a circulating library in a town is an evergreen tree of diabolical
knowledge! It blossoms through the year, and depend on it, Mrs.
Malaprop, that they who are so fond of handling the leaves, will long
for the fruit at last." Not only Mrs. Malaprop, but also Sir Anthony,
form an entirely wrong estimate of themselves. The latter tells his son
that he must marry the woman he selects for him, although she have the
"skin of a mummy, and beard of a Jew." On his son objecting, he tells
him not to be angry. "So you will fly out! Can't you be cool like me?
What the devil good can a passion do? Passion is of no service, you
impudent, violent, over-bearing reprobate. There, you sneer again! don't
provoke me!--but you rely on the mildness of my temper, you do, you
dog!"

Sheridan's humour is generally of this strong kind--very suitable for
stage effect, but not exquisite as wit. Hazlitt admits this in very
complimentary terms:--

"His comic muse does not go about prying into obscure corners, or
collecting idle curiosities, but shows her laughing face, and
points to her rich treasure--the follies of mankind. She is
garlanded and crowned with roses and vine leaves. Her eyes sparkle
with delight, and her heart runs over with good-natured malice."

Sheridan often aims at painting his scenes so as to be in antithesis to
ordinary life. In Faulkland we have a lover so morbidly sensitive, that
even every kindness his mistress shows him, gives him the most exquisite
pain. Don Ferdinand is much in the same state. Lydia Languish is so
romantic, that she is about to discard her lover--with whom she intended
to elope--as soon as she hears he is a man of fortune. In Isaac the Jew,
we have a man who thinks he is cheating others, while he is really being
cheated. Sir Peter Teazle's bickering with his wife is well known and
appreciated. The subject is the oldest which has tempted the comic muse,
and still is, unhappily, always fresh. The following extracts are from
"The Duenna"--

Isaac says to Father Paul that "he looks the very priest of Hymen!"

_Paul._ In short I may be called so, for I deal in repentance and
mortification.

_Don Antonio._ But thou hast a good fresh colour in thy face,
father, i' faith!

_Paul._ Yes. I have blushed for mankind till the hue of my shame is
as fixed as their vices.

_Isaac._ Good man!

_Paul._ And I have laboured too, but to what purpose?