Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Sheridan, Richard Brinsley (1751–1816), Irish-born English dramatist and politician famous for his witty comedies of manners, including The Rivals (1775), School for Scandal (1777), and The Critic (1779). A Whig member of Parliament (1780–1812), he played a leading part in the impeachment trial (1787) of Warren Hastings.