506 SHERIDAN. then mentions the event of the unlucky sermon, and adds, “This ill-starred, good natured, improvident man returned to Dublin, unhinged from a l l favour a t court, and even banished from the castle. But still h e remained a punster, a quibbler, a fiddler, and a wit: not a day passed with out a rebus, a n anagram, o r a madrigal. His pen o r his fiddlestick were i n continual motion, and yet t o little o r n o purpose,” &c. &c. This character i s i n a great measure confirmed by his son i n his Life o f Swift. He published a prose translation o f Persius, t o which h e added the best notes o f former editors, together with many judicious ones o f his own, 12mo. 1739. Many of his letters are also to be found i n Swift's Miscellanies. THOMAS SHERIDAN, Acton, was the eldest son o f Dr. Thomas Sheridan, the subject o f the preceding article, and was born i n 1721, a t Quilca, a place which t o future times will acquire a degree o f importance, a s the residence o f Swift, and the birth-place o f most o f Mr. Sheridan's family, particularly of the author o f the “School for Scandal.” Under his father, who was the most eminent schoolmaster o f his time, h e received the first rudiments o f his education, and had the honour t o b e noticed for his proficiency i n litera ture b y his godfather. A t the age o f thirteen, i n 1734, h e was admitted o f the foundation a t Westminster school, a t which seminary h e continued two years, and was b y pure merit elected a king's scholar. His father was then s o poor, that h e could not add 141 t o enable the boy t o finish the year; and was forced t o recal him t o Dublin, a t the university o f which the doctor had friends, and procured his son's entrance o n the foundation, where h e took his degree i n arts. I n the year 1788, h e lost h i s father, and a t that juncture i t was his intention t o follow his steps, and devote himself t o the education o f youth, which, h e observes “he ever esteemed t o b e one o f the most useful and honourable stations i n life."—Having his
