Memoirs of the Life of the Right Honourable Richard Brinsley Sheridan: Volume 2

Best known for The Rivals and The School for Scandal, Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816) was already a celebrated comic playwright when he entered Parliament in 1780.Turning his wit and talent as a writer to political oratory, he won acclaim for his speeches in the House of Commons.As an independent-minded Whig, he had to reconcile his distrust of monarchical power with his role as friend and confidant to the future George IV.Sheridan's was ultimately a turbulent life, rocked by affairs, heavy drinking and constant debt.This successful and influential two-volume biography, first published in 1825, was written by the poet Thomas Moore (1779–1852), who went on to chart the life of Lord Byron.Volume 2 covers Sheridan's political career, his speeches in Parliament and his final years, closing with reflections on his life.