COLMAN, George, the younger, son of the preceding, was born Oct. 21, 1762. He began his education at a private academy in Marylebone, from whence he was removed to Westminster; and afterwards entered at Christ Church, Oxford. From Oxford he went to King's College, Aber-
deen; and there he wrote some dramatical pieces, which were brought out in London at the Haymarket theatre, and immediately condemned. On his return to London he at first applied himself to law; but the bent of his genius and example of his father led him to devote his attention to literary pursuits. In 1785, during the illness of his father, he took the entire management of the Haymarket theatre, and became involved in a Chancery suit which ultimately reduced him to poverty. Having surrendered the management of the theatre, he was appointed licenser and examiner of plays, and received marks of distinguished favour from George IV. Of his dramatic works, the most popular are John Bull, Inkle and Yarico, The Poor Gentleman, The Heir-at-Law, The Iron Chest, &c. He wrote also the well-known comic tales Broad Grins, Poetical Vagaries, &c. In his Random Records he has given memoirs of his early life up to the time of his entering on the management of the Haymarket. Colman died Oct. 26, 1836. From the time that his earlier plays were condemned he invariably subscribed himself the Younger, lest his father's reputation should suffer from his ill success. Byron entertained a very high opinion of Colman's wit and conversational powers. "If I had," he said, "to choose, and could not get both at a time, I should say, 'Let me begin the evening with Sheridan, and finish it with Colman';—Sheridan for dinner, and Colman for supper; Sheridan for claret and port, but Colman for everything. Sheridan was a grenadier company of life-guards, but Colman a whole regiment—of light infantry to be sure—but still a regiment."