merriment, or topick of invective. He was then able to difcern, that, if mifery be the effect of virtue, it ought to be reverenced; if of ill-fortune, to be pitied; and if of vice, not to be infulted, because it is perhaps itself a punishment adequate to the crime by which it was produced. And the humanity of that man can deferve no panegyrick, who is capable of reproaching a criminal in the hands of the executioner.

But these reflections, though they readily occurred to him in the first and last parts of his life, were, I am afraid, for a long time forgotten; at leaft they were, like many other maxims, treasured up in his mind, rather for fhew than ufe, and operated very little upon his conduct, however elegantly he might fometimes explain, or however forcibly he might inculcate, them.

His degradation therefore from the condition which he had enjoyed with fuch wanton thoughtleffness, was confidered by many as an occafion of triumph. Those who had before paid their court to him without fuccefs, foon returned the contempt which they had fuffered; and they who had received favours from him, for of fuch favours as he could bestow he was very liberal, did not always remember them. So much more certain are the effects of refentment than of gratitude: it is not only to many more pleafing to recollect those faults which place others below them, than thofe virtues by which they are themselves comparatively depreffed; but it is likewife more easy to neglect, than to recompenfe; and though there are few who will practise a laborious virtue, there will never be wanting multitudes that will indulge an eafy vice.

Savage, however, was very little disturbed at the marks of contempt which his ill-fortune brought upon

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him, from thofe whom he never esteemed, and with whom he never confidered himself as levelled by any calamities and though it was not without fome uneafiness that he saw some, whofe friendship he valued, change their behaviour; he yet observed their coldness without much emotion, confidered them as the flaves of fortune and the worshipers of profperity, and was more inclined to defpife them, than to lament himself.

It does not appear that, after this return of his wants, he found mankind equally favourable to him, as at his first appearance in the world. His ftory, though in reality not lefs melancholy, was lefs affecting, because it was no longer new; it therefore procured him no new friends; and those that had formerly relieved him, thought they might now confign him to others. He was now likewife confidered by many rather as criminal, than as unhappy; for the friends of Lord Tyrconnel, and of his mother, were fufficiently industrious to publish his weaknesses, which were indeed very numerous; and nothing was forgotten, that might make him either hateful or ridiculous.

It cannot but be imagined, that fuch representations of his faults must make great numbers lefs fenfible of his diftrefs; many, who had only an opportunity to hear one part, made no fcruple to propagate the ac count which they received; many affifted their circulation from malice or revenge; and perhaps many pretended to credit them, that they might with a better grace withdraw their regard, or withhold their affiftance.

Savage however was not one of those, who fuffered himself to be injured without resistance, nor was lefs diligent in expofing the faults of Lord Tyrconnel, over

whom

whom he obtained at least this advantage, that he drove him first to the practice of outrage and violence; for he was so much provoked by the wit and virulence of Savage, that he came with a number of attendants, that did no honour to his courage, to beat him at a coffee-house. But it happened that he had left the place a few minutes; and his lordship had, without danger, the pleasure of boafting how he would have treated him. Mr. Savage went next day to repay his vifit at his own house; but was prevailed on, by his domesticks, to retire without infifting upon feeing him.

Lord Tyrconnel was accufed by Mr. Savage of fome actions, which scarcely any provocations will be thought fufficient to justify; fuch as feizing what he had in his lodgings, and other inftances of wanton cruelty, by which he increased the distress of Savage, without any advantage to himself.

Thefe mutual accufations were retorted on both fides, for many years, with the utmoft degree of virulence and rage; and time feemed rather to augment than diminish their refentment. That the anger of Mr. Savage fhould be kept alive, is not ftrange, because he felt every day the confequences of the quarrel; but it might reasonably have been hoped, that Lord Tyrconnel might have relented, and at length have forgot thofe provocations, which, however they might have once inflamed him, had not in reality much hurt him.

The spirit of Mr. Savage indeed never fuffered him to folicit a reconciliation; he returned reproach for reproach, and infult for infult; his fuperiority of wit fupplied the disadvantages of his fortune, and enabled him to form a party, and prejudice great numbers in his favour.

But

But though this might be fome gratification of his vanity, it afforded very little relief to his neceffities ; and he was very frequently reduced to uncommon hardships, of which, however, he never made any mean or importunate complaints, being formed rather to bear misery with fortitude, than enjoy prosperity with moderation.

He now thought himself again at liberty to expof the cruelty of his mother, and therefore, I believe, about this time, publifhed The Baftard, a poem remarkable for the vivacious fallies of thought in the beginning, where he makes a pompous enumeration of the imaginary advantages of base birth; and the pathetick fentiments at the end, where he recounts the real calamities which he fuffered by the crime of his parents.

The vigour and spirit of the verses, the peculiar circumftances of the author, the novelty of the fubject, and the notoriety of the story to which the allufions are made, procured this performance a very favourable reception; great numbers were immediately difperfed, and editions were multiplied with unusual rapidity.

One circumftance attended the publication, which Savage used to relate with great fatisfaction. His mother, to whom the poem was with "due reverence" infcribed, happened then to be at Bath, where the could not conveniently retire from cenfure, or conceal herself from obfervation; and no fooner did the reputation of the poem begin to fpread, than fhe heard it repeated in all places of concourfe, nor could fhe enter the affembly-rooms or cross the walks, without being faluted with fome lines from The Baftard.

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This was perhaps the first time that ever the difcovered a sense of shame, and on this occafion the power of wit was very confpicuous; the wretch who had, without fcruple, proclaimed herself an adulteress, and who had first endeavoured to ftarve her fon, then to transport him, and afterwards to hang him, was not able to bear the reprefentation of her own conduct; but fled from reproach, though the felt no pain from guilt, and left Bath with the utmost hafte, to shelter herself among the crowds of London.

Thus Savage had the fatisfaction of finding, that, though he could not reform his mother, he could nish her, and that he did not always fuffer alone.

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The pleasure which he received from this increase of his poetical reputation, was fufficient for fome time to overbalance the miseries of want, which this performance did not much alleviate; for it was fold for a very trivial fum to a bookfeller, who, though the fuccefs was fo uncommon that five impreffions were fold, of which many were undoubtedly very numerous, had not generosity sufficient to admit the unhappy writer to any part of the profit.

The fale of this poem was always mentioned by Mr. Savage with the utmost elevation of heart, and referred to by him as an incontestable proof of a general acknowledgement of his abilities. It was indeed the only production of which he could justly boast a general reception.

But though he did not lofe the opportunity which fuccefs gave him, of setting a high rate on his abilities, but paid due deference to the fuffrages of mankind when they were given in his favour, he did not fuffer his esteem of himself to depend upon others, nor found

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