in the interval of his profperity, were always encou raging him to great undertakings by encomiums on his genius and affurances of fuccefs, now received any mention of his defigns with coldness, thought that the fubjects on which he proposed to write were very difficult, and were ready to inform him, that the event of a poem was uncertain, that an author ought to employ much time in the confideration of his plan, and not prefume to fit down to write in confidence of a few cursory ideas, and a fuperficial knowledge; difficulties were started on all fides, and he was no longer qualified for any performance but The Volunteer Laureat.

Yet even this kind of contempt never depreffed him; for he always preferved a steady confidence in his own capacity, and believed nothing above his reach which he fhould at any time earneftly endeavour to attain, He formed schemes of the fame kind with regard to knowledge and to fortune, and flattered himfelf with advances to be made in science, as with riches, to be enjoyed in fome diftant period of his life. For the acquifition of knowledge he was indeed far better qualified than for that of riches; for he was naturally inquifitive and defirous of the converfation of thofe from whom any information was to be obtained, but by no means folicitous to improve thofe opportunities that were fometimes offered of raifing his fortune; and he was remarkably retentive of his ideas, which, when once he was in poffeffion of them, rarely forfook him; a quality which could never be communicated to his

money.

While he was thus wearing out his life in expectation that the Queen would fome time recollect her promife, he had recourfe to the ufual practice of writers,

and

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and published proposals for printing his works by fubfcription, to which he was encouraged by the fuccefs of many who had not a better right to the favour of the publick; but, whatever was the reason, he did not find the world equally inclined to favour him; and he obferved with fome difcontent, that, though he offered his works at half a guinea, he was able to procure but a small number in comparison with those who fubfcribed twice as much to Duck.

Nor was it without indignation that he faw his proposals neglected by the Queen, who patronifed Mr. Duck's with uncommon ardour, and incited a competition among those who artended the court, who should most promote his intereft, and who should first offer a fubfcription. This was a diftinction to which Mr. Savage made no scruple of afferting that his birth, his misfortunes, and his genius, gave him a fairer title, than could be pleaded by him on whom it was conferred.

Savage's applications were however not univerfally unfuccefsful; for fome of the nobility countenanced his design, encouraged his propofals, and fubfcribed with great liberality. He related of the Duke of Chandos particularly, that, upon receiving his propofals, he fent him ten guineas.

But the money which his fubfcriptions afforded him was not lefs volatile than that which he received from his other schemes; whenever a fubfcription was paid him, he went to a tavern; and, as money fo collected is neceffarily received in small sums, he never was able to fend his poems to the prefs, but for many years continued his folicitation, and fquandered whatever he obtained.

This

This project of printing his works was frequently revived; and, as his propofals grew obfolete, new ones were printed with fresher dates. To form fchemes for the publication, was one of his favourite amusements; nor was he ever more at cafe than when, with any friend who readily fell in with his fchemes, he was adjufting the print, forming the advertisements, and regulating the difperfion of his new edition, which he really intended fome time to publish, and which, as long as experience had fhewn him the impoffibility of printing the volume together, he at laft determined to divide into weekly or monthly numbers, that the profits of the firft might fupply the expences of the next,

Thus he spent his time in mean expedients and tormenting fufpenfe, living for the greatest part in fear of profecutions from his creditors, and confequently fkulking in obfcure parts of the town, of which he was no stranger to the remoteft corners. But wherever he came, his address fecured him friends, whom his neceffities foon alienated; fo that he had perhaps a more numerous acquaintance than any man ever before attained, there being fcarcely any perfon eminent on any account to whom he was not known, or whose character he was not in fome degree able to delineate,

To the acquifition of this extenfive acquaintance every circumstance of his life contributed. He excelled in the arts of converfation, and therefore willingly practifed them, He had feldom any home, or even a lodging in which he could be private; and therefore was driven into public-houses for the common conve niences of life and fupports of nature. He was always ready to comply with every invitation, having no em

I

ployment

ployment to withhold him, and often no money to provide for himself; and by dining with one company, he never failed of obtaining an introduction into another.

Thus diffipated was his life, and thus cafual his fubfiftence; yet did not the distraction of his views hinder him from reflection, nor the uncertainty of his condi tion deprefs his gaiety. When he had wandered about without any fortunate adventure by which he was led into a tavern, he fometimes retired into the fields, and was able to employ his mind in ftudy, to amuse it with pleafing imaginations; and seldom appeared to be melancholy, but when fome fudden misfortune had juft fallen upon him, and even then in a few moments he would disentangle himself from his perplexity, adopt the subject of conversation, and apply his mind wholly to the objects that others presented to it.

This life, unhappy as it may be already imagined, was yet imbittered, in 1738, with new calamities. The death of the Queen deprived him of all the profpects of preferment with which he fo long etertained: his imagination; and, as Sir Robert Walpole had before given him reafon to believe that he never intended the performance of his promife, he was now abandoned again to fortune.

He was however, at that time, fupported by a friend; and as it was not his cuftom to look out for diftant calamities, or to feel any other pain than that which forced itself upon his fenfes,, he was not much afflicted> at his lofs, and perhaps comforted himfelf that his pension would be now continued without the annual tribute of a panegyric.

Another

Another expectation contributed likewise to support him he had taken a refolution to write a fecond tragedy upon the ftory of Sir Thomas Overbury, in which he preferved a few lines of his former play, but made a total alteration of the plan, added new incidents, and introduced new characters; fo that it was a new tragedy, not a revival of the former.

Many of his friends blamed him for not making choice of another fubject; but, in vindication of himfelf, he afferted, that it was not easy to find a better; and that he thought it his intereft to extinguish the memory of the first tragedy, which he could only do by writing one lefs defective upon the same story; by which he should entirely defeat the artifice of the bookfellers, who, after the death of any author of reputation, are always induftrious to fwell his works, by uniting his worst productions with his best.

In the execution of this scheme, however, he proceeded but flowly, and probably only employed himself upon it when he could find no other amufement; but he pleafed himself with counting the profits, and perhaps imagined, that the theatrical reputation which he was about to acquire, would be equivalent to all that he had loft by the death of his patronefs.

He did not, in confidence of his approaching riches, neglect the measures proper to fecure the continuance of his penfion, though fome of his favourers thought him culpable for omitting to write on her death; but on her birth-day next year,, he gave a proof of the folidity of his judgement, and the power of his genius. He knew that the track of elegy had been so long beaten, that it was impoffible to travel in it without treading in the footsteps of thofe who had gone before him;