that it was at this time much the fashion for those who affected manners different from the reft of the world, to copy thofe of Mr Quin, who, with many excellent qualities, mixed too much aufterity, if not favagenefs, in his deportment. His eminence as an actor, and a degree of independence which he afferted, gave him much weight with the young, and thofe who defired to depart from the fashion of the day. By his means, it has been fuggefted, much artificial brutality was propagated, and in some of his old companions it is hardly worn out at prefent. Be this conjecture however as it may, certain it is that our Doctor, if he had it not naturally, foon adopted a rude illbred fyftem of manners, which acquired ftrength by age, and deprived him, as it naturally must be expected, of much of the refpect he would otherwife have received. Though he was intimate with Lord Chefterfield, he had none of his politeness; and tho' in the daily converfation of wit and beauty, he wore off but little of the morofenefs which clouded his deportment by their example. As from his extravagancies much of his reputation is derived, we fhall now proceed to exhibit fome inftances of it. An intimacy between Dr Monfey and the late Mr Garrick was at one time much cultivated by both parties, and continued with apparent fincerity and with out abatement for a confiderable period. It had its commencement from a whimfical incident. On a crowded night at the theatre, Dr Monfey was in the pit, and being much incommoded by the preffure of fome perfons upon him, he exclaimed with great vehemence, "Were I not the greatest coward in his Majefty's dominions, no one would dare to treat me in this manner." The acquaintance once commenced foon led to familiarity, which in the end broke down the barriers of good-breeding, and introduced liberties which both parties were offended at. To create a laugh at the Doctor's credu lity, Garrick told him, that on a night in which he performed, withing to fee a particular scene at Covent-Garden, he left a performer called Mar to take his place on the ftage, and returned time enough to refume bis character before it was neceffary for his reprefentative to utter a fyllable. He allo contrived to fend the Doctor to inquire after a machine for fhaving two perions at once, which he affured him was to be feen at a house which he named, the owner of which was prepared to give his vifitor an unpleasant reception. As a retaliation, the Doctor ridiculed Garrick's foibles with no fparing hand. On a report that he meant to quit the ftage, Monfey faid, "He will never do it as long as he knows a guinea is crofs on one fide and pile on the other." This farcasm was reported to Garrick. He refented it, and the cordiality which had subsisted between them was entirely deftroyed. An anonymous letter was faid to have been fent by the manager, which contained the frequently quoted extract from Horace, Abfentem qui rodit amicum, &c. &c. It has been obferved, that intimate friends when converted into enemies, feldom fail to difgrace themselves by more than common acrimony in their res marks on each other; and it was fo in' the prefent cafe. Sarcasms and retorts were mutually bandied from one to the other by their officious friends, and every day increased their enmity. When Garrick lay ill, our Doctor wrote fome fatirical verses on the occafion, which he deftroyed as foon as death had taken away his adverfary. A few imperfect ftanzas are remembered, but they are not of importance enough to be preferved. Our Doctor, after he had refided fome years with Lord Godolphin, appears to have been providently attentive to a future and permanent provision for himself. The Earl was fond of bowling, and fometimes in fine weather ordered his carriage to drive him and the Doctor to Chelsea. In fome of these rambles the ftate of Chelsea College became the subject of their converfation. On thefe occafions the Doctor fuggefted his wifh to fucceed the phyfician of that charity when the poft fhould become vacant. The Earl obferved he had but little intereft at court. He promised, however, to exert himself with his friend Henry Pelham, and when the opportunity offered he found himself fuccefsful. Dr Monfey had the appointment. On the death of the Earl, Chelsea Col lege became the constant refidence of Dr Monfey, and from this period the even tenor of his life was interrupted with little variety. Some difputes with Ranby the furgeon, at one time occupied his attention, and fome abuses in the College at other times attracted his notice. His pro feffional attendance was often called for, and fpotic tyrant,-What are all these things Quandoquidem data funt ipfis quoque fala And Lucan tells us, that when Alexander the Great fearched for the tomb of Achilles, he could not find it : Etiam periere ruinæ, and he engaged in completing the claffical education of the Marquis of Carmarthen, He is faid alfo to have written fome papers in the World; and his medical abilities may be seen in the Medical Tranfactions, vol. 2. and Gooch's Medical and Chirurgical Observations. He amused himself alfo with writing fome poetical pieces, which received the approbation of his friends. With purfuits like these he employed and amufed life as long as the infirmities incident to old age would permit him. He at laft grew fplenetic and morofe to the generality, though still free of access to thofe of whom he enThe Caliphs of Egypt thought to in tertained a favourable opinion. As he fure immortality by embalming their puadvanced in years, his eye-fight failed him. He had long conceived a contemp deceived; but we foolish doctors, and I trid carcafes by whole fome fpices, but are tible opinion of funeral parade, he therefore determined to have it avoided in his myfelf one among the reft, have prefcribed own cafe; and in Nov. 1782 began a letamorfel of their putrid flesh as a mediter in his own hand-writing, which is ftill in being, addreffed to Mr Forster, though by reafon of infirmities he did not finish it until fome time in 1784. Many of the fentiments in this letter are repeated verbatim in another epistle which he afterwards dictated to the same gentleman, and it may be proper here to ininfert it at length, as highly characteristical of the author. According to my promife, you will receive with this my old withered skin and bones, by the help of our friend Taylor; but take this along with you, according to your own requeft, to do what you will with them, except putting life into them again. Some of my friends, and I prefume all my enemies, have, or will cry out, "This puppy does all this out of affectation, fingularity, or to be talked of." Now once for all, I call Almighty God, in the moft folemn manner, to wit nefs, that none of these things have any thare in my intention; whether they will believe or no, I neither know nor care. I am very careless what is said about me, and if they think proper, may fet me down for a doating old fool, pick-pocket, houle-breaker, or any other opprobrious term they think fit. I owe the world very little ceremony, and they me lefs perhaps; nor would I now give one guinea out of my pocket to have a ftatue of gold in every metropolis of Europe, with the most fulfome eulogia that the moft abject fycophant could pen for the most de cine: however, I now hope we are got to the end of this nonfenfe and of our own folly. Princes have now taken into their heads to have their guts taken out and put into an urn, and fent to the place of burial to there is no end to thefe fort of follies. notify their speedy arrival foon after; but and nonfenfe of all funeral pomp and pa I was very early ftruck with the vanity rade, and cannot conceive how a dead carcafe can be made a more proper use of than to fubject it to the furgeon's knife for the benefit of mankind, if he will be fo good as to undertake it. Some French Bishop finding his coun trymen averse to diffection, for there are fools in France as well as in England, ordered his body by will to be fent to the Hotel de Dieu for public diffection. What can happen worse to a dead carcase than to rot and ftink in a dirty church yard, if there were room to make use of the terms better or worse with any propriety in this cafe? I come now, my dear Mr Forfter, with humble fubmiffion to give you fome hints and directions what I would have you do. About feven years ago, I went to apply to that famous and fagacious anatomical lecturer, and defired him to feel my pulfe: he did, ftared me full in the face, and faid, he had) telt ten thousand pul fes, but never felt such a one before; faid, "You are an old fellow, and muft have fomething or other to knock you down. There is fome mifchief in the heart; * Dr Nichols, as appears by another the letter. memorandum of an old friend. I would the pericardium,the mitral valves,or begin- Yours very affectionately, M. MONSEY. He outlived the writing this letter feveral years. On the morning of his death, the 25th Dec. 1788, being at breakfast, he faid to the maid-servant who waited on him, "I shall certainly lose the game;" and on her asking what game he meant, he replied, the game of 100, which he had played for very earnestly for many years; but he added, that he should now lofe it, as he expected to die in a few hours. He then asked for a glass of wine and bit of bread, as they might prolong his life a few hours. The wine he drank, but the bread he was unable to eat, and in a short time expired. He had been married early in life, and and had a daughter, who married a Mr Alexander, and is ftill living. She has alfo feveral children. Dr Monfey had a great averfion to footmen, and latterly hardly permitted a male to approach his apartment. He was shaved by his maid when he became unable to perform the operation himself, and though a barber dreffed his wig, he never was allowed to come further than the door. His objection to male vifitors is reported to have gone fo far, that he with difficulty admitted his grandson3, though his grand-daughters were always received with great politeness. With respect to his religion, he was a ftaunch fupporter of the Unitarian doctrine, and early imbibed an unconquer. able averfion to Bithops and Eftablish ments, which continued to the end of his life. In the first letter left for Mr Forfter already noticed, after mentioning the direction of the French Bishop about diffecting his body, he added, that it was done" like a man of fenfe and reason, and not like a bishop, who is, generally fpeaking, a fuperftitious bigot and hy pocrite." In his political principles he was a whig, in the moft liberal fenfe of the word, He was influenced by very extraordinary apprehenfions concerning the funds, in which he would not for a long time truft any of his property. This circumftance drove him to depend on private securi. ties, which often failing, he was obliged at laft to rely on public credit. He was certainly avaricious, but did occafional acts of generofity. He was frequently anxious, in his abfence from his apartment, for a fafe place in which to depofit his cash and notes; bureaus and strong boxes he was confcious had often failed in fecurity. Previous to a journey into Norfolk, during the hot weather in July, he chose the fireplace of his fitting room for his treafury, and placed bank-notes and cash in that unufual fituation under the cinders and fhavings. On his return, after a month's abfence, he found his old woman preparing to treat a friend or two with tea, and, by way of fhowing her refpect for her guefts, the parlour fireplace was chofen to make the kettle boil, as the never expected her mafter till the faw him. The fire had just been light ed, when her mafter arrived in the critical minute: he rushed, without fpeaking, to the pump, where luckily a pail of water was, and deluged the whole 3. Paffed yesterday quietly, good night, and much as ufual this morning. 4. Paffed yesterday quietly, a very good night, and calm this morning. 5. Compofed yesterday, a good night, and quiet this morning. 6. Paffed yesterday quietly, four hours and a half fleep, and not unquiet this morning. a very good night, and compofed this morn7. Paffed yesterday in a compofed manner, ing. 8. Continued in a composed state yesterday, a very good night, and calm this morning. 9. Quiet yesterday, a good night, quiet this morning. 10. Paffed yesterday in a state of compofure, had four hours fleep, and more than ufual recollection this morning. II. Continued in the fame state of compo fure as yesterday, had a very good night, and is better this morning than yesterday. 12. In a progreffive ftate of amendment. 13. His Majefty had four hours fleep in the night, and is going on very well this morning. 14. In a gradual state of amendment. 15. His Majefty had a very good night, and continues in a state of improvement. 16. Making a progrefs in amendment. 17. In a state of amendment for fome time past, and now in a state of convalefcence. 18. Proceeds in a fair way of recovery. 19. Continues to advance in recovery. 20. Makes daily progrefs in recovery. 21. His Majesty happily advances in reco very. 22. Uninterrupted progress in recovery. 23. Still advances towards recovery. 24. That advancement ftill continues. 25. Progrefs to recovery for fome time gradual and regular; and his Majesty appears this morning to be free from complaint. 26. An entire ceffation of illness. his Majesty's command, the physicians re27.. Continues free from complaint.- By port is to be difcontinued from this day. Memoirs Memoirs of the late T. SHERIDAN, conclu ded, p.41. IN 1763, Mrs Sheridan's Comedy The Discovery was performed at Drury-lane, in which Mr Sheridan represented Lord Medway. About 1764, he went to France, and took up his refidence at Blois, by order of his Majefty, as it has been afferted. During his refidence at this place he loft bis wife, who died there on the 16th of September 1766. Thofe who were intimate with Mr Sheridan cannot but have received the most favourable impreffion of the virtues of this lady from the affectionate terms in which he was always fpoken of by her husband. If our recollection does not deceive us, Mr She. ridan did not continue long in France after this event. His next public appearance was in 1769, when he exhibited at the Haymarket an entertainment of reading, finging, and mufic, which he called An Attic Evening Entertainment; and in the fummer of the fame year he refumed his profeffion of an actor, by performing at the Haymarket the characters of Hamlet, Richard III. Brutus, and Othello. In this year he published his Plan of Education for the young Nobility and Gentry of Great Britain, addressed to the King; in which he made a tender of his fervices, and an offer to dedicate the remainder of his days to the execution of the plan which he then propofed. He concludes in the following words: "Things are now brought to a crifis. I have, after struggling many years through uncommon hardships, at length accomplished my part, fo as to be ready to enter upon the talk. To the completion of it, affiftance is now neceffary; I can proceed no farther without it. The duty that I owe to a numerous family will not permit me to run any farther rifques. And on the other hand, when I confider the juft grounds I have to believe, that if the defign be not executed by myself, it never will be by any other hand, I cannot help wishing that I were enabled to give my whole attention to it, till it should be eftablished on folid foundation. Nor will my expectations, I hope, be deemed unreasonable, when the utmoft I should propose during the profecution of this laborious task is, that my income should not be lefs than what I could apparently make in a much more eafy way. And I profefs to your Majefty in the fincerity of my heart, and with the fame regard to truth as if I VOL. LI. were addreffing the Almighty, that I would prefer a competency in this way to all the wealth and honours of this world in any other courfe. However ftrange fuch a declaration may appear in these times, yet it will not be thought very extraordinary, if known to come from one who has long loft all relish for the pleasures of this life; who never had the smallest sensation of avarice, and has long fince feen the vanity of ambition; who has learned to look at time forward, through the fame end of the perspective as at time backward; and thus to eftimate the duration of life, nay of the world itfelf, but as a point in comparison of a boundless eternity; who therefore has no other enjoyment left, but the inward fatisfaction of discharging his duty to the beft of his power, to his God, to 'his King, and to his Country." At the time Mr Sheridan published this work, the novelty of his plan had worn off, its usefulness had been difputed, its neceffity had been doubted, its reputation had fuffered a little from ridicule, and its patrons had cooled much in their zeal for its propagation. The proposal made to his Majefty in the above addrefs paffed without notice. The author, whose attachment to his favourite scheme was increased rather than weakened by neglect, determined to perfevere in spite of every obftacle. By writing, by converfation, and by public lec tures, he endeavoured to fupport his firking plan; and when he faw himself unattended to, was not fparing of his invectives against the tate of the times. From this period his disappointment led him frequently to exprefs himself with afperity, even against Majesty itself, and it is remembered, that on the declaration of American independence, in a moment of vexation and refentment, he declared a refolution of benefiting the new world with the advantages ungratefully neglected by his own country. The lift at the end of this account will amply display the industry and abilities of Mr Sheridan; he ftill continued to pablifh many valuable performances, which will tranfmit his name to pofterity with reputation. In the fummer of 1769 he performed at the Haymarket the charac ters of Hamlet, Richard III. Othello, and Brutus. In 1770 he was engaged gain at the fame theatre, and in 1776 he acted feveral nights at Covent-Garden, After this he never performed again as an actor. Though able enough to con tribute |