at one time, and of vanity at another. Vanity, the most innocent fpecies of pride, was moft frequently predominant: He could not eafily leave off, when he had once begun to mention himself or his works; nor ever read his verses without ftealing his eyes from the page, to discover, in the faces of his audience; how they were affected with any favourite paffage. A kinder name than that of vanity ought to be given to the delicacy with which he was always careful to separate his own merit from every other man's, and to reject that praise to which he had no claim. He did not forget, in mentioning his performances; to mark every line that had been fuggefted or amended; and was fo accurate, as to relate that he owed three words in The Wanderer to the advice of his friends. His veracity was queftioned, but with little reason; his accounts, though not indeed always the fame, were generally confiftent. When he loved any man, he fuppreffed all his faults; and, when he had been offended by him, concealed all his virtues: but his characters Bb 4 characters were generally true, fo far as he proceeded; though it cannot be denied, that his partiality might have fometimes the effect of falsehood. In cafes indifferent, he was zealous for virtue, truth, and juftice: he knew very well the neceffity of goodness to the present and future happiness of mankind; nor is there perhaps any writer, who has lefs endeavoured to please by flattering the appetites, or perverting the judgement. As an author, therefore, and he now ceases to influence mankind in any other character, if one piece which he had refolved to fuppress be excepted, he has very little to fear from the ftricteft moral or religious cenfure. And though he may not be altogether fecure against the objections of the critic, it must however be acknowledged, that his works are the productions of a genius truly poetical; and, what many writers who have been more lavishly applauded cannot boaft, that they have an original air, which has no resemblance of any foregoing writer; that the verfification and fentiments have a caft peculiar to them felves, felves, which no man can imitate with fuccefs, because what was nature in Savage, would in another be affectation. It must be confeffed, that his defcriptions are ftriking,, his images animated, his fictions juftly imagined, and his allegories artfully purfued; that his diction is elevated, though sometimes forced, and his numbers fonorous and majeftic, though frequently fluggish and encumbered. Of his ftyle, the general fault is harfhnefs, and its genéral excellence is dignity; of his fentiments, the prevailing beauty is fublimity, and uniformity the prevailing defect. For his life, or for his writings, none, who candidly confider his fortune, will think an apology either neceffary or difficult. If he was not always fufficiently inftructed in his fubject, his knowledge was at least greater than could have been attained by others in the fame ftate. If his works were fometimes unfinished, accuracy cannot reasonably be exacted from a man oppreffed with want, which he has no hope of relieving but by a speedy publication. The infolence and refentment of which he is accufed were not eafily to be avoided by a great mind, irritated by perpe tual tual hardships, and constrained hourly to re turn the spurns of contempt, and repress the infolence of profperity; and vanity may furely readily be pardoned in him, to whom life afforded no other comforts than barren praises, and the consciousness of deferving them. Thofe are no proper judges of his conduct, who have flumbered away their time on the down of affluence; nor will any wife man prefume to say, "Had I been in Savage's "condition, I fhould have lived or written "better than Savage." This relation will not be wholly without its ufe, if those, who languish under any part of his fufferings, fhall be enabled to fortify their patience, by reflecting that they feel only thofe afflictions from which the abilities of Savage did not exempt him; or those, who, in confidence of fuperior capacities or attainments, difregard the common maxims of life, fhall be reminded, that nothing will fupply the want of prudence; and that negligence and irregularity, long continued, will make knowledge ufelefs, wit ridiculous, and genius contemptible. 1 SWIFT. |