26 SEPTEMBER 1874, Page 21

The Works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, with a Memoir of

the Author, a Collection of An7, and Ten Chalk Drawings. Edited by F. Stainforth. (Chau° and Windus.)—When we have said that this is a convenient-sized book and well-printed, and that it fulfils the promise of its title-page, in so far as Sheridan's own works are concerned, we have exhausted all the commendation in our power to bestow. The "Ana " are scanty, and do not include any anecdotes but those which everybody has heard, and the "Life" is a trite, tame, and meagre performance. It occupies ninety pages, and is chiefly composed of extracts from newspapers, verses, prologues, rough drafts of scenes in Sheridan's plays which he afterwards altered, and letters on Sheridan's political proceedings, which are out of place, except as padding, without their historical context. In short, the so-called "Life" is a sample of the flimsy and insincere style of literature which we regret to find *co prevalent, and which is encouraged by these cheap collections, which affect memoirs to give them completeness, but would be more satisfactory without them, when they are so ill-done as in this instance.