SHERIDAN'S MARRIAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1855, 10 June 1887, Page 31

SHERIDAN'S MARRIAGE.

How the Genial Richard Courted and Married

the Beautiful Miss Linley— His Duels with Mathews— His Checkered Married Life, In 1771 Eichard Sheridan went to Dublin to fulfil an engagement, jeavmg his family in Bath. Charles, his eldest son, was also in love with Miss Linley ; but, more prudent than Eichard, he determined to fly from danger, and accordingly, having written her a solemn farewell, he retired to a farmhouse some miles from Bath, leaving the field clear for the enterprising Richard — who had, however, hitherto kept the secret of his feelings locked in his own breast, knowing very well that under existing circumstances, any idea of marriage would have been vigorously opposed both by his own father and hers. CircumstanceSj however, precipitated matters. Miss Linley had for a long time been the object of the attentions of' a Captain Mathews, a married man, who made her an object of remark in public, and persecuted her with insulting proposals, which she indignantly rejected. There is a letter in existence written by Miss Linley, in the year 1772, to her friend Miss Saunderson, in which she gives a long account of the Mathews affair. The state of affairs which it describes is very little to the credit of Miss Linley's parents. Indeed it would not be too much to say that it is very much to their discredit, as they seem from interested motives to have left their young and lovely daughter exposed to the long and constant influence of Mathews— a man accomplished in the arts of seduction, and utterly unscrupulous. She says in this letter — from the original of which we quote : — " I was only 12 years old when I was brought from the country, where I had been all my life, and introduced into public, with a heart capable of receiving the softest impressions." Even at that early age Mathews set to work to gain her affections, and to establish an influence over her. This went on for three years, till in the end, the poor girl, feeling that her affections were so much engaged as to make it essential to her happiness, and even safety, to be relieved from his assiduities, appealed to her mother. "But she, too much attached to interest, laughed at my uneasiness, and told me that novels had turned my head, and that I fancied if anyone was civil to me he must certainly be in love." So ,this exemplary parent left her to the mercy of this unscrupulous scoundrel, who kept the poor girl in a constant state of misery, working on her feeling for him to make, her keep up a correspondence with him, and accord him private meetings ; and if she refused, terrorising her by pretending to be dying, and by threats of suicide, or else by menaces of exposure, which made her believe that her innocent actions were the blackest crimes. ■However, a deliverer was already on the scene. Andromeda had found a Perseus. Sheridan, no doubt, rendered suspicious by his own feelings for her, had been watching Mathews, and endeavoured to set him before her in his true light. Finally, driven to despair by the persecution she was undergoing, she told him everything ; but before doing so, according to the account in her letter, she had made up her mind to commit suicide, and it is at the same time pathetic and amusing to read the account she gives of herself — making her will, and writing, a

coupleof farewell; letters; " af tor church oh Sunday while my mother and sisters . were' out walking," the little ;bottle of laudanum in her pocket with which she hud supplied herself from Miss Sheridan's toothache store. She further tells us how> Sheridan came and found her "on the settee in' a: state 1 of lethargy," having swallowed the dose ; • how the timely assistance >of the doctors restored her ; and how; Sheridan came again next day .to .see her, expostulated, with her 7 with the greatest tenderness," as she tells her friend, -" and showed me the dreadful crime I had been about to commit, and for one who was in every way unworthy of myleast consideration." Sheridan, quite alive to the danger she ran, and no doubt fearing that if exposed any longer to the influence of Mathews, affairs might take a turn which would deprive him for ever of her he loved ; seeing also how little she had to expect from her parents' protection,, conceived ■ the '. idea of himself removing: her beyond the possibility of Mathews having access to her. He proposed to her that she should fly to France, and take refuge in a convent. His' sister would give, her letters . to friends in St.. Quentin, where she had lived, he would himself- escort her safely there, and then return to England, and place "her conduct in such a light that the world would applaud, and not condemn." It is easy to imagine with what persuasive eloquence he pleaded his cause, love speaking with the voice of friendship, to one who saw in him at that moment only the champion who was to rescue her from persecution, perhaps disgrace. . "You may be assured," she says, "I gladly embraced his offer, as I had the highest opinion of him." So with the connivance and assistance of his sisters, they made their arrangements, and on the Wednesday night following that eventful Sunday, Sheridan arrived with a couple of sedan cjhairs, and having put the lady in one, and her trunks in the other, had'them carried to where he had a post-chaise in waiting, and off they started for London as fast as horses could carry them, Sheridan having, she tells her friend, " engaged the wife of one of his servants to go with me as a maid, without my knowledge."

On their arrival in London, Sheridan introduced Miss Linley " to an old friend of his family," a Mr Ewarb, a well-to-do merchant, as a rich heiress who had consented to elope with him to the Continent. The old gentleman, it seems, delighted with his prudence, gave them a passage on board one of his own ships, 'just on the point of sailing from London to Dunkirk; and most probably furnished them with money, with which Sheridan could not have been very well supplied.

' The first excitement of the flight over, and safely landed in France with his precious chaige, he set to work to convince her of the desirability of their getting married then and there. She had persuaded herself into the beliet that she was in love with Mathews ; her romantic and impressionable nature, no doubt, wrought on by the man's charlatan tricks; but Sheridan very soon eradicated all traces of this imaginary passion, and replaced •it by a love for himself, both deep and enduring, which only ceased with her life. His arguments soon prevailed, and they were married shortly after their arrival in France. Moore says the ceremony took place at a little village not far from Calais, and was performed by a priest well known for his services on such occasions. However that may be they were married before they arrived at Lille.

'Their change of route had hitherto prevented their being followed, but now Mr Linley arrived to bring home his truant daughter, and the " whole party set off amicably together for England." Mr Linley's amicableness is rather surprising, as he had been told nothing about the marriage, which was only to be divulged in case of absolute necessity. But he no doubt felt he was hardly entitled to censure veiy severely the, conduct of a young man, who had certainly saved his daughter from the consequences to which his own criminal carelessness had exposed her.

, In the meantime the greatest excitement reigned at home. Charles' love-lorn solicitude at the farm was disturbed at break of day by the news ■ of his brother's flight with Miss Linley. He hastened back to Bath, angry and indignant at having been, as he thought, betrayed by his brother. There also was Mathews, who, furious at finding himself foiled, just as he thought his nefarious designs were about to be crowned with success, vented his rancour in a mosls insulting notice published in the Bath Chronicle.

Such was the state of affairs which Eichard found on his arrival in England. He saw Mathews in London, who told him his brother was a party to the publication of the notice just mentioned. As soon as Sheridan' arrived in Bath he discovered the falseness of the charge. The brothers had, however, a rather stormy interview, and, much to the alarm of their sisters, who overheard high, words pass between them, they left the house together in the middle of the night. Not, however, to fight with one another, aa the sisters feared, but to post off to London, that Eichard might seek satisfaction from Mathews for his insolent publication and his calumny of Charles. What must have been poor Eliza's feelings when next morning the sisters ran to her for information, thinking she would be sure to know all about Eichard's plans, but she knew as little about it as they did, and they could, only mingle their tears over the unknown danger of the dear> biother and lover. While they thus waited in an agony of suspense, the brothers had arrived in London, and Eichard had at once challenged Mathews. The duel was arranged to take place in Hyde Park. They met there with their respective seconds the same evening about 6 o'clock. Mathews objected to the ground selected ; they ac6ordingly wandered from place to place, he finding some fault with each fresh site — his courage "oozing out at the palms of his hands " as they went — till Sheridan, full of fury and contempt, could stand it no longer, and at Mathews' proposal to defer the ! meeting till next morning, declared .hewould brook no further delay, that " this was trifling work," Finally, they adjourned j

to- an upper rodm - -far the " Castle ' Tavern," Henrietta 1 street, Ooverit Garden, and there th'eyf ought. The upshot of the ' affair being that Mathews having behaved like the coward and bully' he- was; >; was ' obliged 'to beg his life, and to make Sheridan a written apology, which was published in the Bath ' Chronicle. With this document in^ his pocket' Sheridan returned to Bath 'in triumph' to cheer th 6 drooping heart of poor Eliza. But what a position was theirs I Loving one another passionately, unable to meet except by chance op. stealth, yet .united by marriage-5-a marriage theVdare hot avow, knowing very well the parents" on both sides 'would have been only too glad to break it! ' Ttiey used to meet >in • a ■ grotto in Spring Gardens. Moore says these meetings took place before ■ their- flight to France, but it is much ' more likelyto have been at this time. The grotto must have witnessed many a tenderinterview, and also, no doubt, many a scene of jealousy on his part — which she forgave,' woman-like, for thesake of the'love which gave it birth. Indeed he would' have been a very stoic had he had not been jealous. ! The husband of a lovely and fascinating creature,' whom he dared not openly claim for fear of losing her altogether, and from whose society he was debarred whilst indifferent strangers were free to enjoy • its charm ; poor Sheridan I every- smile 'she bestowed, however innocently, 1 must' have been an agony to him. How ■• passionately she loved him in return ', and' how thoroughly she shared his feelings is best shown by the letters she wrote him at this time, and during the year following. They are full of passion, expressed with an ingenuous and frank simplicity which is most charming. Mr Linley, when persuading her to return home from France, had 1 promised that she should not be compelled to appear in public ; which promise he did not, however, keep; 'as we shall presently find her singing at Oxford. Mathews, who by his conduct in the late affair had brought on himself universal contempt, was urged by a friend to try and rehabilitate himself, by again challenging Sheridan, which he accordingly did. The challenge was accepted. They met at Kingsdown, a few miles from Bath, and there had a most bloodthirsty encounter. Mathews' sword having broken, he tripped up Sheridan, and they fell — Sheridan underneath. Mathews, according to the account" of his own' second, "beat Sheridan in' the face' either with his fist or the hilt of his sword." After a prolonged scuffle • Sheridan's sword then broke ; but on being told to beg his life, he replied, " No, by God I won't ! " They were finally separated by their 1 seconds. Sheridan being carried badly wounded to Bath; while Mathews made' for London--after which this history' knows him no more. The news of this duel reached Oxford during Miss Linley's farewell' performance. In order, however, not to risk her being unable to sing, it was carefully kept from her, and it was only when' on her way back to Bath that it was broken in her. Overcome by the horror and shock of such intelligence, she quite lost her self-possession; 'and cried out," My husband, my husband!" insisting on herright as his wife to be near him, and to watch over him ; and thus imperilling the secret they had hitherto so carefully kept. Her incautious word's confirmed the suspicions of the parents as to the existence of a marriage, and she was more closely watched than ever. < Sheridan's father forbade all intercourse between' his daughters andMis3 Linley, but they, full of sympathy for their friend, and for the brother whom they so much loved, found means to convey letters between the lovers. A most unscrupulous opposition to the marriage was now carried on. They were to be separated at any cost. , Though no pains had been spared to pub Sheridan before her in the worst possible ligh fc -f-as a heartless, unprincipled scoundrel, who had amused himself at her expense, and then dishonourably betrayed her confidence— she loved him still, in spiteof all ; and it is not; surprising to find that this- "subtle arguer " succeeded in clearing himself, an Iwith his ' enchanter's wand, caused all htr "undoubted proofs "and " insuperable bars " to vanish into thin air. The result showed that he cleared himself to her satisfaction. A woman though she may forgive .-t crime in the man she loves never forgives ti meanness ; and it would be difficult to conceive a more unpardonable meanness than such a betrayal of confidence' would have been. ' . < Mr Linley, finding that all his efforts were unavailing, finally recognised the uselessness of further opposition.' Tru« iovo scored a victory, and on the 13th April 1773 they were publicly married.

Sheridan and his wife spent the first months of their married life in a little cottage at East Burnham, In the winter' they went to London and lodged in the house of Storace, the musician, in Marylebone. The following year their first ohild> was born— the " Tom "' Sheridan afterwards so well known. — Abridged from the Leisure Hour.