without provocation; and Savage might on this occafion find protectors and advocates among those who had long traded in crimes, and whom compaffion had never touched before.

Being hindered, by whatever means, from banishing him into another country, she formed foon after a scheme for burying him in poverty and obfcurity in his own; and, that his ftation of life, if not the place of his refidence, might keep him for ever at a distance from her, she ordered him to be placed with a shoemaker in Holborn, that, after the ufual time of trial, he might become his apprentice *.

It is generally reported, that this project was for fome time fuccefsful, and that Savage was employed at the awl longer than he was willing to confefs; nor was it perhaps any great advantage to him, that an unexpected difcovery determined him to quit his occupation.

About this time his nurfe, who had always treated him as her own fon, died; and it was natural for him to take care of those effects,

• Preface to Savage's Miscellanies.

which by her death were, as he imagined, become his own; he therefore went to her houfe, opened her boxes, and examined her papers, among which he found fome letters written to her by the Lady Mason, which informed him of his birth, and the reafons for which it was concealed.

He was no longer fatisfied with the employment which had been allotted him, but thought he had a right to share the affluence of his mother; and therefore without fcruple applied to her as her fon, and made use of every art to awaken her tenderness, and attract her regard. But neither his letters, nor the interpofition of thofe friends which his merit or his distress procured him, made any impreffion upon her mind. She ftill refolved to neglect, though she could no longer disown him,

It was to no purpose that he frequently foli cited her to admit him to fee her; the avoided him with the most vigilant precaution, and ordered him to be excluded from her house, by whomfoever he might be introduced, and what reafon foever he might give for entering it.

Savage was at the fame time fo touched with the discovery of his real mother, that it was his frequent practice to walk in the dark evenings for feveral hours before her door, in hopes of feeing her as fhe might come by accident to the window, or croís her apartment with a candle in her hand.

*

But all his affiduity and tenderness were without effect, for he could neither foften her heart, nor open her hand, and was reduced to the utmost miseries of want, while he was endeavouring to awaken the affection of a mother: He was therefore obliged to seek some other means of fupport; and, having no profession, became by neceffity an author.

Of

At this time the attention of all the literary world was engroffed by the Bangorian controverfy, which filled the prefs with pamphlets, and the coffee-houfes with difputants. this subject, as most popular, he made choice for his first attempt, and, without any other knowledge of the queftion than he had cafually collected from converfation, published a poem against the Bishop.

VOL. III.

* See the Plain Dealer.
Р

What

What was the fuccefs or merit of this per formance, I know not; it was probably loft among the innumerable pamphlets to which that difpute gave occafion. Mr. Savage was himself in a little time ashamed of it, and endeavoured to fupprefs it, by deftroying all the copies that he could collect.

He then attempted a more gainful kind of writing *, and in his eighteenth year offered to the stage a comedy borrowed from a Spanish plot, which was refufed by the players, and was therefore given by him to Mr. Bullock, who, having more intereft, made fome flight alterations, and brought it upon the stage, under the title of † WOMAN'S A RIddle, but allowed the unhappy author no part of the profit.

Not difcouraged however at his repulfe, he wrote two years afterwards LOVE IN A VEIL, another comedy, borrowed likewise from the Spanish, but with little better fuccefs than before; for though it was received and acted,

* Jacob's Lives of Dramatic Poets.

This play was printed first in 8vo; and afterwards in 12mo, the fifth edition.

yet it appeared fo late in the year, that the author obtained no other advantage from it, than the acquaintance of Sir Richard Steele, and Mr. Wilks; by whom he was pitied, careffed, and relieved.

Sir Richard Steele, having declared in his favour with all the ardour of benevolence which constituted his character, promoted his intereft with the utmost zeal, related his miffortunes, applauded his merit, took all the opportunities of recommending him, and afferted, that "the inhumanity of his mother had "given him a right to find every good man his father."

Nor was Mr. Savage admitted to his acquaintance only, but to his confidence, of which he fometimes related an inftance too extraordinary to be omitted, as it affords a very juft idea of his patron's character.

He was once defired by Sir Richard, with an air of the utmost importance, to come very early to his house the next morning. Mr. Savage came as he had promised, found the