Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/694

 LOVE 66S early years, witn his life in Dublin, with his life in London at his father's house in Henrietta Street — a house which was the centre of a brilliant, intellectual society, of which Dr. Johnson and Samuel Richardson were the presiding genii — or with his years at Harrow. Sheridan the lover is the subject of this article, and Sheridan the lover did not come into existence until 1771, when the man was twenty years of age. For several years past his father's great ambition had been the compilation of "A Pronounc- ing Diction- ary of the English Lan- guage." T o Dr. Johnson's delight, how- ever, he failed to secure Royal sup- port for his great under- taking. "What, sir," asked the doctor, " en- titled Sheri- dan to fix the pronunciation of English?" In 1 771, how- ever, still un- daunted, the old man de- cided to set out for Bath, and there seri- ously to con- centrate his attention on his work. At Bath, which in those days was a most fashion- able resort, Richard rose rapidly in social favour. He was a handsome man — tall, well set - up, and graceful It was at Bath that Richard Sheridan came in contact with the Linley family. Mr. Linley was a composer, and his visits to Bath, although of a professional nature, were not infrequent. Indeed, his daughters, " a nest of nightingales," were the rage of the town, especially Elizabeth, the eldest, who filled the role of prima donna at her father's concerts. She was a lovely girl, and the beauty of her face was rivalled only by the beauty of her voice. Although at this time she was but seven- teen years of age, she had received many offers of matri- mony, and her admirers were legion. Sheridan im- mediately fell an easy vic- tim to the girl's charms, but he had many rivals. In the first place, there Long, an esti- mable old gentleman, possessed of c o ns id e r- able means ; secondly, there was his own brother, Charles; thirdly, there was a Mr. HaUied ; and last, but not least, there was the villain of the piece, a wealthy married man named Mat- hews. Of these Long was the most eligible, and, appar- ently, an al- " The upper Elizabeth Anne Linley (Mrs. Sheridan). The lovely "Maid of Bath," whose elopement liance had part of his *"*^ secret marriage with Sheridan was one of the most romantic love stories of the 1 8th century j^ecn arranged face," de- By KeynoUs. in the Clas.o^ corporation Callery bctweCn him Glared Byron, "was that of a god — a and Ehzabeth. Long, however, was not merely forehead most expansive, an eye of peculiar an eligible old man, but also an honourable old brilliancy and fire." He was, moreover, a man, for when Ehzabeth told him candidly brilliant conversationalist, and at the house of Lady Miller he shone particularly. There, according to Horace Walpole, " all the flux of quality contended for prizes gained for rhymes and themes." "You write with ease," declared Sheridan, " to show your breeding, But easy writing's vile hard reading." that she could never be happy with him, he took upon himself the responsibility of break- ing off the engagement, and even went so far as to present the girl with ^3,000, in order to appease her father, who^was about to institute proceedings for breach of promise. Richard Sheridan now elected to appoint himself the guardian of the fascinating
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