volatile difpofition; though it has, perhaps, much lefs drynefs and aufterity than is in general imagined. Be this as it may, Mr. Sheridan paid it but little attention; having foon defpaired of brilliant fuccefs, and probably fixing his future views on literary dramatic fame, and the emolument which was a few years fince fure to attend the exertions of genuine ability: for, at this early period, we have reafon to believe, that he had formed no regular defign of feizing on any public employment. In the year 1773, he married Mifs Linley, daughter of Mr. Linley, the celebrated musician of Bath; after a courtship which made a confiderable noife in that gay city, Mifs Linley poffeffed, with great perfonal accomplishments, moft aftonifhing vocal abilities; and, as her hand was folicited by a number of gay young gentlemen, Mr. Sheridan had 2329419 feveral powerful rivals to contend with: one, in particular, a Mr. Matthews, afferted his right in the field, where a most defperate rencounter took place between him and Mr. Sheridan, which ended with as much bonour to each of the combatants, as a duellift can well be entitled to. But whether Mr. Sheridan owed his fuccefs to the fword, or to the pen, we are not qualified to judge; certain it is, however, that Mifs Linley was the theme of some beautiful verses, and our readers will probably not be dif pleafed to fee the following, which are well worthy of being preferved. They are faid to have been left by Mr. Sheridan at the entrance of a grotto in the vicinity of Bath, where he had the day before prefumed to offer Mifs Linley fome advice; a liberty which, he was under all the uneafy apprehenfions of an affectionate lover, the might think proper to resent in a manner fatal to his future happiness. The lines are exquifitely delicate, and the more important part of the fubject is in all probability ftrictly true. Uncouth is this mofs-cover'd grotto of ftone, And damp is the fhade of this dew-dripping tree; Yet I this rude grotto with rapture will own, And, willow, thy damps are refreshing to me: For this is the grotto where Delia reclin'd, And this is the tree kept her fafe from the wind, As late I in fecret her confidence fought; As blushing fhe heard the grave leffon I taught. Then tell me, thou grotto of moss-cover'd stone, And tell me, thou willow with leaves dripping Did Delia feem vex'd when Horatio was gone? And did the confefs her resentment to you? dew; For well did fhe know that my heart meant no wrong; It funk at the thought but of giving her pain: But trufted it's talk to a faultering tongue, Which err'd from the feelings it could not ex plain. Yet, oh! if indeed I've offended the maid, If Delia my humble monition refufe; I'll pay thee each drop with a genuine tear! Mr. Sheridan, at the age of eighteen, is faid to have affifted a friend in tranflating the Epiftles of Ariftænetus from the Greek; and to have written, about that period, feveral anonymous productions. But his first dramatic piece, the comedy of the Rivals, did not appear till 1775, when it was performed at Covent Garden Theatre with very indifferent fuccefs. It has, however, fince been confiderably altered, and performed with much applaufe, but not equal to that which has conftantly attended his later productions. To the comic opera of the Duenna, which fucceeded the Rivals, Mr. She ridan is probably indebted for his advancement in life. The fuccess of this piece was beyond every thing that had been known in the dramatic -history, and it was performed for a greater number of fucceffive nights than even the Beggar's Opera of the inimitable Gay. As Mr. Garrick began to think of quitting the ftage about this period, Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Linley, and Dr. Ford, entered into a treaty with him, which was perfected in the year 1777, when Mr. Sheridan commenced manager. Vaft expectations were formed, from the dramatic abilities he was known to poffefs, that the dignity of the ftage would be confiderably increafed under Mr. Sheridan's aufpices; and he began his career with all the enthusiasm of a perfon young in office, full of that eftimation the ability of a predecessor felf-importance which holds in little whom he doubts not eafily to excel.. But it was foon perceived by thofe about him, and it was not long concealed from the public, that Mr. Sheridan had too little perfeverance ever to fucceed as an acting manager of a theatre, whofe numerous avocations require an affiduity and application which he felt himself very lit tle difpofed to give; much of his duty was of courfe quickly delegated to thofe who by no means appear to have diftinguished themselves for talents, liberality, or induftry: he was, of course, perpetually involved in difputes with authors, as well as performers; and, as his finances were not in the moft flourishing ftate, he was, upon the whole, terribly harraffed. He however produced, at the lat ter end of the first feafon, his famous comedy of the School for Scandal; the merits of which are too well known, and too univerfally acknowledged, to need our difcuffion, though the moral this piece inculcates has but few admirers among the fober part of mankind. The mufical entertainment of the Camp, (which took it's rife from the encampment of the militia at Coxheath) was Mr. Sheridan's next dramatic effort: and this was followed by the Critic, or a Tragedy Rehearfed, in imitation of the Duke of Buckingham's Rehearsal, and Fielding's Tom Thumb; but every way defective in what conftitutes the prin cipal merit of thofe celebrated performances, as we shall presently take occafion to prove. In the mean time, the public were repeatedly given to understand, that an opera called the Foresters, and a comedy entitled Affectation, were both on the ftocks, in the dramatic dock-yard of this celebrated builder; but, except a light yacht, or rather wherry, (to purfue the metaphor) named the Pantomime of Robinfon Crufoe, not a fingle veffel has he yet launched, though four years are now elapfed, elapfed, fince the first reprefentation of the Critic. It must not, however, be forgot, that Mr. Sheridan produced a noble eulogium on the death of Mr. Garrick, under the title of a Monody, which was feveral times recited by Mrs. Yates, at Drury Lane Theatre, with constant and deferved applaufe*. Previous to the laft general election, Mr. Sheridan had turned his thoughts towards politics, joining Mr. Fox as a Westminster affociator, and distinguishing himself as one of the most active partizans of that gentleman. And, procuring himfelf to be returned one of the members for Stafford, he began his political career, giving up even the formality of attending to the bufinefs of the theatre, his hare in which was now difpofed of. Having thus obtained a feat in parliament, he joined his friend Mr. Fox, and other members of the then oppofition, with all that virulence for which thofe gentlemen were fo eminently remarkable. The event is fufficiently known. Having joined in driving out Lord North, at the beginning of last year, he received his fhare of the fpoil, in an appointment to the under-fecretaryfhip for the Northern Department; but refigned, with the rest of the Rockingham party, on the Earl of Shelburne's fucceeding the deceased marquis; and, in confequence of the late coalition, again came into office. As an orator, Mr. Sheridan has not very much distinguished himself; nor is he, in our opinion, at all calculated to fhine as a great ftatefman. His wit, however, may be useful in thofe entertaining converfations which of late years fo frequently fupply the place of effential bufinefs in the houfe,, and ferve to ward off the farcafms which might otherwise be levelled at his good friends and colleagues, by fuch country gentlemen as may dread to encounter the fhafts of ridicule. His attack on Mr. Pitt, under the appellation of the Angry Boy, was greatly be neath the fenator; and we could not See Memoirs of Mrs. VOL. III, help reflecting, that the manliness of Mr. Sheridan himself was in age little fuperior, and in political experience much lefs, than that of the gentleman whom he treated with fuch grofs afpe-. rity; to fay nothing of the refpect which is due to a fon of the immortal Chatham, who inherits all his father's virtues, and a very ample fhare of his tranfcendent abilities. But we will now fay no more of Mr. Sheridan's political talents, the extent of which time will fufficiently develope. Confidered as a dramatic writer, we fhall very freely affert, that the drama feems to us very little indebted to him. The aftonishing fuccefs of his Duenna, led the way to a false tafte in our theatres, which was not much improved by the moral of the School for Scandal, pleafing as both thefe pieces undoubtedly are. Nor do we mean to infinuate that they are fo defective in literary merit as many perfons have contended. We grant Mr. Sheridan the greatest dramatic powers, were his genius directed to proper objects; but to this important article he appears to have paid little or no attention. On the contrary, we may almost say that he gave the Tragic Mufe her death-wound, in his entertainment of the Critic, which we have always confidered as the offfpring of a pen that had in vain attempted to write a tragedy, and therefore felt a malicious pleasure in decrying a fpecies of compofition which has been deemed fuperior to it's own. It is to be remembered, that though the Duke of Buckingham, and Mr. Fielding, both wrote performances which furnished the idea of Mr. Sheridan's, these celebrated writers confined their farcasms to the real defects of tragedy, and not to the imaginary ones. This was made fufficiently evident, by the publication of a Key which accompanied the one, and by Explanatory Notes at the bottom of the other: but the most curfory examiner of Mr. Sheridan's Critic, or Tragedy Rehearfed, is continually Yates, Vol. II. p. 255 difgufted difgufted at his outré reprefentation we are mifinformed) no minifter on of fuch incidents as muft neceffarily occur in the best tragedies. The inference is obvious: and the prefent ftate of the drama fufficiently illuftrates what we have advanced. One circumstance we had nearly forgot, which feems to oppose our general affertion, that Mr. Sheridan is not qualified to be a great ftatefman during his dramatic premierfhip, (or earth ever promised fairer to thofe who attended his levee; nor fooner forgot, or found the impropriety or impoffibility of granting, the favours he had too haftily confented to bestow. With thefe qualifications and defects, Mr. Sheridan is univerfally allowed to poffefs a heart that means well to all mankind. MISCELLANY. PHILOSOPHICAL SURVEY OF THE WORKS OF NATURE AND ART. NUMBER IX. FOSSILS AND MINERALS. TH HOUGH Chalk is among the fofteft and whiteft fubftances, it produces flint, the hardest and blackeft of bodies, and is by art converted into lime and whiting. It is the moft remarkable abforbent in nature, and preferable to all the earths imported from foreign countries, being an infallible fpecific for the heart-burn. Chalkhills afford the beft fprings of foft water, and foften hard water admirably. Fuller's earth, from the peculiar property it poffeffes of fcouring and cleanfing cloths and ftuffs from the oil and greafe neceffarily ufed in manufacturing them, has become an effential article in the fulling-trade, is of the greatest confequence in commerce, and confequently entitled to a diftinguished rank among foffils. In deed, the microfcope fhews nothing in the particles of this earth different from thofe of any other; fo that the caufe of this important effect is yet unknown. The earth from the Soapy Rocks in Cornwall, near the Lizard's Point, has all the appearance of a natural foap, both to the eye and to the touch, in refpect to fmoothnefs and lubricity, at the fame time that it has none of the effects of foap or fuller's earth. This earth is monopolized by the manufacturers of English china, on account of it's whitenefs, fineness, and firm grain; but it is not comparable with that of Nankin or Dresden. What is commonly called Mufcovy Glafs is the principal and moft noble. fpecies of talc that the earth produces. It is dug out of the mountains in the northern parts of Ruffia, from a hard earth to which it adheres, as is evident from the various forms in which it is brought to us: the internal part confifts of an infinite number of plates or flakes of a tough tranfparent fubftance, refembling thin plates or fheets of glafs. It is eafily fplit, and feparated into plates, or pieces, more or lefs tranfparent as they are thinner or thicker, and which are often fo very thin as to float in air, and to produce by reflection the most intenfe and brilliant colours. They have nothing brittle in their compofition, but are very elaftic, ftrong, and pliant; hence their great utility in optics, for holding objects placed between two of them to be viewed in the holes of fliders under the microfcope: and, as they may be taken of any thicknefs, length, or breadth, that lanthorns may require, they are much more convenient to put into thofe utenfils than glafs, which is brittle, or horn, which is lefs pellucid. Befides, it is not foon) affected by fire; for if a piece be held in the flame of a candle till it is redhot, when it is removed, no alteration can be perceived in it's tranfparen-" cy, or any other property; though by a long continuance in very ftrong. fire it will become calcined and quite opake, much refembling leaf-tin. The true origin and nature of Am ber, |