than ingratitude. But Sir Richard muft likewise be acquitted of feverity, for who is there that can patiently bear contempt from one whom he has relieved and fupported, whofe eftablishment he has laboured, and whose interest he has promoted? He was now again abandoned to fortune without any other friend than Mr. Wilks; a man, who, whatever were his abilities or fkill as an actor, deferves at least to be remembered for his virtues which are not often to be found in the world, and perhaps lefs often in his profeffion than in others. To be humane, generous, and candid, is a very * As it is a lofs to mankind when any good action is forgotten, I fhall infert another inftance of Mr. Wilks's generofity, very little known. Mr. Smith, a gentleman educated at Dublin, being hindered by an impediment in his pronunciation from engaging in orders, for which his friends defigned him, left his own country, and came to London in quest of employment, but found his folicitations fruitlefs, and his neceffities every day more preffing. In this diftress he wrote a tragedy, and offered it to the players, by whom it was rejected. Thus were his laft hopes defeated, and he had no other profpect than of the moft deplorable poverty. But Mr. Wilks thought his performance though not perfect, at least worthy of fome reward, and therefore offered him a benefit. This favour he improved with so much diligence, that the house afforded him a confiderable fum, with which he went to Leyden, applied himself to the study of phyfick, and profecuted his design with fo much diligence and fuccefs, that, when Dr. Boerhaave was defired by the Czarina to recommend proper perfons to introduce into Ruffia the practice and study of phyfick, Dr. Smith was one of those whom he felected. He had a confiderable penfion fettled on him at his arrival, and was one of the chief phyficians at the Ruffian court. Dr. J. ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ A Letter from Dr. Smith in Ruffia to Mr. Wilks is printed in Chetwood's Hiftory of the Stage. R. high degree of merit in any cafe, but those qualities. deferve ftill greater praife, when they are found in that condition which makes almost every other man, for whatever reason, contemptuous, infolent, petulant, felfifh, and brutal. As Mr. Wilks was one of thofe to whom calamity feldom complained without relief, he naturally took an unfortunate wit into his protection, and not only affifted him in any cafual diftreffes, but continued an equal and fteady kindness to the time of his death. By his interpofition Mr. Savage once obtained from 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 performed. His mother was infected, among others, with the general madness of the South Sea traffick; and, having been difappointed in her expectations, refused to pay what perhaps nothing but the profpect of fudden affluence prompted her to promife. Being thus obliged to depend upon the friendship of Mr. Wilks, he was confequently an affiduous frequenter of the theatres; and in a fhort time the amusements of the ftage took fuch poffeffion of his mind, that he never was abfent from a play in feveral years. This conftant attendance naturally procured him the acquaintance of the players, and, among others, "This," fays Dr. Johnson, "I write upon the credit of the author of his life, which was published in 1727" and was a fmall pamphlet, intended to plead his caufe with the publick while under fentence of death "for the Murder of Mr. James Sinclair, at Robinson's Coffee-house at Charing Cross. Price 6s. Roberts." C. of Mrs. Oldfield, who was fo much pleafed with his converfation, and touched with his misfortunes, that the allowed him a fettled penfion of fifty pounds a year, which was during her life regularly paid. That this act of generofity may receive its due praife, and that the good actions of Mrs. Oldfield may not be fullied by her general character, it is proper to mention what Mr. Savage often declared, in the ftrongest terms, that he never faw her alone, or in any other place than behind the scenes. At her death he endeavoured to fhew his gratitude in the moft decent manner, by wearing mourning as for a mother; but did not celebrate her in elegies*, because he knew that too great a profufion of praise would only have revived those faults which his natural equity did not allow him to think lefs, because they were committed by one who favoured him but of which, though his virtue would not endeavour to palliate them, his gratitude would not fuffer him to prolong the memory or diffuse the cenfure. In his Wanderer he has indeed taken an opportunity of mentioning her; but celebrates her not for her virtue, but her beauty, an excellence which none ever denied her; this is the only encomium with which he has rewarded her liberality, and perhaps he has even in this been too lavish of his praise. He seems to have thought, that never to mention his benefactress would have an appearance of ingra * Chetwood, however, has printed a Poem on her death, which he afcribes to Mr. Savage. See Hiftory of the Stage, Р 206. R. titude, titude, though to have dedicated any particular performance to her memory would only have betrayed an officious partiality, that, without exalting her character, would have depreffed his own. He had fometimes, by the kindness of Mr. Wilks, the advantage of a benefit, on which occafions he often received uncommon marks of regard and compaffion; and was once told by the Duke of Dorset, that it was just to confider him as an injured nobleman, and that in his opinion the nobility ought to think themselves obliged, without folicitation, to take every opportunity of fupporting him by their countenance and patronage. But he had generally the mortification to hear that the whole intereft of his mother was employed to fruftrate his applications, and that the never left any expedient untried, by which he might be cut off from the poffibility of fupporting life. The fame difpofition the endeavoured to diffuse among all those over whom nature or fortune gave her any influence, and indeed fucceeded too well in her defign: but could not always propagate her effrontery with her cruelty; for, fome of those, whom the incited against him, were afhamed of their own conduct, and boafted of that relief which they never gave him. In this cenfure I do not indifcriminately involve all his relations; for he has mentioned with gratítude the humanity of one lady, whofe name I am now unable to recollect, and to whom therefore I cannot pay the praises which the deferves for having acted well in oppofition to influence, precept, and example, The The punishment which our laws inflict upon thofe parents who murder their infants is well known, nor has its juftice ever been contested; but, if they deferve death who deftroy a child in its birth, what pains can be fevere enough for her who forbears to deftroy him only to inflict sharper miferies upon him; who prolongs his life only to make him miferable; and who expofes him, without care and without pity, to the malice of oppreffion, the caprices of chance, and the temptations of poverty; who rejoices to fee him overwhelmed with calamities; and, when his own industry, or the charity of others, has enabled him to rife for a fhort time above his miferies, plunges him again into his former diftrefs! * The kindness of his friends not affording him any constant supply, and the profpect of improving his fortune by enlarging his acquaintance neceffarily leading him to places of expence, he found it neceffary to endeavour once more at dramatick poetry, for which he was now better qualified by a more extenfive knowledge, and longer obfervation. But having been unfuccefsful in comedy, though rather for want of opportunities than genius, he refolved now to try whether he should not be more fortunate in exhibiting a tragedy. The story which he chofe for the fubject, was that of Sir Thomas Overbury, a story well adapted to the ftage, though perhaps not far enough removed from the prefent age to admit properly the fictions neceffary to complete the plan; for the |