which their scheme offered him, of retreating for a fhort time, that he might prepare his play for the ftage, and his other works for the prefs, and then to return to London to exhibit his tragedy, and live upon the profits of his own labour.

With regard to his works, he proposed very .great improvements, which would have required much time, or great application; and when he had finished them, he defigned to do justice to his fubfcribers, by publishing them according to this propofals.

As he was ready to entertain himself with *future pleasures, he had planned out a scheme of life for the country, of which he had no knowledge but from paftorals and fongs. He imagined that he should be tranfported to Scenes of flowery felicity, like those which one poet has reflected to another; and had projected a perpetual round of innocent pleasures, of which he fufpected no interruption from pride, or ignorance, or brutality.

With thefe expectations he was fo enchanted, that when he was once gently reproached by a friend for fubmitting to live upon a fubfcription, and advised rather by a refolute exertion of his abilities to fupport himself, he could not bear to debar himself from the happiness which was to be found in the calm of a cottage, or lose the opportunity of listening, without intermiffion,

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to the melody of the nightingale, which he believed was to be heard from every bramble, and which he did not fail to mention as a very important part of the happiness of a country life.

While this scheme was ripening, his friends directed him to take a lodging in the liberties of the Fleet, that he might be fecure from his creditors, and fent him every Monday a guinea, which he commonly spent before the next morning, and trusted, after his ufual manner, the remaining part of the week to the bounty of for

-tune.

He now began very fenfibly to feel the miseries of dependence: Those by whom he was to be fupported, began to prefcribe to him with an air of authority, which he knew not how decently to refent, nor patiently to bear; and he foon discovered, from the conduct of most of his fubfcribers, that he was yet in the hands of little creatures."

Of the infolence that he was obliged to fuffer, he gave many instances, of which none appeared to raise his indignation to a greater height, than the method which was taken of furnishing him with cloaths. Instead of confulting him, and allowing him to fend a taylor his orders for what they thought proper to allow him, they propofed to fend for a taylor to take his measure, and then to confult how they fhould equip him.

"

This treatment was not very delicate, nor was it fuch as Savage's humanity would have : fuggested to him on a like occafion; but it had fcarcely deserved mention, had it not, by affecting him in an uncommon degree, fhewn the peculiarity of his character. Upon hearing the defign that was formed, he came to the lodging of a friend with the most violent agonies of rage; and, being asked what it could be that gave him fuch disturbance, he replied with the utmost vehemence of indignation, "That they "had fent for a tavlor to measure him.”

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How the affair ended was never enquired, for fear of renewing his uneafiness. It is probable, that, upon recollection, he submitted with a good grace to what he could not avoid, and that he difcovered. no refentment where he had no power.

He was, however, not humbled to implicit and univerfal compliance; for when the gentle1. man, 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 proposed.

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 * By Mr. Pope.

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"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 "should 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 his 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 to his own, and, as he afferted, to the truth; and therefore, instead of copying it, wrote his friend a letter full of mafculine refentment and warm expoftulations. He very justly obferved, that the style 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 ask i 3

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Lord Tyrconnel's pardon; for, "he defpifed his "pardon, and therefore could not heartily, "and would not hypocritically, afk it." He re marked, that his friend made a very unreafonable diftinction between himself and him; for, fays he, when you mention men of high rank "in your own character," they are "thofe "little creatures whom we are pleased to call "the great;" but when you address 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 answer to all that he fhould alledge 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 fuppreffed.

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 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 pen