what he could not avoid, and that he discovered no refentment where he had no power.

He was, however, not humbled to implicit and univerfal compliance; for when the gentleman, who had first informed him of the defign to fupport him by a fubfcription, attempted to procure a reconciliation with the Lord Tyrconnel, he could by no means be prevailed upon to comply with the measures that were propofed.

A letter was written for him to Sir William Lemon, to prevail upon him to interpofe his good offices with Lord Tyrconnel, in which he folicited Sir William's affiftance "for a man who really needed it as "much as any man could well do ;" and informed him, that he was retiring" for ever to a place where ❝he fhould no more trouble his relations, friends, "or enemies;" he confeffed, that his paffion had betrayed him to fome conduct, with regard to Lord Tyrconnel, for which he could not but heartily ask his pardon; and as he imagined Lord Tyrconnel's paffion might be yet fo high that he would not "receive a letter from him," begged that Sir William would endeavour to foften him; and expreffed his hopes that he would comply with this request, and that "fo fmall a relation would not harden his "heart against him."

That any man should prefume to dictate a letter to him, was not very agreeable to Mr. Savage; and therefore he was, before he had opened it, not much inclined to approve it. But when he read it, he found it contained fentiments entirely oppofite ta

* By Mr. Pope. Dr. J.

his own, and, as he afferted, to the truth, and therefore, instead of copying it, wrote his friend a letter full of masculine refentment and warm expoftulations. He very juftly observed, that the ftyle was too fupplicatory, and the representation too abject, and that he ought at least to have made him complain with "the dignity of a gentleman in "diftrefs." He declared that he would not write the paragraph in which he was to afk Lord Tyrconnel's pardon; for, "he defpifed his pardon, and "therefore could not heartily, and would not hypocritically, afk it." He remarked that his friend made a very unreasonable distinction between himself and him; for, fays he, "when you mention men of

66

high rank in your own character," they are " thofe "little creatures whom we are pleased to call the "Great;" but when you addrefs them "in mine," no fervility is fufficiently humble. He then with great propriety explained the ill confequences which might be expected from fuch a letter, which his relations would print in their own defence, and which would for ever be produced as a full anfwer to all that he fhould allege against them; for he always intended to publish a minute account of the treatment which he had received. It is to be remembered, to the honour of the gentleman by whom this letter was drawn up, that he yielded to Mr. Savage's reafons, and agreed that it ought to be suppressed.

After many alterations and delays, a fubfcription was at length raised, which did not amount to fifty pounds a year, though twenty were paid by one gentleman; fuch was the generofity of mankind, that * Mr. Pope. R.

what

what had been done by a player without folicitation, could not now be effected by application and intereft; and Savage had a great number to court and to obey for a penfion lefs than that which Mrs. Oldfield paid him without exacting any fervilities.

Mr. Savage, however, was fatisfied, and willing to retire, and was convinced that the allowance, though fcanty, would be more than fufficient for him, being now determined to commence a rigid œconomift, and to live according to the exacteft rules of frugality; for nothing was in his opinion more contemptible than a man, who, when he knew his income, exceeded it; and yet he confeffed, that inftances of fuch folly were too common, and lamented that fome men were not to be trufted with their own money.

Full of thefe falutary refolutions, he left London in July 1739, having taken leave with great tendernefs of his friends, and parted from the author of this narrative with tears in his eyes. He was furnifhed with fifteen guineas, and informed, that they would be fufficient, not only for the expence of his journey, but for his fupport in Wales for fome time; and that there remained but little more of the firft collection. He promised a strict adherence to his maxims of parfimony, and went away in the ftagecoach; nor did his friends expect to hear from him till he informed them of his arrival at Swanfea.

But, when they leaft expected, arrived a letter dated the fourteenth day after his departure, in which he fent them word, that he was yet upon the road, and without money; and that he therefore could not proceed without a remittance. They then fent him the money, that was in their hands, with

which he was enabled to reach Bristol, from whence he was to go to Swansea by water.

At Briftol he found an embargo laid upon the fhipping, fo that he could not immediately obtain a paffage; and being therefore obliged to ftay there fome time, he with his ufaal felicity ingratiated himfelf with many of the principal inhabitants, was invited to their houfes, diftinguifhed at their publick feafts, and treated with a regard that gratified his vanity, and therefore eafily engaged his affection.

He began very early after his retirement to complain of the conduct of his friends in London, and irritated many of them fo much by his letters, that they withdrew, however honourably, their contributions; and it is believed, that little more was paid him than the twenty pounds a year, which were allowed him by the gentleman who proposed the subfcription.

After some stay at Briftol he retired to Swanfea, the place originally propofed for his refidence, where he lived about a year, very much diffatisfied with the diminution of his falary; but contracted, as in other places, acquaintance with thofe who were most distinguished in that country, among whom he has celebrated Mr. Powel and Mrs. Jones, by fome verfes which he inferted in "The Gentleman's Magazine *."

Here he completed his tragedy, of which two acts were wanting when he left London; and was defirous of coming to town, to bring it upon the ftage. This defign was very warmly oppofed; and he was ad

* Reprinted in the late Collection.

vised,

vised, by his chief benefactor, to put it into the hands of Mr. Thomson and Mr. Mallet, that it might. be fitted for the stage, and to allow his friends to receive the profits, out of which an annual penfion fhould be paid him.

This propofal he rejected with the utmost contempt. He was by no means convinced that the judgement of those, to whom he was required to fubmit, was fuperior to his own. He was now determined, as he expreffed it, to be "no longer kept in leading"ftrings," and had no elevated idea of "his bounty, "who proposed to penfion him out of the profits of "his own labours."

He attempted in Wales to promote a subscription for his works, and had once hopes of fuccefs; but in a fhort time afterwards formed a refolution of leaving that part of the country, to which he thought it not reasonable to be confined, for the gratification of those who, having promised him a liberal income, had no fooner banished him to a remote corner, than they reduced his allowance to a falary fcarcely equal to the neceffities of life.

His refentment of the treatment, which, in his own opinion at least, he had not deserved, was such, that he broke off all correfpondence with most of his contributors, and appeared to confider them as perfecutors and oppreffors; and in the latter part of his life declared, that their conduct toward him fince his departure from London "had been perfidiouf"nefs improving on perfidiousness, and inhumanity "on inhumanity."

It is not to be fuppofed, that the neceffities of Mr. Savage did not fometimes incite him to fatirical