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often to be found in the world, and perhaps lefs often in his profession than in others. To be humane, generous, and candid, is a very high degree of merit in any cafe; but thofe qualities deserve ftill greater praise, when they are found in that condition, which makes almoft every other man, for whatever reason, contemptuous, insolent, petulant, selfish, and brutal.

As Mr. Wilks was one of thofe to whom calamity feldom complained without relief, he naturally took an unfortunate wit into his protection, and not only affifted him in any cafual diftreffes, but continued an equal and fteady 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

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

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Sea traffic; and, having been difappointed in her expectations, refused to pay what perhaps nothing but the profpect of fudden affluence prompted her to promise.

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

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

That this act of generofity may receive its due praise, 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 strongest terms, that he never faw her alone, or in any other place than behind the fcenes.

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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 profusion of praise 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 diffuse 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, without exalting her character, would have depreffed his own.

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He had sometimes, by the kindness of Mr. Wilks, the advantage of a benefit, on which occafions he often received uncommon marks of regard and compaffion; and was once told by the Duke of Dorset, that it was just to confider him as an injured nobleman, and that in his opinion the nobility ought to think themselves obliged, without folicitation, to take every opportunity of fupporting him by their countenance and patronage. But he had generally the mortification to hear that the whole intereft of his mother was employed to frustrate his applications, and that she never left any expedient untried, by which he might be cut off from the poffibility of fupporting life. The fame difpofition fhe endeavoured to diffuse among all those over whom nature or fortune gave her any influence, and indeed fucceeded too well in her defign; but could not always propagate her effrontery with her cruelty, for fome of thofe, whom the incited against him, were afhamed of their own conduct, and boafted of that relief which they never gave him.

In this cenfure I do not indifcriminately involve all his relations; for he has mention

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ed with gratitude the humanity of one Lady, whose name I am now unable to recollect, and to whom therefore I cannot pay the praises which she deserves for having acted well in oppofition to influence, precept, and example.

The punishment which our laws inflict upon those parents who murder their infants is well known, nor has its juftice ever been contefted; but if they deserve death who deftroy a child in its birth, what pains can be fevere enough for her who forbears to destroy him only to inflict sharper miseries upon him; who prolongs his life only to make him miferable; and who exposes him, without care and without pity, to the malice of oppreffion, the caprices of chance, and the temptations of poverty; who rejoices to fee him overwhelmed with calamities; and, when his own industry, or the charity of others, has enabled him to rife for a fhort time above his miferies, plunges him again into his former diftrefs?

The kindness of his friends not affording him any constant supply, and the prospect of improving

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