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him those inconveniences that might be feared by any other perfon; for his conversation was fo entertaining, and his address so pleas ing, that few thought the pleasure which they received from him dearly purchased, by paying for his wine. It was his peculiar happiness, that he scarcely ever found a stranger, whom he did not leave a friend; but it must likewise be added, that he had not often a friend long, without obliging him to become a ftranger.

Mr. Savage, on the other hand, declared, that Lord Tyrconnel* quarrelled with him, because he would fubftract from his own lux

ury and extravagance what he had promised

to allow him, and that his refentment was only a plea for the violation of his promife: He afferted, that he had done nothing that ought to exclude him from that fubfiftence which he thought not fo much a favour, as a debt, fince it was offered him upon conditions, which he had never broken; and that his only fault was, that he could not be fupported with nothing.

*His expreffion in one of his letters was, "that Lord Tyrconnel had involved his eftate, and therefore poorly fought an occafion to quarrel with him.”

He

He acknowledged, that Lord Tyrconnel often exhorted him to regulate his method of life, and not to spend all his nights in taverns, and that he appeared very defirous, that he would pass thofe hours with him, which he fo freely bestowed upon others. This demand Mr. Savage confidered as a cenfure of his conduct, which he could never patiently bear; and which, in the latter and cooler part of his life, was fo offenfive to him, that he declared it as his refolution, "to fpurn "that friend who fhould prefume to dictate ૬ to him;" and it is not likely, that in his earlier years he received admonitions with more calmness.

He was likewife inclined to refent fuch expectations, as tending to infringe his liberty, of which he was very jealous, when it was neceffary to the gratification of his paffions; and declared, that the request was till more unreasonable, as the company to which he was to have been confined was infupportably disagreeable. This affertion affords another inftance of that inconfiftency" of his writings with his converfation, which was fo often to be obferved. He forgot how lavishly

lavishly he had, in his Dedication to The Wanderer, extolled the delicacy and penetration, the humanity and generosity, the candour and politenefs, of the man, whom, when he no longer loved him, he declared to be a wretch without understanding, without good-nature, and without juftice; of whofe name, he thought himself obliged to leave no trace in any future edition of his writings; and accordingly blotted it out of that copy of The Wanderer which was in his hands.

During his continuance with the Lord Tyrconnel, he wrote The Triumph of Health and Mirth, on the recovery of Lady Tyrconnel from a languishing illness. This performance is remarkable, not only for the gaiety of the ideas, and the melody of the numbers, but for the agreeable fiction upon which it is formed. Mirth, overwhelmed with forrow for the ficknefs of her favourite, takes a flight in quest of her fister Health, whom the finds reclined upon the brow of a lofty mountain, amidst the fragrance of perpetual fpring, with the breezes of the morning sporting about her. Being folicited by

her fifter Mirth, fhe readily promises her affiflance, flies away in a cloud, and impreg nates the waters of Bath with new virtues, by which the sickness of Belinda is relieved.

As the reputation of his abilities, the particular circumstances of his birth and life, the fplendour of his appearance, and the dif tinction which was for fome time paid him by Lord Tyrconnel, intitled him to familiarity with perfons of higher rank than those to whofe conversation he had been before admitted, he did not fail to gratify that curiofity, which induced him to take a nearer view of thofe whom their birth, their employments, or their fortunes, neceffarily place at a distance from the greateft part of mankind, and to examine whether their merit was magnified or diminifhed by the medium through which it was contemplated; whether the splendour with which they dazzled their admirers was' inherent in themfelves, or only reflected on them by the objects that furrounded them; and whether great men were felected for high ftations, or high stations made great men.

For this purpose he took all opportunities of converfing familiarly with those who were moft confpicuous at that time for their power or their influence; he watched their loofer moments, and examined their domeftic behaviour, with that acuteness which nature had given him, and which the upcommon variety of his life had contributed to increase, and that inquifitiveness which must always be produced in a vigorous mind, by an abfolute freedom from all preffing or domeftic engagements. His difcernment was quick, and therefore he foon found in every perfon, and in every affair, fomething that deferved attention; he was fupported by others, without any care for himself, and was therefore at leifure to purfue his obfervations.

More circumftances to constitute a critic on human life could not easily concur; nor indeed could any man, who affumed from accidental advantages more praise than he could justly claim from his real merit, admit an acquaintance more dangerous than that of Savage; of whom likewise it must be confeffed, that abilities really exalted above

the