grace withdraw their regard, or withhold their affistance. Savage however was not one of those, who fuffered himself to be injured without refiftance, nor was lefs diligent in expofing the faults of Lord Tyrconnel, over whom he obtained at least this advantage, that he drove him first to the practice of outrage and violence; for he was fo much provoked by the wit and virulence of Savage, that he came with a number of attendants, that did no honour to his courage, to beat him at a coffee-house. But it happened that he had left the place a few minutes, and his lordship had, without danger, the pleasure of boasting how he would have treated him. Mr. Savage went next day to repay his vifit at his own houfe; but was prevailed on, by his domestics, to retire without infifting upon feeing him. Lord Tyrconnel was accufed by Mr. Savage of fome actions, which scarcely any provocations will be thought fufficient to justify; fuch as feizing what he had in his lodgings, and other inftances of wanton cruelty, by which he increased the distress of Savage, without any advantage to himself. Thefe mutual accufations were retorted on both fides, for many years, with the utmost degree of virulence and rage; and time feemed rather to augment than diminish their refent ment. ment. That the anger of Mr. Savage should be kept alive is not strange, because he felt every day the confequences of the quarrel; but it might reasonably have been hoped, that Lord Tyrconnel might have relented, and at length have forgot thofe provocations, which, however they might have once inflamed him, had not in reality much hurt him. The fpirit of Mr. Savage indeed never fuffered him to folicit a reconciliation; he returned reproach for reproach, and infult for infult; his fuperiority of wit fupplied the difadvantages of his fortune, and enabled him to form a party, and prejudice great numbers in his favour. But though this might be fome gratification of his vanity, it afforded very little relief to his neceffities; and he was very frequently reduced to uncommon hardships, of which, however, he never made any mean or importunate complaints, being formed rather to bear mifery with fortitude, than enjoy profperity with moderation. He now thought himself again at liberty to expose the cruelty of his mother, and therefore, I believe, about this time, published THE BASTARD, a poem remarkable for the vivacious fallies of thought in the beginning, where he makes a pompous enumeration of the imaginary * Reprinted in this volume. advan advantages of base birth; and the pathetic fentiments at the end, where he recounts the real calamities which he suffered by the crime of his parents. The vigour and fpirit of the verfes, the pecu-liar circumftances of the author, the novelty of the fubject, and the notoriety of the story to which the allufions are made, procured this performance a very favourable reception; great numbers were immediately difperfed, and editions were multiplied with unufual rapidity. One circumftance attended the publication, which Savage used to relate with great fatisfaction. His mother, to whom the poem was with due reverence" infcribed, happened then to be at Bath, where fhe could not conveniently retire from cenfure, or conceal herself from obfervation; and no fooner did the reputation of the poem begin to fpread, than fhe heard it repeated in all places of concourfe, nor could fhe enter the affembly-rooms, or cross the walks, without being faluted with fome lines from THE BASTARD. This was perhaps the first time that ever the difcovered a fenfe of fhame, and on this oceafion the power of wit was very confpicuous; the wretch who had, without fcruple, proclaimed herself an adulterefs, and who had first endea voured to starve her fon, then to tranfport him, and afterwards to hang him, was not able to bear bear the reprefentation of her own conduct; but Hed from reproach, though fhe felt no pain from guilt, and left Bath with the utmost hafte, to fhelter herself among the crowds of London. Thus Savage had the fatisfaction of finding, that, though he could not reform his mother, he could punish her, and that he did not always fuffer alone. The pleafure which he received from this increase of his poetical reputation, was fufficient for fome time to overbalance the miferies of want, which this performance did not much alleviate; for it was fold for a very trivial fum to a bookfeller, who, though the fuccefs was fo uncommon that five impreffions were fold, of which many were undoubtedly very numerous, had not generofity fufficient to admit the unhappy writer to any part of the profit. The fale of this poem was always mentioned by Savage with the utmoft elevation of heart, and referred to by him as an incontestable proof of a general acknowledgment of his abilities.. It was indeed the only production of which he could justly boaft a general reception. But though he did not lote the opportunity which fuccefs gave him, of fetting a high rate on. his abilities, but paid due deference to the fuf frages of mankind when they were given in his favour, he did not fuffer his esteem of himself to depend upon. others, nor found any thing facred in the voice of the people when they were inclined to cenfure him; he then readily fhewed the folly of expecting that the public should judge right, obferved how flowly poetical merit had often forced its way into the world; he contented himself with the applaufe of men of judgement, and was fomewhat difpofed to exIclude all thofe from the character of men of judgement who did not applaud him. But he was at other times more favourable to mankind than to think them blind to the beautics of his works, and imputed the flowness of their fale to other caufes; either they were published at a time when the town was empty, or when the attention of the public was engroffed by fome struggle in the parliament, or fome other object of general concern; or they were by the neglect of the publisher not diligently difperfed, or by his avarice not advertised with fufficient frequency. Addrefs, or industry, or liberality, was always wanting; and the blame was laid rather on any perfon than the author. By arts like thefe, arts which every man practises in fome degree, and to which too much of the little tranquillity of life is to be afcribed, Savage was always able to live at peace with himself. Had he indeed only made use of these expedients to alleviate the loss or want of fortune or reputation, or any other advantages, which it is not in man's power to bestow upon |