"And with the Talk had been affign'd
To Spirits of lefs gentle Kind."
But I, in Politicks grown old,

Whofe Thoughts are of a diff'rent Mold,
Who, from my Soul, fincerely hate
Both Courts and Minifters of State:
Who look on Courts with ftricter Eyes,
To fee the Seeds of Vice arise,
Can lend you an Allusion fitter,

Though flatt'ring Knaves may call it bitter :
Which, if you durft but give it Place,
Would fhew you many a Statefman's Face.
Fresh from the Tripod of Apollo,
I had it in the Words that follow.
(Take Notice, to avoid Offence,
I here except His Excellence.)

So, to effect his Monarch's Ends,
From Hell a Viceroy Dev'l afcends,
His Budget with Corruptions cramm'd,
The Contributions of the Damn'd;
Which with unfparing Hand, he ftrows
Through Courts and Senates as he goes;
And then at Beelzebub's Black-Hall,
Complains his Budget was too fmall.
Your Simile may better shine

In Verfe; but there is Truth in minë.
For, no imaginable Things

Can differ more than Gods and KINGS,
And Statefmen, by ten Thoufand Odds,
Are ANGELS juft as KINGS are GODS.

It was these Verfes that chiefly prevailed upon Mr. Savage to retire, who had much Blame to lay upon himfelf; for had he taken a Pen and fumm'd up the Money he had received from the World for his Writings, his Penfions, for his Benefits and Bounties,

U 4

and

and Subfcriptions from the Great and Compaffionate, not reckoning what a confiderable Sum of Money he had had from his Friends and Acquaintance, under the Name of a Loan, he would foon have feen he had imprudently wafted that which would have fupported him without his becoming obligated to any Body.

Now he was grown hateful to himself, without any Support but Mr. Pope, to whom he began to neglect writing, and began to look upon himself in a State of abfolute Slavery.

He endeavoured, indeed, to release himself, and with an Intent to return to London, went to Bristol, where a Repetition of the Kindness which he had formerly found, invited him to ftay. He was not only carefs'd and treated, but had a Collection made for him of about thirty Pounds, with which it had been happy if he had immediately departed for London; but his Negligence did not fuffer him to confider, that fuch Proofs of Kindness were not often to be expected, and that this Ardour of Benevolence was in a great Degree, the Effect of Novelty, and might, probably, be every Day lefs; and, therefore, he took no Care to improve the happy Time, but was encouraged by one Favour to hope for another, till at length Generofity was exhausted.

Another Part of his Misconduct was the Practice of prolonging his Vifits, to unfeasonable Hours, and difconcerting all the Families into which he was admitted.

Thus Mr. Savage, after the Curiofity of the Inhabitants was gratified, found the Number of his Friends daily decreafing, perhaps without fufpecting for what Reafon their Conduct was altered, for he ftill continued to harrafs, with his ncâurnal Intrufi

ons,

ons, those that yet countenanced him, and admitted him to their Houses.

He was always full of his Defign of returning to London to bring his Tragedy upon the Stage; but having neglected to depart with the Money that was raised for him, he could not afterwards procure a Sum fufficient to defray the Expence of his Journey; nor, perhaps, would a fresh Supply have had any other Effect, than, by putting immediate Pleasures in his Power, to have driven the Thoughts of his Journey out of his Mind.

While he was thus fpending the Day in contriving a Scheme for the Morrow, Diftrefs ftole upon him by imperceptible Degrees. He now began to find every Man from home at whose House he called; and was, therefore, no longer able to procure the Neceffaries of Life, but wandered about the Town flighted and neglected, in queft of a Dinner, which he did not always obtain.

To complete his Mifery, he was purfued by the Officers for fmall Debts which he had contracted; and was, therefore, obliged to withdraw from the fmall Number of Friends from whom he had ftill Reason to hope for Favours.

Being thus excluded on one Hand, and confined on the other, he fuffered the utmost Extremities of Poverty, and often fafted fo long, that he was feiz'd with Faintnefs, and had loft his Appetite, not being able to bear the Smell of Meat, 'till the Action of his Stomach was restored by a Cordial.

In this Diftrefs he received a Remittance of five Pounds from London, with which he provided himfelf a decent Coat, and determined to go to London, but unhappily spent his Money at a favourite Tavern. In this Exigence he once more found a Friend, who fheltered him in his Houfe, though at the ufual Inconvenience

conveniences with which his Company was attended; for could neither be perfuaded to go to Bed in the Night, nor to tife in the Day.

He had now no longer any Hopes of Affiftance from his Friends at Bristol, who as Merchants, and by Confèquence fufficiently ftudious of Profit, cannot be fuppofed to have look'd with much Compaffion upon Negligence and Extravagance, or to think any Excellence equivalent to a Fault of fuch Confequence as Neglect of Oeconomy.

At last he quitted the Houfe of his Friend, and returned to his Lodging at an Inn, still intending to fet out in a few Days for London, but on the tenth of January 1742-3, having been at Supper with two of his Friends, he was at his Return to his Lodgings arrested for a Debt of about eight Pounds, which he owed at a Coffee-Houfe, and conducted to the Houfe of a Sheriff's Officer. The Account which he gives of this Misfortune in a Letter to one of the Gentlemen with whom he had fupped, is too remarkable to be omitted.

"It was not a little unfortunate for me, that I fpent Yefterday's Evening with you; because the "Hour hindered me from entering on my new Lodg"ing; however, I have now got one; but fuch an one, as I believe Nobody would chufe.

66

"I was arrefted at the Suit of Mrs. Read, juft as I was going up Stairs to Bed, at Mr. Bowyer's ; but taken in fo private a Manner, that I believe "Nobody at the White Lion is apprized of it. Tho' I "let the Officers know the Strength (or rather Weak"nefs of my Pocket) yet they treated me with the "utmoft Civility, and even when they conducted "me to Confinement, 'twas in fuch a Manner, that "I verily believe I could have efcaped, which I "would rather be ruined than have done; notwithftanding

<< standing the whole Amount of my Finances was "but three Pence halfpenny.

"In the firft Place I muft infift, that you will in"duftriously conceal this from Mrs. Ss; be

cause I would not have her good Nature fuffer that "Pain, which, I know, fhe would be apt to feel " on this Occafion.

<Next I conjure you, dear Sir, by all the Ties " of Friendship, by no Means to have one uneafy "Thought on my Account; but to have the fame "Pleafantry of Countenance and unruffled Serenity "of Mind, which (God be praised!) I have in this,

or

and have had in a much feverer Calamity. Fur"thermore, I charge you, if you value my Friend"fhip as truly as I do yours, not to utter, "even harbour the leaft Refentment against Mrs. "Read. I believe fhe has ruin'd me, but I freely "forgive her; and (tha' I will never more have any "Intimacy with her) would, at a due Distance, ra

ther do her an Act of Good, than ill Will. Laft"ly, (pardon the Expreffion) I abfolutely command "you not to offer me any pecuniary Affiftance, nor "to-attempt getting me any from any one of

your Friends. At another Time, or on any other Occafion, you may, dear Friend, be well affured, "I would rather write to you in the fubmiffive Stile of a Requeft, than that of a peremptory Com❝ mand.

However, that my truly valuable Friend may "not think I am too proud to afk a Favour, let *me intreat you to let me have your Boy to attend "me for this Day, not only for the Sake of faving "me the Expence of Porters; but for the Delivery "of fome Letters to People whofe Names I would not have known to Strangers.

"The