COLMAN COMB. 



309 



send him into Switzerland for a year or two. In 

 Paris he remained six weeks, and then returned to 

 commence the study of the law. He entered at 

 Lincoln's Inn ; but the drama had laid too fast 

 hold of him to forego its fascinations ; and he de- 

 voted to Shakspeare, and our early dramatic poets, 

 the time and attention which he ought to have be- 

 stowed upon " Blackstone's Commentaries," or 

 " Coke upon Littleton." Totally, therefore, es- 

 chewing the law and its dry details, he betook 

 himself to dramatic writing, and availing himself of 

 the facilities which the theatre afforded, mixed in 

 the gay world to an excess that subsequently, we 

 believe, cost him many years to recover from. In 

 the latter part of the year 1784, he eloped with 

 Miss Catharine Morris, and was married to her at 

 Gretna Green. This affair was managed unknown 

 to his father. At a subsequent period, the mar- 

 riage was acknowledged ; and the ceremony was 

 repeated in Chelsea church. Many years after- 

 wards, on the death of Mrs Colman, from whom he 

 had been long separated, he married Mrs Gibbs, the 

 celebrated actress. 



Mr Colman was the author of many dramas, of 

 every kind and grade, save and except, perhaps, 

 tragedy ; though he took flights in that way, but 

 engrafted upon the stock, as Shakspeare has done, 

 comic parts in prose ; the loftier personages assum- 

 ing the more dignified tone of blank verse. Of 

 these " plays," as they were denominated, " The 

 Iron Chest "' is a memorable instance. On its first 

 representation it was condemned ; but after curtail- 

 ment, it met with better success, and still continues 

 upon the stock list of the acting drama. In conse- 

 quence of the condemnation of this play, he ever 

 afterwards added, "the younger'' to his name; in 

 order that the reputation of his father might not 

 by possibility suffer by being confounded with his 

 own. " Turk and no Turk," his second dramatic 

 essay, proved to be a failure; whilst "Inkle and 

 Yarico," became most extensively popular. These 

 were followed by "Ways and Means," "Poor Old 

 Haymarket," " The Mountaineers," " New Hay at 

 the Old Market" (since cut down to "Sylvester 

 Dagger wood,") " Blue Beard," " Feudal Times," 

 "Poor Gentleman," "John Bull," " Who wants a 

 Guinea?"' "We fly by Night," "The Battle of 

 Hexliam," ' Surrender of Calais," " Heir at Law," 

 "Blue Devils," "Review," "Gay Deceivers," 

 " The Africans," " Love laughs at Locksmiths," 

 "X. Y. Z.," " Actors of all Work," with innumer- 

 able interludes, prologues, epilogues, &c., in which 

 he was particularly smart and happy. 



It is no easy task to criticise the merits of Mr 

 Colman's comedies. They are satires on the past 

 age, written at a time when there was more char- 

 acter in the gentry of our nation than we now meet 

 with, and less eff rt made to disguise or smother 

 personal peculiarities and external follies. The 

 wit made the most of these ; and the production of 

 a new comedy was an important and delightful 

 event to the town. The life and bustle of our 

 author's writings will ever please, though the 

 jokes were better applicable to the days of their 

 birth ; the frequent passages of sentimental morality 

 and double-barrelled loyalty, which are now re- 

 garded as clap-traps, at the time they were written 

 electrified the audience, and helped to keep the 

 country from civil discord, and in satisfaction with 

 itself. 



Mr Colman was also the author of three poems, 

 distinguished more by wit than by dccuruin, pub- 



lished under the title of "My Nightgown and Slip- 

 pers," which he added to and republished under the 

 title of "Broad Grins ; " as also a volume of doggrel, 

 called ' ' Poetical Vagaries : " another, entitled ' ' Vaga- 

 ries Vindicated;" another, called "Eccentricities for 

 Edinburgh;" and lastly, we believe, his "Random 

 Records," in two volumes ; being memoirs of his 

 early life and times. Some of his farces were in- 

 troduced to the public under the assumed name of 

 Arthur Griffinhoof, of Turnham Green. 



Mr Colman was in a high degree social, convivial, 

 and intelligent ; and his company was sought by 

 men of all parties and all ranks, not excepting 

 royal. Lord Byron speaks of his wit and repartee 

 as being of the highest order. He died on Wed- 

 nesday, the 26th of October, 1836, at his residence 

 in Brompton Square ; aged seventy-four years. His 

 remains were deposited, on the 3d of November, 

 in the family vault at Kensington church, where 

 likewise i-est the ashes of his grandfather, Francis 

 Colman, and his father, George Colman. 



COLTON, CHARLES CALEB, the author of 

 " Lacon," a work abounding in many profound 

 apothegms regarding human life, was graduated 

 A.B. at. King's College, Cambridge, in 1801 ; was 

 afterwards chosen a fellow ; took orders, and in 

 1818 obtained the vicarage of Kewand Petersham. 

 He was noted for his eccentricities, irregularities, 

 and inveterate attachment to gaming, which re- 

 duced him to beggary ; and his excesses brought 

 on a disease which required a surgical operation, 

 to avoid which he shot himself, at Fontainebleau, 

 in France, April 28, 1832. He is chiefly known 

 as the author of "Lacon, or, many Things in few 

 Words, addressed to those that think," which has 

 gone through several editions, the first of vvhich 

 appeared in 1820. 



COMB, (a.) Combs are generally made from 

 horn or tortoise-shell, bone or ivory. Bullocks' 

 horns, after the tips are sawed off, are roasted in 

 the flame of a wood fire, till they are sufficiently 

 softened. They are then slit up, pressed in a ma- 

 chine between two iron plates, and plunged into a 

 trough of cold water by which they are hardened. 

 A paste of quick lime, litharge, and water is used 

 to stain the horn to resemble tortoise-shell. Tor- 

 toise-shell is steeped in boiling water to soften it, 

 and then pressed between brass or iron moulds to 

 receive the proper shape. After the horn or shell, 

 bone or ivory, has received its outline shape and 

 curvature, by files or fine rasps, the place of the 

 teeth is marked with a triangular file, and then the 

 teeth themselves are cut out with a double saw, 

 composed of two thin slips of tempered steel, 

 notched with very fine sharp teeth. These slips 

 are mounted in a wooden or iron stock or handle, ia 

 which they may be placed at different distances to 

 suit the width of the comb teeth. 



Let A, fig. 1, represent the piece of horn or 



Fig. 1. 



wood, out of which the comb is to he cut ; it is of 

 the exact size of the comb. B is the saw with its 



