required much time, or great application; and when he had finished them, he defigned to do juftice to his subscribers, by publishing them according to his proposals.

As he was ready to entertain himself with future pleasures, he had planned out a scheme of life for the country, of which he had no knowledge but from paftorals and fongs. He imagined that he should be transported to scenes of flowery felicity, like those which one poet has reflected to another; and had projected a perpetual round of innocent plea→ fures, of which he suspected no interruption from pride, or ignorance, or brutality.

With these expectations he was fo enchanted, that when he was once gently reproached by a friend for fubmitting to live upon a subscription, and advised rather by a refolute exertion of his abilities to fupport himself, he could not bear to debar himself from the happiness which was to be found in the calm of a cottage, or lose the opportunity of liftening, without intermiffion, to the melody of the nightingale, which he believed was to be heard from every bramble, and which he did not fail to mention as a VOL. III.

Z

very

very important part of the happiness of a country life.

While this fcheme was ripening, his friends directed him to take a lodging in the liberties of the Fleet, that he might be secure from his creditors, and fent him every Monday a guinea, which he commonly spent before the next morning, and trufted, after his ufual manner, the remaining part of the week to the bounty of fortune.

He now began very fenfibly to feel the miseries of dependence. Those by whom he was to be fupported, began to prescribe to him with an air of authority, which he knew not how decently to refent, nor patiently to bear; and he foon difcovered, from the conduct of most of his fubfcribers, that he was yet in the hands of "little creatures.'

Of the infolence that he was obliged to fuffer, he gave many inftances, of which none appeared to raise his indignation to a greater height, than the method which was taken of furnishing him with clothes. Inftead of confulting him, and allowing him to fend a taylor his orders for what they thought

thought proper to allow him, they proposed to fend for a taylor to take his measure, and then to confult how they should equip him.

This treatment was not very delicate, nor was it such as Savage's humanity would have fuggested to him on a like occafion; but it had fcarcely deferved mention, had it not, by affecting him in an uncommon degree, shewn the peculiarity of his character. Upon hearing the defign that was formed, he came to the lodging of a friend with the most violent agonies of rage; and, being asked what it could be that gave him fuch disturbance, he replied with the utmost vehemence of indignation, "That they had fent for a taylor to measure him."

How the affair ended was never enquired, for fear of renewing his uneafiness. It is probable that, upon recollection, he fubmitted with a good grace to what he could not avoid, and that he discovered no refentment where he had no power.

He was, however, not humbled to implicit and univerfal compliance; for when the genZ 2 tleman,

tleman, who had firft informed him of the design to support him by a fubfcription, attempted to procure a reconciliation with the Lord Tyrconnel, he could by no means be prevailed upon to comply with the measures that were propofed.

A letter was written for him* to Sir William Lemon, to prevail upon him to interpose his good offices with Lord Tyrconnel, in which he folicited Sir William's affiftance, "for a man who really needed it as much " as any man could well do;" and informed him, that he was retiring" for ever to a "place where he should no more trouble his

relations, friends, or enemies;" he confeffed, that his paffion had betrayed him to fome conduct with regard to Lord Tyrconnel, for which he could not but heartily afk his pardon; and as he imagined Lord Tyrconnel's paffion might be yet fo high, that he would not "receive a letter from him," begged that Sir William would endeavour to foften him; and expreffed his hopes that he would comply with his requeft, and that "fo fmall

a relation would not harden his heart "against him."

That any man fhould prefume to dictate a letter to him, was not very agreeable to Mr. Savage; and therefore he was, before he had opened it, not much inclined to approve it. But when he read it, he found it contained sentiments entirely oppofite to his own, and, as he afferted, to the truth; and therefore, inftead of copying it, wrote his friend a letter full of masculine refentment

and warm expoftulations. He very juftly observed, that the ftyle was too fupplicatory, and the representation too abject, and that he ought at least to have made him complain with "the dignity of a gentleman in diftrefs.' He declared that he would not write the paragraph in which he was to ask Lord Tyrconnel's pardon; for, "he despised his par"don, and therefore could not heartily, and "would not hypocritically, afk it." He remarked, that his friend made a very unreafonable diftinction between himfelf and him; for, fays he, when you mention men of high rank "in your own character," they are "thofe little creatures whom we are pleased