Memoirs of the Life of Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Encyclopedia
Memoirs of the Life of Richard Brinsley Sheridan was an 1825 biography
written by Thomas Moore
about the life of the playwright
and politician
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
(1751-1816). It was published after nine years work, on and off, and had been delayed by a legal dispute over the use of Sheridan's papers. It was published in October 1825 by Longmans in two volumes under the full title of Memoirs of the Life of the Right Honourable Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
The first volume focused on Sheridan's early life and his success in the theatre. The second volume follows the ups and downs of his political career, as a Whig Member of Parliament
. The work was a great success and sold a thousand copies in ten days, and with a fortnight had gone through three editions in a fortnight.
Defending his work in a preface of the fifth edition Moore observed "The Tory
, of course, is shocked by my Whiggism
; - the Whigs are rather displeased at my candour in conceding that they have sometimes been wrong, and the Tories right; while the Radical
in his patriotic hatred of both parties, is angry with me for allowing any merit to either".
The work was part of a long-term shift in Moore's work and reputation. He had previously been regarded as a light poet
and satirist but had now produced a novel Memoirs of Captain Rock and Sheridan's biography. In the wake of the success of the Sheridan work, Moore began working on a biography of his old friend Lord Byron who had died in 1824.
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
written by Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore was an Irish poet, singer, songwriter, and entertainer, now best remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Boy and The Last Rose of Summer. He was responsible, with John Murray, for burning Lord Byron's memoirs after his death...
about the life of the playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan was an Irish-born playwright and poet and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. For thirty-two years he was also a Whig Member of the British House of Commons for Stafford , Westminster and Ilchester...
(1751-1816). It was published after nine years work, on and off, and had been delayed by a legal dispute over the use of Sheridan's papers. It was published in October 1825 by Longmans in two volumes under the full title of Memoirs of the Life of the Right Honourable Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
The first volume focused on Sheridan's early life and his success in the theatre. The second volume follows the ups and downs of his political career, as a Whig Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. The work was a great success and sold a thousand copies in ten days, and with a fortnight had gone through three editions in a fortnight.
Defending his work in a preface of the fifth edition Moore observed "The Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
, of course, is shocked by my Whiggism
Whiggism
Whiggism, sometimes spelled Whigism, is a historical political philosophy that grew out of the Parliamentarian faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The whigs' key policy positions were the supremacy of Parliament , toleration for Protestant dissenters, and opposition to a Catholic on the...
; - the Whigs are rather displeased at my candour in conceding that they have sometimes been wrong, and the Tories right; while the Radical
Radicalism (historical)
The term Radical was used during the late 18th century for proponents of the Radical Movement. It later became a general pejorative term for those favoring or seeking political reforms which include dramatic changes to the social order...
in his patriotic hatred of both parties, is angry with me for allowing any merit to either".
The work was part of a long-term shift in Moore's work and reputation. He had previously been regarded as a light poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and satirist but had now produced a novel Memoirs of Captain Rock and Sheridan's biography. In the wake of the success of the Sheridan work, Moore began working on a biography of his old friend Lord Byron who had died in 1824.