he did not discharge them, declared that they were bailiffs who had introduced themfelves with an execution, and whom, fince he could not fend them away, he had thought it convenient. to embellifh with liveries, that they might do him credit while they ftaid.

His friends were diverted with the expedient, and, by paying the debt, difcharged their attendance, having obliged Sir Richard to promife that they fhould never again find him graced with a retinue of the fame kind.

Under fuch a tutor, Mr. Savage was not likely to learn prudence or frugality; and perhaps many of the misfortunes, which the want of thofe virtues brought upon him in the following parts of his life, might be justly imputed to fo unimproving an example.

Nor did the kindnefs of Sir Richard end in common favours. He propofed to have establifhed him in fome settled scheme of life, and to have contracted a kind of alliance with him, by marrying him to a natural daughter, on whom he intended to beftow a thousand pounds. But though he was always lavish of future bounties, he conducted his affairs in fuch a manner, that he was very feldom able to keep his promifes, or execute his own intentions; and, as he was never able to raise the fum which he had offered, the marriage was delayed. In the mean time he was officioufly informed, that Mr. Savage had ridiculed

ridiculed him; by which he was fo much exafperated, that he withdrew the allowance which he had paid him, and never afterwards admitted him to his house.

It is not indeed unlikely that Savage might, by his imprudence, expofe himself to the malice of a tale-bearer; for his patron had many follies, which as his difcernment eafily difeevered, his imagination might fometimes incite him to mention too ludicrously. A little knowledge of the world is fufficient to discover that fuch weakness is very common, and that there are few who do not fometimes, in the wantonnefs of thoughtless mirth, or the heat of tranfient refentment, speak of their friends and benefactors with levity and contempt, though in their cooler moments they want neither sense of their kindness, nor reverence for their virtue. The fault therefore of Mr. Savage was rather negligence than ingratitude; but Sir Richard must likewife be acquitted of feverity, for who is there that can patiently bear contempt from one whom he has relieved and supported, whofe establishment he has laboured, and whofe interest he has promoted?

He was now again abandoned to fortune, without any other friend than Mr. Wilks; a man, who, whatever were his abilities or fkill as an actor, deferves at least to be remembered

for his virtues *, which are not often to be found in the world, and perhaps lefs often in his profeffion than in others. To be humane, generous, and candid, is a very high degree of merit in any cafe; but thofe qualities deferve ftill greater praise, when they are found in that condition, which makes almost every other man, for whatever reason, contemptuous, infolent, petulant, felfifh, and brutal.

As Mr. Wilks was one of thofe to whom calamity feldom complained without relief, he naturally took an unfortunate wit into his pro

As it is a lofs to mankind when any good action is for gotten, I fhall infert another inftance of Mr. Wilks's generofity, very little known. Mr. Smith, a gentleman educated at Dublin, being hindered by an impediment in his pronun ciation from engaging in orders, for which his friends defigned him, left his own country, and came to London in queft of employment, but found his folicitations fruitlefs, and his neceffities every day more preffing. In this diftrefs he wrote a tragedy, and offered it to the players, by whom it was rejected. Thus were his laft hopes defeated, and he had no other profpect than of the moft deplorable poverty. But Mr. Wilks thought his performance, though not perfect, at least worthy of fome reward, and therefore offered him a benefit. This favour he improved with fo much diligence, that the houfe afforded him a confiderable fum, with which he went to Leyden, applied himself to the study of phyfic; and profecuted his defign with fo much diligence and fuccefs, that, when Dr. Boerhaave was defired by the Czarina to recommend proper perfons to introduce into Ruffia the practice and ftudy of phyfic, Dr. Smith was one of thofe whom he selected. He had a confiderable penfion fettled on him at his arrival, and was one of the chief physicians at the Ruffian court.

tection,

tection, and not only affifted him in any cafual diftreffes, but continued an equal and steady kindness to the time of his death.

By his interpofition Mr. Savage once obtained from his mother* fifty pounds, and a promife of one hundred and fifty more; but it was the fate of this unhappy man, that few promises of any advantage to him were performed. His mother was infected among others with the general madness of the South Sea traffic; and, having been disappointed in her expectations, refufed to pay what perhaps nothing but the profpect of fudden affluence prompted her to promife.

Being thus obliged to depend upon the friendship of Mr. Wilks, he was confequently an affiduous frequenter of the theatres; and in a fhort time the amusements of the stage took such poffeffion of his mind, that he never was abfent from a play in feveral years.

This conftant attendance naturally procured him the acquaintance of the players, and, among others, of Mrs. Oldfield, who was fo much pleased with his converfation, and touched with his misfortunes, that fhe allowed him a fettled penfion of fifty pounds a year, which was during her life regularly paid.

*This I write upon the credit of the author of his life, which was published 1727.

That

That this act of generofity may receive its due praife, and that the good actions of Mrs. Oldfield may not be fullied by her general character, it is proper to mention what Mr. Savage often declared in the ftrongest terms, that he never saw her alone, or in any other place than behind the scenes.

At her death he endeavoured to fhew his gratitude in the most decent manner, by wearing mourning as for a mother; but did not celebrate her in elegies, because he knew that too great profufion of praife would only have revived thofe faults which his natural equity did not allow him to think lefs, because they were committed by one who favoured him; but of which, though his virtue would not endeavour to palliate them, his gratitude would not fuffer him to prolong the memory, or diffufe the cenfure.

In his WANDERER, he has indeed taken an opportunity of mentioning her, but celebrates her not for her virtue, but her beauty, an excellence which none ever denied her: this is the only encomium with which he has rewarded her liberality, and perhaps he has even in this been too lavish of his praife. He feems to have thought, that never to mention his benefactress would have an appearance of ingratitude, though to have dedicated any particular performance to her memory would have only betrayed an officious partiality, that, with