524 SHERIDAN. this occasion he associated himself with Dr. Ford and Mr. Linley: these gentlemen, in 1776, agreed to pay the sum of 30,000l. to the English Roscius, who at the same time reserved to himself certain other claims on, and advantages from the house. On this occasion Mr. Sheridan is allowed to have displayed great talents at finance; for it must be obvious that he was incapable of advancing a single shil ling; he, however, contrived by mortgage alone, to obtain the money, and fulfil a l l his engagements. “A Trip t o Scarborough”,” first performed o n the 24th o f February, 1777, brought crowded houses t o the great satisfaction o f the new partnership; while the “School for Scandal,” literally filled their empty treasury. This far-famed comedy first delighted a n English audience o n the 8th o f May, o f the same year; and during the whole season obtained the rapturous commendations o f all the gay, genteel, and fashionable circles. I n point o f morality i t i s however grossly deficient, a s the audience, from the first scene t o the last, are led rather t o admire than detest the elegant profligacy o f Charles Surface. The grace and dignity o f the Countess o f Derby, together with the sin gular and appropriate powers o f a King, a Palmer, and a Smith, contributed not a little t o heighten the success. This brilliant dramatic effort, which obtained for i t s author the title o f the “Modern Congreve,” was never pub lished b y Sheridan, although i t has several times been printed surreptitiously. The unsuccessful piece o f “The Camp,” which was brought out a t the period we were a t war with America, has been ascribed t o Sheridan, and h e possessed s o much apathy i n regard t o his own fame, that h e never took the trouble t o deny i t . Tate Wilkinson, however, has satis factorily rescued his name from this disgrace. The admirable farce o f “The Critic; or, a Tragedy Rehearsed,” was performed for the first time a t Drury lane, on October 30th, 1779. The success was immense, o n account o f the novelty and endless humour o f the
This i s not a n original play, being merely altered from Sir John Vanbrugh's comedy o f the “Relapse.”
