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ther, which, though remarkably delicate and tender, is a proof how deep an impreffion it had upon his mind.

This must be at least acknowledged, which ought to be thought equivalent to many other excellencies, that this poem can promote no other purposes than thofe of virtue, and that it is written with a very strong sense of the efficacy of religion.

But my province is rather to give the hiftory of Mr. Savage's performances, than to display their beauties, or to obviate the criticifms which they have occafioned; and therefore I shall not dwell upon the particular pasfages which deferve applaufe: I fhall neither thew the excellence of his defcriptions, nor expatiate on the terrific portrait of fuicide, nor point out the artful touches, by which he has diftinguished the intellectual features of the rebels, who fuffered death in his last canto. It is, however, proper to obferve, that Mr. Savage always declared the characters wholly fictitious, and without the leaft allusion to any real persons or actions.

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From a poem fo diligently laboured, and fo fuccessfully finished, it might be reafonably expected that he should have gained confiderable advantage; nor can it, without fome degree of indignation and concern, be told, that he fold the copy for ten guineas, of which he afterwards returned two, that the two last sheets of the work might be reprinted, of which he had in his absence intrusted the correction to a friend, who was too indolent to perform it with accuracy.

A fuperftitious regard to the correction of his sheets was one of Mr. Savage's peculiarities he often altered, revised, recurred to his first reading or punctuation, and again adopted the alteration; he was dubious and irrefolute without end, as on a question of the last importance, and at laft was feldom fatisfied: the intrufion or omiffion of a comma was fufficient to difcompofe him, and he would lament an error of a fingle letter as a heavy calamity. In one of his letters relating to an impreffion of fome verfes, he remarks, that he had, with regard to the correction of the proof, "a fpell upon him;" and indeed the anxiety with which he dwelt upon

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upon the minutest and most trifling niceties, deferved no other name than that of fascina: tion.

That he fold fo valuable a performance for fo fmall a price, was not to be imputed either to neceffity, by which the learned and ingenious are often obliged to fubmit to very hard conditions; or to avarice, by which the bookfellers are frequently incited to oppress that genius by which they are fupported; but to that intemperate defire of pleasure, and habitual flavery to his paffions, which involved him in many perplexities. He happened at that time to be engaged in the pursuit of fome trifling gratification, and, being without money for the present occafion, fold his poem to the first bidder, and perhaps for the firft price that was propofed, and would probably have been content with lefs, if lefs had

been offered him.

This poem was addreffed to the Lord Tyrconnel, not only in the firft lines, but in a formal dedication filled with the highest strains of panegyric, and the warmeft profeffions of gratitude, but by no means remarkable for delicacy of connection or elegance of style. These

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These praises in a fhort time he found himfelf inclined to retract, being discarded by the man on whom he had bestowed them, and whom he then immediately discovered not to have deferved them. Of this quarrel,' which every day made more bitter, Lord Tyrconnel and Mr. Savage affigned very dif ferent reasons, which might perhaps all in reality concur, though they were not all convenient to be alleged by either party. Lord Tyrconnel affirmed, that it was the constant practice of Mr. Savage to enter a tavern with any company that proposed it, drink the most expensive wines with great profufion, and when the reckoning was demanded, to be without money: If, as it often happened, his company were willing to defray his part, the affair ended, without any ill confequences; but, if they were refractory, and expected that the wine fhould be paid for by him that drank it, his method of compofition was, to take them with him to his own apartment, affume the government of the house, and order the butler in an imperious manner to fet the beft wine in the çellar before his company, who often drank till they forgot the refpect due to the house

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in which they were entertained, indulged themfelves in the utmoft extravagance of merriment, practifed the moft licentious fro-. licks, and committed all the outrages of drunkenness.

Nor was this the only charge which Lord Tyrconnel brought against him: Having given him a collection of valuable books, flamped with his own arms, he had the mortification to fee them in a fhort time exposed to fale upon the stalls, it being usual with Mr. Savage, when he wanted a small fum, to take his books to the pawnbroker.

Whoever was acquainted with Mr. Savage eafily credited both these accufations: for, having been obliged from his firft entrance into the world to fubfift upon expedients, affluence was not able to exalt him above them; and fo much was he delighted with wine and converfation, and fo long had he been accustomed to live by chance, that he would at any time go to the tavern without fcruple, and truft for the reckoning to the liberality of his company, and frequently of company to whom he was very little known. This conduct indeed very feldom drew upon

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