forgot that he gave others pain to avoid it himfelf.

It cannot be faid, that he made ufe of his abili ties for the direction of his own conduct: an irregular and diffipated manner of life had made him the flave of every paffion that happened to be excited by the prefence of its object, and that flavery to his paflions reciprocally produced a life irregular and diffipated. He was not mafter of his own motions, nor could promife any thing for the next day.

With regard to his oeconomy, nothing can be added to the relation of his life. He appeared to think himself born to be fupported by others, and difpenfed from all neceflity of providing for himself; he therefore never profecuted any fcheme of advantage, nor endeavoured even to fecure the profits which his writings might have afforded him. temper was, in confequence of the dominion of his paffions, uncertain and capricious; he was eafily engaged, and eafily difgufted; but he is accufed of retaining his hatred more tenaciously than his benevolence.

His

He was compaffionate both by nature and principle, and always ready to perform offices of humanity; but when he was provoked (and very fmall offences were fufficient to provoke him), he would profecute his revenge with the utmoft acrimony till his paffion had fubfided.

His friendship was therefore of little value; for though he was zealous in the fupport or vindication of thofe whom he loved, yet it was always dangerous to trust him, because he confidered himself as difcharged by the first quarrel from all ties of honour or gratitude; and would betray thofe fecrets which

in the warmth of confidence had been imparted to him. This practice drew upon him an univerfal accufation of ingratitude: nor can it be denied that he was very ready to fet himself free from the load of an obligation; for he could not bear to conceive himself in a state of dependence, his pride being equally powerful with his other paffions, and appearing in the form of infolence 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 verfes 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 praife 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 queftiond, but with little reafon; 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 were generally true, fo far as he proceeded; though it cannot be denied, that his partiality might have fometimes the effect of falfehood,

In

In cafes indifferent, he was zealous for virtue, truth, and juftice: he knew very well the neceffity of goodness to the prefent and future happinefs of mankind; nor is there perhaps any writer, who has less endeavoured to please by flattering the appetites, or perverting the judgment.

As an author, therefore, and he now ceases to influence mankind in any other character, if one piece which he had refolved to fupprefs be except;d, he has very little to fear from the strictest 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 refemblance of any foregoing writer, that the verfification' and fentiments have a caft peculiar to themfelves, 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 striking, his images animated, his fictions juftly imagined, and his allegories artfully purfued; that his diction is elevated, though fometimes forced, and his number fonorous and majestic, though frequently fluggith and encumbered. Of his ftyle, the general fault is harfhnefs, and its general excellence is dignity of his fentiments, the prevailing beauty is fimplicity, 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 maintained 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 publi cation. The infolence and refentment of which he is accufed were not eafily to be avoided by a great mind, irritated by perpetual hardships, and conftrained hourly to return the fpurns of contempt, and reprefs the infolence of profperity; and vanity furely may be readily pardoned in him, to whom life afforded no other comforts than barren praises, and the conscioufnefs of deferving them.

Thofe are no proper judges of his conduct, who have flumbered away their time on the down of plenty; nor will any wife man eafily prefume to fay, 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 thofe, who languifh under any part of his fufferings, thall 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 thofe, who, in confidence of fuperiour 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.

SWIFT.

AN Account of Dr. Swift has been already collected with great diligence and acutenefs, by Dr. Hawkefworth, according to a fcheme which I laid before him in the intimacy of our friendship. I cannot therefore be expected to fay much of a life, concerning which I had long fince commu nicated my thoughts to a man capable of dignify ing his narrations with fo much elegance of language and force of fentiment.

JONATHAN SWIFT was, according to an account faid to be written by himself, the fon of Jonathan Swift, an attorney, and was born at Dublin on St. Andrew's day, 1667: according to his own report, as delivered by Pope to Spence, he was born at Leicefter, the fon of a clergyman, who was minifter of a parish in Herefordfhire +. During his life the place of his birth was unde termined. He was contented to be called an Irishman by the Irish; but would occafionally call himself an Englishman. The queftion may, without much regret, be left in the obfcurity in which he delighted to involve it..

Mr. Sheridan in his life of Swift obferves, that this account was really written by the Dean, and now exifts in his own hand-writing in the library of Dublin College. R.

Spence's Anecdotes, vol. ii. p. 2.73.

What