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How long, ah Delia, can I say

How long my life will last?
Dry be that tear, be hush'd that sigh,

At least I'll love thee till I die-
Hush'd be that sigh.

"And does that thought affect thee too,
The thought of Sylvio's death,
That he who only breath'd for you,

Must yield that faithful breath?
Hush'd be that sigh, be dry that tear,
Nor let us lose our heaven here--

Dry be that tear."

her cheek of rosy hue?" were The pretty lines, "Mark'd you written, not upon Miss Linley, as has been generally stated, but upon lady Margaret Fordyce, and form part of a poem which he published in 1771, descriptive of the principal beauties of Bath, entitled "Clio's Protest, or the Picture Varnished," being an answer to some verses by Mr. Miles Peter Andrews, called "The Bath Picture."

On the opening of the New Assembly Rooms at Bath, which commenced with a ridotto, Sept. 30, 1771, he wrote a humorous description of the entertainment, called "An Epistle from Timothy Screw to his Brother Henry,

"Ask'st thou how long my love will stay, Waiter at Almack's" which apWhen all that's new is past?

* An Elegy by Halhed, transcribed in one of his letters to Sheridan, begins

thus: "Dry be that tear, be hush'd that struggling sigh."

peared first in The Bath Chronicle, and was so eagerly sought after, that Crutwell, the editor, was induced to publish it in a separate form.

LETTERS from MRS. SHERIDAN to MR. SHERIDAN.
[From Moore's Life of Sheridan.]

On the 12th of June, 1790, the parliament was dissolved, and Mr. Sheridan again stood for Stafford. The following letters, addressed to him by Mrs. Sheridan during the election, prove how warmly alive to each other's feelings the hearts of both husband and wife

were.

VOL. LXVII.

"This letter will find you, my dear Dick, I hope, encircled with honours at Stafford. I take it for granted you entered it triumphantly on Sunday; but I am very impatient to hear the particulars, and of the utter discomfiture of Sand his followers. I received your note from Birmingham this M*

morning, and am happy to find that you and my dear cub were well, so far on your journey. You could not be happier than I should be in the proposed alteration for Tom, but we will talk more of this when we meet. I sent you Cartwright yesterday, and to-day I pack you off Perry with the soldiers. I was obliged to give them four guineas for their expenses. I send you likewise, by Perry, the note from Mrs. Crewe, to enable you to speak of your qualification if you should be called upon. So I think I have executed all your commissions, Sir; and if you want any of these doubtful votes which I mentioned to you, you will have time enough to send for them, for I would not let them go till I hear they can be of any use.

"And now for my journal, Sir, which I suppose you expect. Saturday, I was at home all day busy for you-kept Mrs. Reid to dinner-went to the Opera-afterwards to Mrs. St. John's, where I lost my money sadly, Sir- eat strawberries and cream for supper -sat between lord Salisbury and Mr. Meynell (hope you approve of that, Sir)-overheard lord Salisbury advise Miss Boyle by no means to subscribe to Taylor's Opera, as O'Reilly's would certainly have the patent-confess I did not come home till past two. Sunday, called on lady Juliafather and Mr. Reid to dinner in the evening at lady Hampden's -lost my money again, Sir, and came home by one o'clock. "Tis now near one o'clock-my father is established in my boudoir, and, when I have finished this, I am going with him to hear Abbé Vogler play on the Stafford organ. I have promised to dine with Mrs. Crewe, who is to have a female

party only-no objection to that, I suppose, Sir? Whatever the party do, I shall do of course-I suppose it will end in Mrs. Hobart's. Mr. James told me on Saturday, and I find it is the report of the day, that Bond Hopkins is gone to Stafford. I am sorry to tell you there is an opposition at York-Mr. Montague opposes sir William Milner. Mr. Beckford has given up at Dover, and lord** is so provoked at it, that he has given up too, though they say they were both sure. St. Ives is gone for want of a candidate. Mr. Barham is beat at Stockbridge. Charles Lenox has offered for Surrey, and they say lord Egremont might drive him to the deuce, if he would set any body up against him. You know, I suppose, Mr. Crewe has likewise an opponent. I am sorry to tell you all this bad news, and, to complete it, Mr. Adam is sick in bed, and there is nobody to do any good left in town.

"I am more than ever convinced we must look to other resources for wealth and independence, and consider politics merely as an amusement, and in that light 'tis best to be in Opposition, which I am afraid we are likely to be for some years again.

"I see the rumours of war still continue-stocks continue to fallis that good or bad for the ministers? The little boys are come home to me to-day. I could not help shewing, in my answer to Mr. T.'s letter, that I was hurt at his conduct-so I have got another flummery letter, and the boys, who (as he is pretty sure) will be the best peace-makers. God bless you, my dear Dick. I am very well, i assure you, pray don't neglect to write to your ever affectionate

"E. S."

"Wednesday.

"MY DEAREST DICK ;-I am full of anxiety and fright about you; I cannot but think your letters are very alarming. Deuce take the corporation! is it impossible to make them resign their pretensions, and make peace with the Burgesses? I have sent Thomas after Mr. Cocker. I suppose you have sent for the outvotes; but, if they are not good, what a terrible expense will that be-however, they are ready. I saw Mr. Cocker yesterday-he collected them together last night, and gave them a treat-so they are in high good humour. I inclose you a letter which B. left here last night-I could not resist opening it. Every thing seems going wrong, I think. I thought he was not to do any thing in your absence. It strikes me the bad business he mentions was entirely owing to his own stupidity, and want of a little patience is it of much consequence? I don't hear that the report is true of Basilico's arrival ; a messenger came to the Spanish embassy, which gave rise to this tale, I believe.

"If you were not so worried, I should scold you for the conclusion of your letter to-day. Might not I as well accuse you of coldness for not filling your letter with professions, at a time when your head must be full of business? I think of nothing all day long, but how to do good, some how or other, for you. I have given you a regular journal of my time, and all to please you so don't, dear Dick, lay so much stress on words. I should use them oftener, perhaps, but I feel as if it would look like deceit. You know me well enough, to be sure that I can never do

what I'm bid, Sir; but, pray, don't think I meant to send you a cold letter, for indeed nothing was ever farther from my heart.

"You will see Mr. Horne Tooke's advertisement to-day in the papers-what do you think of that to complete the thing? Bishop Dixon has just called from the hustings: he says, the late recorder, Adair, proposed Charles with a good speech, and great applause-captain Berkeley, lord Hood with a bad speech, not much applauded; and then Horne Tooke came forward, and, in the most impudent speech that ever was heard, proposed himself abused both the candidates, and said he should have been ashamed to have sat and heard such ill-deserved praises given him.

But he told the crowd that, since so many of these fine virtues and qualifications had never yet done them the least good, they might as well now choose a candidate without them. He said, however, that if they were sincere in their professions of standing alone, he was sure of coming in, for they must all give him their second votes. There was an amazing deal of laughing and noise in the course of his speech. Charles Fox attempted to answer him, and so did lord Hood-but they would hear neither, and they are now polling away.

"Do, my dearest love, if you have possibly time, write me a few more particulars, for your letters are very unsatisfactory, and I am full of anxiety. Make Richardson write-what has he better to do? God bless thee, my dear, dear, Dick-would it were over and all well! I am afraid, at any rate, it will be ruinous work. true and affectionate

Ever your

"E. S."

"Near five. I have just come from the hustings:-the state of the poll when I left it was, Fox, 260; Hood, 75; Horne Tooke, 17! But he still persists in his determination of polling a man an hour for the whole time. I saw Mr. Wilkes go up to vote for Tooke and Hood, amidst the hisses and groans of a multitude." "Friday.

"My poor Dick, how you are worried! This is the day-you will easily guess how anxious I shall be; but you seem pretty sanguine yourself, which is my only comfort, for Richardson's letter is rather croaking. You have never said a word of little Monkton has he any chance, or none? I ask questions without considering that, before you receive this, every thing will be decided I hope triumphantly for you. What a sad set of venal rascals your favourites the Blacks must be, to turn so suddenly from their professions and promises! I am half sorry you have any thing more to do with them, and more than ever regret you did not stand for Westminster with Charles instead of lord John; in that case you would have come in now, and we should not have been persecuted by this Horne Tooke. However, it is the dullest contested election that ever was seen-no canvassing, no houses open, no cockades. But I heard that a report prevails now, that Horne Tooke polling so few the two or three first days, is an artful trick to put the others off their guard, and that he means to pour

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in his votes on the last days, when it will be too late for them to repair their neglect. But I don't think it possible, either, for such a fellow to beat Charles in Westminster.

"I have just had a note from Reid-he is at Canterbury: the state of the poll there, on Thursday night, was as follows: — Gipps, 220; lord * *, 211; sir T. Honeywood, 216; Mr. Warton, 163. We have got two members for Wendover, and two at Aylesbury. Mr. Barham is beat at Stockbridge. Mr. Tierney says he shall be beat, owing to Bate Dudley's manoeuvres, and the Dissenters having all forsaken him—a set of ungrateful wretches. Fawkener has just sent me a state of the poll at Northampton, as it stood yesterday, when they adjourned to dinner:-lord Compton, 160; Bouverie, 98; colonel Manners, 72. They are in hopes Mr. Manners will give up. This is all my news, Sir.

E.

"We had a very pleasant musical party last night, at lord Erskine's, where I supped. I am asked to dine to-day with lady Palmerston, at Sheen; but I can't go, unless Mrs. Crewe will carry me, as the coach is gone to have its new lining. I have sent to ask her, for 'tis a fine day, and I should like it very well. God thee bless, my dear Dick. Your's ever, true and affectionate, "E. S."

"Duke of Portland has just left me: he is full of anxiety about you this is the second time he has called to inquire."

ANECDOTES and CORRESPONDENCE relative to the POLITICAL INTRIGUES during the ILLNESS of the KING in 1788.

[From Moore's Life of Sheridan.]

On the first meeting of Parliament, after the illness of his majesty in 1788 was known, it was resolved, from considerations of delicacy, that the house should adjourn for a fortnight; at the end of which period it was expected that another short adjournment would be proposed by the minister. In this interval, the following judicious letter was addressed to the prince of Wales by Mr. Sheridan:

"Sir; From the intelligence of to-day we are led to think that Pitt will make something more of a speech in moving to adjourn on Thursday, than was at first imagined. In this case we presume your royal highness will be of opinion that we must not be wholly silent. I possessed Payne yesterday with my sentiments on the line of conduct which appeared to me best to be adopted on this occasion, that they might be submitted to your royal highness's consideration; and I take the liberty of repeating my firm conviction, that it will greatly advance your royal highness's credit, and, in case of events, lay the strongest grounds to baffle every attempt at opposition to your royal highness's just claims and right, that the language of those who may be, in any sort, suspected of knowing your royal highness's wishes and feelings, should be that of great moderation in disclaiming all party views, and avowing the utmost readiness to acquiesce in any reasonable delay. At the same time, I am perfectly aware of the arts which will be practised, and the advantages which some people will

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attempt to gain by time but I am equally convinced that we should advance their evil views by showing the least impatience or suspicion at present; and I am also convinced that a third party will soon appear, whose efforts may, in the most decisive manner prevent this sort of situation and proceeding from continuing long. Payne will probably have submitted to your royal highness more fully my idea on this subject, towards which I have already taken successful steps.* Your royal highness will, I am sure, have the goodness to pardon the freedom with which I give my opinion-after which I have only to add, that whatever your royal highness's judgment decides, shall be the pride of my conduct, and will undoubtedly be so to others."

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Captain (afterwards Admiral) Payne, of whom mention is made in this letter, held the situation of Comptroller of the household of the prince of Wales, and was in attendance upon his royal highness, during the early part of the king's illness, at Windsor. The following letters, addressed by him to Mr. Sheridan at this period, contain some curious particulars, both with respect to the royal patient himself, and the feelings of those about him, which, however secret and confidential they were at the time, may now, without scruple, be made matters of history :

Half past ten at night. "MY DEAR SHERIDAN;-I ar

• This must allude to the negotiation with lord Thurlow.

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