to illuftrate his first great pofition, "that good "is the confequence of evil." The fun that burns up the mountains, fru&ifies the vales; the deluge that rushes down the broken rocks with dreadful impetuofity, is feparated into purling brooks; and the rage of the hurricane purifies the air.

Even in this poem he has not been able to forbear one touch upon the cruelty of his mother, 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 excellences, that this poem can promote no other purposes than those of virtue, and that it is written with a very strong sense of the ef ficacy of religion.

But my province is rather to give the history of Mr. Savage's performances, than to display their beauties, or to obviate the criticifms which they have occafioned; and therefore I fhall not dwell upon the particular paffages which deferve applause I fhall neither fhew the excellence of his defcriptions, nor expatiate on the terrifick portrait of fuicide, nor point out the

artful

artful touches, by which he has diftinguished the intellectual features of the rebels, who fuffer death in his laft canto. It is, however, proper to obferve, that Mr. Savage always declared the characters wholly fictitious, and without the least allufion to any real perfons or actions.

From a poem fo diligently laboured, and fo fuccessfully finished, it might be reasonably 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 laft sheets of the work might be reprinted, of which he had in his abfence intrufted 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 queftion of the laft importance, and at last was seldom satisfied: the intrufion or omiffion of a comma was fufficient

to

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 some verses, 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 the minutest and most trifling niceties, deserved no other name than that of fafcination.

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 ge nius 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 first price that was proposed, and would probably have been content with lefs, if lefs had been offered him.

This

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 panegyrick, and the warmeft profeffions of gratitude, but by no means remarkable for delicacy of connexion or elegance of style.

These praises in a short time he found himfelf inclined to retract, being discarded by the man on whom he had beftowed them, and whom he then immediately difcovered not to have deserved them. Of this quarrel, which every day made more bitter, Lord Tyrconnel and Mr. Savage affigned very different reasons, which might perhaps all in reality concur, though they were not all convenient to be alledged by either party. Lord Tyrconnel af. firmed, that it was the conftant practice of Mr. Savage to enter a tavern with any company that propofed 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 compofi

tion 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 best wine in the cellar before his company, who often drank till they forgot the refpect due to the house in which they were entertained, indulged themfelves in the utmoft extravagance of merriment, practised the moft licentious frolicks, 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, ftamped with his own arms, he had the mortification to see them in a fhort time exposed to sale upon the ftalls, it being ufual 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, hav ing 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 so long had he been accustomed to live by chance, that he would at any time go

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