i licitudes fhould have supported him, had launched him into the ocean of life, yet was he not wholly abandoned. The lady Mafon, mother to the countefs, undertook to tranfact with the nurfe, and fuperintend the education of the child. She placed him at a grammar fchool near St. Albans, where he was called by the name of his nurse, without the leaft intimation that he had a claim to any other. While he was at this fchool, his father, the earl of Rivers, was feized with a diftemper which in a fhort time put an end to his life. While the earl lay on his death-bed, he thought it his duty to provide for him, amongtt his other natural children, and therefore demanded a pofitive account of him. His mother, who could no longer refufe an answer, determined, at least, to give fuch, as fhould deprive him for ever of that happinefs which competency affords, and declared him dead; which is, perhaps, the firft inftance of a falfhood invented by a mother, to deprive her fon of a provifion which was defigned him by another. The earl did not imagine that there could exift in nature, a mother that would ruin her fon, without enriching herself, and there. fore beftowed upon another fon fix thoufand pounds, which he had before in his will bequeathed to Savage. The fame cruelty which incited her to intercept this provifion intended him, fuggested another project, worthy of fuch a difpofition. She endeavoured to rid herself from the danger of being at any time made known to him, by fending him fecretly to the American Plantations; but in this contrivance her malice was defeated. Being still reftless in the perfecution of her fon, fhe formed another scheme of burying him in poverty and obfcurity; and that the ftate of his life, if not the place of his refidence, might keep him for ever at a distance from her, fhe ordered him to be placed with a Shoemaker in Holbourn, that 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; but an unexpected difcovery determined him to quit his occupation. About this time his nurse, who had always treated him as her own fon, died; and it was natural for him to take care of thofe effects, which by her death were, as he imagined, become his He therefore went to her house, opened her boxes, examined her papers, and found fome letters written to her by the lady Mafon, which informed him of his birth, and the reasons for which it was concealed. own. but He was now no longer fatisfied with the employment which had been allotted him, thought he had a right to fhare the affluence of his mother, and therefore, without fcruple, applied to her as her fon, and made ufe of every art to awake her tenderness, and attract her regard. It was to no purpose that he frequently follicited her to admit him to see her, fhe avoided him with the utmost precaution, and ordered him to be excluded from her houfe, by whomfoever he might be introduced, and what reafon foever he might give for entering it. Savage was at this time fo touched with the difcovery 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 by accident. But all his affiduity was without effect, for he could neither foften her heart, nor open her hand, and while he was endeavouring to roufe the affections of a mother, he was reduced to the miferies of want. In this fituation he was obliged to find other means of fupport, and became by neceflity an author. His first attempt in that province was, a poem against the bishop of Bangor, whofe controversy, at that time, engaged the attention of the nation, and furnished the curious with a topic of difpute. Of this performance Mr. Savage was afterwards afhamed, as it was the crude effort of a yet uncultivated genius. He then attempted another kind of writing, and, while but yet eighteen, offered a comedy to the ftage, built upon a Spanish plot; which was refufed by the players. Upon this he gave it to Mr. Bullock, who, at that time rented the Theatre in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields of Mr. Rich, and with meffieurs Keene, Pack, and others undertook the direction thereof. Mr. Bullock made fome flight alterations, and brought it upon the ftage, under the title of Woman's a Riddle, but allowed the real author no part of the profit. This occafioned a quarrel between Savage and Bullock; but it ended without bloodshed, though not without high words: Bullock infisted he had a trạnslation of the Spanish plav, from whence the plot was taken, given him by the fame lady who had bestowed it on Savage.-Which was not improbable, as that whimsical lady had given a copy to feveral others. Not difcouraged, however, at this repulfe,, he wrote, two years after, Love in a Veil, anotherComedy borrowed likewife from the Spanish, but with little better fuccefs than before; for though it was received and acted, yet it appeared fo late in the year, that Savage obtained no other advantage from it, than the acquaintance of Sir Richard Steele, and Mr. Wilks, by whom, fays the author of his Life, he was pitied, careffed, and relieved. Sir Richard Steele declared in his favour, with that genuine, benevolence which conftituted his character, promoted his intereft with the utmoft zeal, and taking all opportunities of recommending him;; he afferted, that the inhumanity of his mother had given given him a right to find every good man his father. Nor was Mr. Savage admitted into his acquaintance only, but to his confidence and efteem. Sir Richard intended to have established him in fome fettled scheme of life, and to have contracted a kind of alliance with him, by marrying him to a natural daughter, on whom he intended to bestow a thousand pounds. But Sir Richard conducted his affairs with fo little oeconomy, that he was feldom able to raise the fum, which he had offered, and the marriage was confequently delayed. In the mean time he was officiously informed that Mr. Savage had ridiculed him; by which he was fo much exafperated that he withdrew the allowance he had paid him, and never afterwards admitted him to his houfe. He was now again abandoned to fortune, without any other friend but Mr. Wilks, a man to whom calamity feldom complained without relief. He naturally took an unfortunate wit into his protection, and not only aflifted him in any cafual diftreffes, but continued an equal and steady kindness to the time of his death. By Mr. Wilks's interpofition Mr. Savage once obtained of his mother fifty pounds, and a promife of one hundred and fifty more, but it was the fate of this unhappy man, that few promises of any advantage to him were ever performed. Being thus obliged to depended upon Mr. Wilks, he was an affiduous frequenter of the theatres, and, in a fhort time, the amusements of the stage took fuch a poffeffion of his mind, that he was never abfent from a play in feveral years. In the year 1723 Mr. Savage brought another piece on the stage. He made choice of the subject of Sir Thomas Overbury: If the circumstances in which he wrote it be confidered, it will afford at once an uncommon proof of ftrength of genius, and an evennefs of mind not to be ruffled. During a con a confiderable part of the time in which he was employed upon this performance, he was without lodging, and often without food; nor had he any other conveniencies for ftudy than the fields, or the ftreet; in which he ufed to walk, and form his fpeeches, and afterwards ftep into a fhop, beg for a few moments the ufe of pen and ink, and write down what he had compofed, upon paper which he had picked up by accident. Mr. Savage had been for fome time diftinguifhed by Aaron Hill, Efq; with very particular kindness; and on this occafion it was natural to apply to him, as an author of established reputation. He therefore fent this Tragedy to him, with a few verfes, in which he defired his correction. Mr. Hill who was a man of unbounded humanity, and most accomplished politeness, readily complied. with his requeft; and wrote the prologue and epilogue, in which he touches the cirumftances of the author with great tenderness. Mr. Savage at laft brought his play upon the ftage, but not till the chief actors had quitted it, and it was represented by what was then called the fummer-company. In this Tragedy Mr. Savage himfelf performed the part of Sir Thomas Overbury, with fo little fuccefs, that he always blotted out his name from the lift of players, when a copy of his Tragedy was to be fhewn to any of his friends. This play however procured him the notice and efteem of many perfons of diftinction, for fome rays of genius glimmered thro' all the milts which poverty and oppreffion had spread over it. The whole profits of this performance, acted, printed, and dedicated, amounted to about 200 1. But the generofity of Mr. Hill did not end here; he promoted the subscription to his Mifcellanies, by a |