and that therefore it was neceffary, that he might diftinguish himself from the herd of encomiafts, to find out fome new walk of funeral panegyrick.

This difficult task he performed in fuch a manner, that his poem may be justly ranked among the best pieces that the death of princes has produced. By transferring the mention of her death to her birth-day, he has formed a happy combination of topicks, which any other man would have thought it very difficult to connect in one view, but which he has united in fuch a manner, that the relation between them appears natural; and it may be justly faid, that what no other man would have thought on, it now appears fcarcely poffible for any man to mifs *.

The

*To exhibit a fpecimen of the beauties of this poem, the following paffages are selected:

Oft has the Mufe, on this diftinguish'd day,
Tun'd to glad harmony the vernal lay;
But, O lamented change! the lay must flow
From grateful rapture now, to grateful woe.
She, to this day who joyous luftre gave,
Defcends for ever to the filent grave;
She, born at once to charm us and to mend,
Of human race the pattern and the friend!
--And thou, bright Princefs! feated now on high,
Next one, the fairest Daughter of the fky,
Whose warm-felt love is to all beings known,
< Thy fifter Charity! next her thy throne;
See at thy tomb the Virtues weeping lie!
There in dumb forrow feem the arts to die.
So were the fun o'er other orbs to blaze,

And from our world, like Thee, withdraw his rays,
No more to vifit where he warm'd before,

All life must ceafe, and Nature be no more.
Yet fhall the MUSE a heavenly height effay,
Beyond the weakness mix'd with mortal clay;

Beyond

The beauty of this peculiar combination of images is fo masterly, that it is fufficient to fet this poem abově cenfure; and therefore it is not neceffary to mention many other delicate touches which may be found in it, and which would deservedly be admired in any other performance.

To thefe proofs of his genius may be added, from the fame poem, an inftance of his prudence, an excellence for which he was not fo often diftinguifhed; he does not forget to remind the King, in the moft delieate and artful manner, of continuing his pension.

With regard to the fuccefs of this addrefs, he was for fome time in fufpence, but was in no great degree folicitous about it; and continued his labour upon his new tragedy with great tranquillity, till the friend who had for a confiderable time fupported him, removing his family to another place, took occafion to Beyond the lofs, which, though fhe bleeds to fee, Though ne'er to be redeem'd the lofs of thee; Beyond ev❜n this, the hails with joyous lay Thy better birth, thy first true natal day; A day, that fees thee born, beyond the tomb, To endless health, to youth's eternal bloom. Born to the mighty dead, the fouls fublime Of every famous age, and every clime, To goodnefs fixed by Truth's unvarying laws ; To blifs that knows no period, knows no paufeSave when thine eye, from yonder pure ferene, Sheds a foft ray on this our gloomy scene.

Orig. Edit

Deign one look more! Ah! fee thy Confort dear!

Wishing all hearts, except his own, to cheer.
Lo! ftill he bids thy wonted bounties flow
To weeping families of worth and woe.
He stops all tears, however faft they rife,

Save those, that fill must fall from grateful eyes:
And spite of griefs, that fo ufurp his mind,
Still watches o'er the welfare of mankind.

Orig. Edit.

difmifs

difmifs him. It then became neceffary to enquire more diligently what was determined in his affair, having reafon to fufpect that no great favour was intended him, because he had not received his pension at the ufual time.

It is faid, that he did not take thofe methods of retrieving his intereft, which were most likely to fucceed; and fome of thofe who were employed in the Exchequer cautioned him against too much violence in his proceedings: but Mr. Savage, who feldom regulated his conduct by the advice of others, gave way to his paffion, and demanded of Sir Robert Walpole, at his levee, the reafon of the diftinction that was made between him and the other penfioners of the Queen, with a degree of roughnefs which perhaps determined him to withdraw what had been only delayed.

Whatever was the crime of which he was accused or fufpected, and whatever influence was employed against him, he received foon after an account that took from him all hopes of regaining his penfion; and he had now no profpect of fubfiftence but from his play, and he knew no way of living for the time required to finish it.

So peculiar were the misfortunes of this man, deprived of an estate and title by a particular law, expofed and abandoned by a mother, defrauded by a mother of a fortune which his father had allotted him, he entered the world without a friend; and though his abilities forced themfelves into esteem and reputation, he was never able to obtain any real advantage, and whatever profpects arofe were always intercepted as he began to approach them. The king's intentions in his favour were fruftrated; his dedication to the Prince, VOL. III. whofe

whofe generofity on every other occafion was eminent, procured him no reward; Sir Robert Walpole, who valued himself upon keeping his promife to others, broke it to him without regret; and the bounty of the Queen was, after her death, withdrawn from him, and from him only.

Such were his misfortunes, which yet he bore, not only with decency, but with cheerfulness; nor was his gaiety clouded even by his last disappointments, though he was in a fhort time reduced to the lowest degree of distress, and often wanted both lodging and food. At this time he gave another inftance of the infurmountable obftinacy of his fpirit: his cloaths were worn out; and he received notice, that at a coffee-house fome cloaths and linen were left for him: the perfon who fent them did not, I believe, inform him to whom he was to be obliged, that he might spare the perplexity of acknowledging the benefit; but though the offer was fo far generous, it was made with fome neglect of ceremonies, which Mr. Savage fo much refented, that he refused the prefent, and declined to enter the house till the cloaths that had been defigned for him were taken away.

His diftrefs was now publickly known, and his friends, therefore, thought it proper to concert fome measures for his relief; and one of them wrote a letter to him, in which he expreffed his concern "for the "miferable withdrawing of his penfion;" and gave him hopes, that in a fhort time he should find himself

fupplied with a competence, "without any depen

"dence on thofe little creatures which we are pleased "to call the Great."

The

The scheme propofed for this happy and independent fubfiftence was, that he should retire into Wales, and receive an allowance of fifty pounds a year, to be raised by a fubfcription, on which he was to live privately in a cheap place, without aspiring any more to affluence, or having any farther care of reputation.

This offer Mr. Savage gladly accepted, though with intentions very different from thofe of his friends; for they proposed that he fhould continue an exile from London for ever, and spend all the remaining part of his life at Swanfea; but he defigned only to take the opportunity, which their scheme offered him, of retreating for a fhort time, that he might prepare his play for the ftage, and his other works for the press, and then to return to London to exhibit his tragedy, and live upon the profits of his own labour.

With regard to his works, he propofed very great improvements, which would have required much time, or great application; and when he had finifhed them, he defigned to do juftice to his fubfcribers, by publishing them according to his proposals.

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

With thefe expectations he was fo enchanted, that when he was once gently reproached by a friend for fubmitting to live upon a fubfcription, and advised ra