Joshua Reynolds Richard Brinsley Sheridan, 1788-9
© The House of Commons, London
(1751-1816)
'Sheridan... said trifling was the greatest joy in life, provided that the mind was properly prepared to relish it, by hard study.'
James Boswell
Sheridan, author of The Rivals and The School for Scandal had a successful career in the theatre as a playwright, actor and theatre manager, before entering politics as a member of the Whig party in 1780. A supporter of Charles James Fox and Edmund Burke, he was also a member of the social circle around the Prince of Wales. In parliament he was considered a great speaker, though in later life the effects of his drinking made him a figure of fun.