Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

at a time when the countess was at Bath, many persons, in her hearing, took frequent opportu nities of repeating passages from it, which obliged her immediately to quit the place. Soon after this circumstance, his poverty was very great. Queen Caroline settled on him a pension of 50l. a year, which ceasing at her death, his friends exerted themselves in his behalf, and sent him into Wales, with an intention of allowing him a salary sufficient for his maintenance. There he wrote a tragedy, and set out for London to get it performed; but stopping at Bristol in his way, he contracted a debt, and was thrown into prison, where he died in 1743. The best of his poems is "The Bastard." SCARRON, (PAUL) an eminent French comic writer and satyrist, was born at Paris, in 1710. He was appointed canon of Mons, and on removing from thence to a damp situation, he lost the use of his limbs. But though he was thus deformed, as well as irregular in his manners, he married M. de Aubigne, afterwards the famous Mad. de Maintenon, who lodged near him, and was about sixteen years of age. Notwithstanding the accident that befel him, his burlesque humour never forsook him, his house being always the rendezvous for men of wit. He had an infinite fund of wit and pleasantry. He died at Paris in 1660. His best piece is his "Comical Romance." His Eneide Travéstie," is full of buffoonery, and in that quality might have disconcerted the gravity of Virgil. SCHURMAN, (ANNA MARIA) a learned and accomplished lady, and the prodigy of her sex

[blocks in formation]

was born at Cologne, of a protestant family, in 1607. In her infancy, she manifested an extraordinary genius for the sciences of music, painting, sculpture, and engraving. Her hand-writ ing, in all languages, was inimitable; specimens of which are preserved by some curious persons in their cabinets. The powers of her understanding, were not inferior to those of her hand; for at a very early age, the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages became so familiar to her, that she not only wrote, but spoke them in a manner which surprised the learned. She also made great progress in the Syriac, Chaldee, Arabic, and Ethiopic; understood readily, and spoke fluently, the French, English and Italian; and was competently versed in Geogra phy, Astronomy, Philosophy, and the sciences. Her fame was so established, that persons of the first rank, and even princesses paid her visits. Cardinal Richelieu also shewed her particular marks of his esteem. Her mother would have kept her merit in obscurity, if Rivetus Spanheim and Vossius had not brought her forward on the theatre of the world. About 1650, she made a visible change in her religious system, and fell into the errors of Labadie, a French enthusiast, who had been banished France for his extravagant tenets and conduct. She accompanied this man wherever he went; and resided some time with him at Altona, where he died in 1674. She then went to Wiewart, in Friezland, where Penn the quaker visited her in 1677. She died there in 1678,

SEDLEY

[ocr errors]

SEDLEY, (Sir CHARLES) a poet of mediocrity, whose works display no ingenuity, but have, as the duke of Buckingham says, "the art of insinuating loose principles in decent language." Charles II. and the earl of Rochester have greatly over-rated this gentleman's talents: the former having said, "That Nature had given him a patent to be Apollo's viceroy," and the latter, making him an oracle among the poets." He sat in several parliaments, and James II. conferred on him many favours; he nevertheless took a part in the Revolution, which was out of resentment at the king's having an amour with his daughter, whom he created countess of Dorchester. When Sir Charles was asked why he appeared so warm in the Revolution, he answered," from a principle of gratitude: for since his majesty has made my daughter a countess, it is fit I should do all I can to make his daughter a queen.", Sedley, though pos sessed of pleasing talents, was a very dissolute character. He was born in 1639, and died in 1701.

SHERIDAN, (Dr. THOMAS) the intimate friend of Dean Swift, was born about the year 1684, in the county of Cavan. His parents, it is said,' were unable to give him a liberal education; but he being observed to give early indications of genius, attracted the notice of a friend to his family, who sent him to the College of Dublin. and contributed towards his support while he remained there. He afterwards entered into orders, and set up a school in Dublin, which long

main

maintained a very high degree of reputation. It does not appear that he had any considerable preferment, but his intimacy with Swift, in the year 1725, procured for him a living in the south of Ireland, worth about 150l. a year, which he went to take possession of, and, by an act of inadvertence, destroyed all his future expectations of rising in the church; for being at Corke, on the 1st of August, the anniversary of of King George's birth-day, he preached a sermon which had for its text, Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof On this being known, he was struck out of the list of chaplains to the lord lieutenant, and forbid the castle. This living, Dr. Sheridan afterwards changed for that of Dunboyne. This he afterwards gave up for the free-school of Cavan; but the air being too moist and unwholesome, and being disgusted with some persons who lived there, he sold the school for about 4001. and having soon spent the money, became diseased and died, September 10, 1738. Lord Corke has given the following character of him: "Dr. Sheridan was a schoolmaster, and in many instances perfectly well adapted for that station. He was deeply versed in the Greek and Roman languages, and in their customs and antiquities. He had that kind of good-nature, which absence of mind, indolence of body, and carelessness of fortune produce; and though not overstrict in his own conduet, yet he took care of the morality of his scholars, whom he sent to the university remarkably well founded in all kinds of classical learning, and not ill instructed in the social duties of life. He

was

was slovenly, indigent, and cheerful. He knew books much better than men; and he knew the value of money least of all. In this situation, and with this disposition, Swift fastened upon him as upona prey, with which he intended to regale himself, whenever his appetite should prompt him." His lordship then mentions the event of the unlucky sermon, and adds, "This ill-starred, good-natured, improvident man returned to Dublin, unhinged from all favour at court, and even banished from the castle. But still he remained a punster, a fiddler, and a wit. Not a day passed without a rebus, an anagram, or a madrigal. His pen, and his fiddlestick, were in continual motion, and yet to little or no purpose, if we may give credit to the following lines, which shall serve as a conclusion of his poetical character,

"With music and poetry equally bless'd,

A bard thus Apollo most humbly address'd;
"Great author of poetry, music, and light,
"Instructed by thee, I both fiddle and write;
"Yet unheeded I scrape, or I scribble all day,
"My tunes are neglected, my verse flung away."

SHERVIN, (JOHN KEYSE) an English engraver of most uncommon abilities, who, till the age of nineteen, was employed in the laborious occupation of cutting wood, on the estate of Mr. Mitford, near Petworth, in Sussex. Being one day in the house of that gentleman, and being also admitted into the room where some of the family where amusing themselves with drawing, Mr. Mitford thought he saw the young man view the process in a very attentive manner, and asked young Shervin if he could do any

thing

« ForrigeFortsett »