1s11.} 
moved to Jodgings in Mount-street, al- 
‘mdst entirely devoted himself to solitude 
and study. 
As the nature of Mr. Cumberland’s 
‘occupations, in his character of amanu- 
“ensis to Lord Halifax, did not require 
‘the whole of his attention, he found 
‘leisure to cultiva'e an acquaintance with 
‘the celebrated Bubb Doddington, and 
“many other noted men of that day. In 
a short time after this, in consequence of 
a dispute between his patron and the 
‘prime minister, (the Duke of Newcastle), 
our author found himself in a very’ dis- 
agreeable predicament. Instead of look-' 
‘ing up with the well-founded hope of pre- 
‘ferment, he was soon taught to perceive 
‘that he was now no more than the ex- 
“secretary of an ex-statesman. This re- 
‘cess from business, enab/ed him to visit 
‘Eastbury, a magnificent mansion apper- 
‘taining to the statesman now just alluded 
‘to, who there, as at his villa at Hammer- 
‘smith, and his town-house in Pall Mall, 
“was never approached by his admiring 
. guests, but through a suite of fine apart- 
. 
“ments; and they were rarely seated ‘ but 
under painted cielings, and gilt entabla- 
“tures.” 
After Pisinibed lay-fellowship at Tri- 
‘nity College, he composed his first dra- 
‘matic poem, “The Banishment of Ci- 
“cero,” in five acts; but he himself can- 
‘didly allows, that for a ** hero,” he was 
“not happy in his choice of the Roman 
‘orator. Anterior to this, he had written 
his ¢¢ Caractacus,” and even in his boy-. 
‘ish days he addressed “ Farewell lines 
to Hammond.” His first offering to the 
press, however, was in the shape of a 
‘poem, entitled * St. Mark’s Eve,” pub-. 
‘lished by Dodsley, and from which nei- 
‘ther the author nor bookseller, appear to 
“have derived any profit. 
* He now got acquainted with Mr. 
‘Charles Townshend, the celebrated wit, 
for whom he solved an enigmatical ques- 
tion, and reviewed and. criticised an 
elaborate report, while one of the Lords 
of Trade. Mr. C. also made some 
transjations in verse, from the Troades 
‘of Seneca, and was introduced by Lord 
“Halifax to Garrick, who then resided 
‘at Hampton ; but he declined accepting 
“of his ‘* Cicero,” for. the stage, and the 
“author is candid enough to remark, 
«that when be ‘published this play, he 
-was conscious that he published Mr. 
‘Garrick’s justification for refusing it.” 
' Mr. Cumberland now began to think 
‘of settling in life; and having obtained 
the office of crown-agent for the province 
’ 
Memoirs of the late Richard Cumberland, esq. 
543 
of Nova Scotia, by means of Lord H. 
he paid ‘his addresses to Miss Ridge, 
daughter of George Ridge, esq. of Kil- 
miston, in the county of Kent,and “ had 
the unspeakable felicity to find them ac- 
cepted, and sanctioned by the consent 
of all partiés concerned; thus,” added 
he, “‘I became possessed of one whom 
the virtues of her heart, and the charms 
of her person, had effectually endeared 
to me, and on the 19th of February, 
1758, (being my birth+day), I was mar- 
ried by my fatiier, in the Church of Kil- 
miston, to Elizabeth, the only daughter 
of Georgeand Llizabeth Ridge.” 
In consequence of a change in the ad- 
‘ministration; on the death of George IL. 
Lord Halifax again returned to power, 
and was soon alter appointed to the high 
office of viceroy of [reland. Our author 
as well as his father, accompanied him 
thither, and resided for some time in 
Dublin Castle, as Ulster Secretary. He 
at the same time, was entrusted with the 
management of the lord-lieutenant’s pri+ 
vate finances, which were in a very de» 
ranged state. 
On the new king’s accession, Mr. ©. 
composed and published a poem addressed 
to the young sovereign, his present ma- 
jesty, in blank verse. Soon after this 
he retired from Ireland, §* perfectly 
clean-handed,” without advancing bis 
fortune a single shilling, but from the 
fair income of office, and his disinterest- 
edness never having been betrayed to 
accept of any thing which delicacy could 
possibly -interpret as a: gratuity. Ante- 
rior to his departure, he was offered the 
rank of a baronet by his patron, which 
he respectfully declined. Qu his return 
to England, he found a place of 2001. 
per annum, his sole reward, after eleven 
years attendance, and Mrs. C.’s fortune 
of $0001. redaced to a very small balance. 
‘His situation however, was considerably 
mended by an office in the Board of 
Trade, conferred by the iate Earl of 
Hillsborough. | As his new employment 
consumed but little of his time, he com- 
posed the  Suminer’s Tale,” which had 
a run of nine or ten nights, and he sold 
the copy-right to Mr. Dodsley for a li. 
‘beral remuneration, 
He now relinquished what he is pleased 
to ‘term “ his melodious nonsense,” to 
Bickerstaffe, the writer of popular ope- 
‘ras; and on the advice of Smith, the ac- 
tor, hetook himself to legitimate comedy, 
and brought out the ‘¢ Brothers,” at Ca- 
vent Garden Theatre. Some compli. 
meritary lines in the epilogue, aii 
i 
