CHARACTERS, 



299 



dcr's repentance appeared in all the 

 contrite symptoms of a Christian 

 sincerity. Gibber's apology, p. 4:51. 



/Account tf the late George ColmaUf 

 esq. from the European Magazine, 



GEORGE COLMAN was the 

 son of Francis Colman, esq. 

 his majesty's resident at the court of 

 the grand duke of Tuscany at Flo- 

 rence, by a sister of the late counr 

 tess of Bath. He was born at Flo- 

 rence about 1733, and had the ho- 

 nour of having the late king George 

 II. whose name he bears, for his 

 godfather. He received his educa- 

 tion at Westminster-school, where 

 he very early shewed his poetical 

 talents. The first performance by 

 him is a copy of verses addressed to 

 his cousin lord Pulteney, written in 

 the year IT'i/j while he was at 

 Westminster, and since printed in 

 the St. James's Magazine, a work 

 published by his unfortunate friend 

 Robert Lloyd.* At school he had 

 for his companions Mr. Lloyd, Mr. 

 Churchill, Bonnel Thornton, and 

 jome others, who afterwards distin- 

 guished themselves in the literary 

 world. From Westminster-school 

 \\t removed to Oxford, and became 

 a student of Christ-church. It was 

 here, at a very early age, he en- 

 gaged with his friend, BonnclThorn- 

 ton, in publishing 7^/6^ Connoisseur, ?i 

 periodical paper which appeared 

 once a week, and was continued 

 from January 31, 1754, to Septem- 

 ber yo, 17.5G. When the age of the 

 writers of this entertaining paper is 



considered, the wit and humour, the 

 spirit, the good sense, and shrewd 

 observations on hfe and manners, 

 with which it abounds, will excite 

 some degree of wonder, but will at 

 the same time evidently point out 

 the extraordinary talents which were 

 afterwards to be more fully display- 

 ed in the Jealous Wife and the 

 Clandestine Marriage. 



The recommendation of his friends, 

 or his choice, but probably the for- 

 mer, induced him to fix upon the 

 law for his profession ; and he ac- 

 cordingly was entered of Lincoln's 

 Inn, and in due season called to the 

 bar. He attended there a very 

 short time, though, if our recollec- 

 tion does not mislead us, he was 

 seen often enough in the courts to 

 prevent his abandoning the profes- 

 sion merely for want of encourage- 

 ment. It is reasonable, however, 

 to suppose, that he felt more plea- 

 sure in attending to the muse than 

 to briefs and reports, and it will 

 therefore to exciteno wonderthat he 

 took the earliest opportunity of re- 

 linquishing pursuits not congenial to 

 his taste. Apollo and LyttletOH, 

 says Wycherley, seldom meet in the 

 same brain. 



On the ] 8th of March, 1758, he 

 took the degree of master of arts at 

 Oxford ; and in the year 1760, his 

 first dramatic piece, Polly Honey- 

 combe, was acted at Drurj'-lanc, 

 with great success. For several 

 years before, the comic muse seem- 

 ed to have relinquished the stage. 

 No comedy had been produced at 

 either theatre since the year 1751, 

 when Moore's Gil Bias was with 



• In conjunction with this gentleman, he wrote the best parodies of modern times, 

 the ••Odes to Oblivion and Obscurity." When Mr Lloyd's volume of poems was about 

 to be publibbedbysubscripiion, materials being wanted to complete it, Mr. Colman gave 

 Mr. Lloyd Tht Law Studfnt, addicsscd to himself, with such alterations as thatcircum- 

 stancc mudc necessary , 



difficulty 



