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diff --git a/36983.txt b/36983.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f39d2b0 --- /dev/null +++ b/36983.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1011 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life of Mr. Richard Savage, by Anonymous + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Life of Mr. Richard Savage + Who was Condemn'd with Mr. James Gregory, the last Sessions + at the Old Baily, for the Murder of Mr. James Sinclair, + at Robinson's Coffee-house at Charing-Cross. + +Author: Anonymous + +Release Date: August 6, 2011 [EBook #36983] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE OF MR. RICHARD SAVAGE *** + + + + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Richard J. Shiffer +and the Distributed Proofreading volunteers at +https://www.pgdp.net for Project Gutenberg. + + + + + +[Transcriber's Note: Every effort has been made to replicate this text +as faithfully as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and +other inconsistencies. Text that has been changed to correct an obvious +error is noted at the end of this ebook.] + + + + +THE + +LIFE + +OF + +Mr. RICHARD SAVAGE. + + +Who was Condemn'd with Mr. _James Gregory_, the last Sessions at the +_Old Baily_, for the Murder of Mr. _James Sinclair_, at _Robinson's_ +Coffee-house at _Charing-Cross_. + + +With some very remarkable Circumstances, relating to the _Birth_ and +_Education_, of that Gentleman, which were never yet made publick. + + --------_Quis talia fando, + Temperet a Lachrymis?_ + + + +_LONDON_: + +Printed for, and Sold by _J. Roberts_, at the _Oxford-Arms_ in +_Warwick-Lane_; and by the Booksellers of _London_ and _Westminster_. +1727. + +(Price Six Pence.) + + + + +THE + +LIFE + +OF + +Mr. RICHARD SAVAGE. + + +Perhaps no History in the World, either ancient or modern, can produce +an Instance of any one Man's Life fill'd with so many calamitous +Circumstances, as _That_ of the unhappy young Gentleman, who is the +melancholy Subject of the following Sheets; his Misfortunes may be said +to be begun, if not strictly before he had a Being, yet, before his +Birth; for when his Mother, the late Countess of _M----d_, was big with +Child of him, she publickly declared, That the Infant then in her Womb, +did not in the least appertain to her Husband, but to another noble +Earl, upon which a Trial was commenced in the House of Lords, and my +Lord _M----d_, obtained a Divorce, his Lady had her Fortune, which was +very considerable, paid back to her again, with full Liberty of marrying +whom she pleased, which Liberty she made use of in a very short Time, +and my Lord _M----d_ meeting her new Husband, Colonel _B----t_, in the +Court of _Request_ soon after, wish'd him Joy upon it, and said, he +hoped my Lady _M----d_ would make the Colonel a better Wife than she had +done to him. It is very probable that this Divorce gave the Lady a great +deal of Satisfaction: But her Son, being thus bastardized, could not be +born, as otherwise he would have been, a Lord by Courtesy, and Heir to +the Title of an _English_ Earl, with one of the finest Estates in the +Kingdom, which was afterwards, for want of Male-Issue, the Occasion of +engaging two eminent Peers[1] in a Duel, in which they had the +Misfortune to kill each other. Happy we may say it had been, as well for +these Noblemen, as Mr. _Savage_ himself, if he had either not been +illegitimately begotten, or if that Illegitimacy had been prudently +concealed: The being cut off from the certain Inheritance of that great +Wealth and Honour, which, nothing, but his Mother's resentful +Confession, could have hindered him of, would have given any other +Person, when he came to Years of Maturity and Reflection, Sentiments of +a quite different Nature from those which he always, with a Generosity +of Temper peculiar to himself, expressed when that Affair has been +mentioned to him; constantly excusing his Mother for taking any Methods, +how injurious soever they may have been to himself, to be disengaged +from an Husband, whose ill Treatment of her could not suffer her to live +much to her Content with him. + + [1] D. _Hamilton_ and Lord _Mohun_. + +But to give the Reader his History in as exact Order of Time as +possible, we shall begin with the Day of his Birth, which was _January +the 10th_, 1697-8. A Day, that he might very reasonably, in the Language +of the despairing _Job_, have repented his ever seeing, when he +considered, as he had too frequently the bitterest Occasions to do, what +an almost uninterrupted Train of Miseries it had introduced him into. +The Reader may easily imagine, that an Affair of this extraordinary +Kind, among Persons of that high Rank, did not a little employ the +Conversation and Scandal of the Town, for which Reason, the Lady +resolving to move out of her Sight, and if possible, by that, out of her +Remembrance, him, who was innocently the Cause of her Reproach, +committed him to the Care of a poor Woman, with Orders to breed him up +as her own, and in a Manner suitable to her Condition, withal, laying a +strict Injunction upon her, never to let him come to the Knowledge of +his real Parents. The Nurse was faithful to the Trust reposed in her, at +the same Time not neglecting to do her Duty to the Infant in a homely +Manner, agreeable to the Disposition of a well-meaning ordinary Person, +and her scanty Allowance from his Mother's Relations; for she did not +appear in the Affair herself, but her Mother, my Lady _Mason_, whether +at her Daughter's Desire, or prompted by her own natural Compassion, I +shall not pretend to determine, transacted every Thing with the _Nurse_, +whose Name was the only one, for many Years, he knew he had any Claim +to, and was called after it accordingly; although his real Father, the +late _Earl Rivers_, was himself one of his God-fathers, and had his +right Name regularly Registered in the Parish Books of St. _Andrew's +Holbourn_; Mrs. _Lloyd_, his God-mother, was as kind to him as the Time +she lived would admit of, but her Death, next to his own Birth, was his +earliest Misfortune; for he not only lost, in all likelihood, a very +good Friend, but could never recover any Part of the 300 Pounds she left +him as a Legacy. When he arrived at Years capable of receiving the first +Rudiments of Learning, and after an Attempt had been made in vain, to +have had him spirited away to one of the _American_ Plantations, he was +sent to a little _Grammar_ School at St. _Alban's_ in _Hertfordshire_. +Here I hope I shall be excused saying, That by the great _Natural +Genius_ he discover'd, this _School_ has had ample Retribution for the +little Assistance he receiv'd from it, for as he never was favour'd with +any Academical Learning, so it was no Secret to those he most familiarly +conversed with, that his Knowledge of the _Classics_ was very slender +and imperfect: Tho', with humble Submission to the Judgment of those +Gentlemen who are such bigotted sticklers for the _Ancients_, he had +something in the Force and Sprightliness of his own Imagination, that +more than made amends for the want of it. + +It was while he was at this School, that his Father, _the Earl +Rivers_, died, who had several Times made Enquiry after him, but could +never get any satisfactory Account of him; and when on his Death-Bed, he +more strenuously demanded to know what was become of him, in order to +make him a Partaker in the Distribution of that very handsome Estate he +left among his natural Children, he was positively told he was dead: +Thus was he, whilst, (as he expressed it himself) _legally_ the Son of +one _Earl_, and _naturally_ the Son of another, by the Management of his +own Mother, denied the Benefit of belonging to either of them. In a +Piece that was printed, but, for some weighty Reasons, never made +publick, he tells us, That when he was about _Fifteen_, her Affection +began to awake; and he was sollicited to be bound Apprentice to a +_Shoemaker_, which Proposal he rejected with Scorn, for he had now by +the Death of his Nurse, discover'd some Letters of his Grandmother's, +and by those Means the whole Contrivance that had been carried on to +conceal his Birth. And being now entirely destitute of every the least +Necessary of Life, to whom was it so Natural to apply to as a Mother? +Can a Mother forget her sucking Child! But in this Instance Nature +seem'd to be inverted, the Mother upon no Terms would endure the Sight +of her Son, the Son on all Occasions expressing his Affection for his +Mother, and the strong Desire he had of seeing her; "While Nature acted +so weakly," _says an ingenious Gentleman, writing in Mr._ Savage's +_Behalf_, "on the Humanity of the Parent, she seems on the Son's Side to +have doubled her usual Influence. Even the most shocking personal +Repulses, and a Severity of Contempt and Injuries received at her Hands, +through the whole Course of his Life, were not able to eraze from his +Heart the Impressions of his filial Duty; nor, which is much more +strange, of his Affection; I have known him walk three or four Times in +a dark Evening, through the Street this Mother lives in, only for the +melancholy Pleasure of looking up at her Windows, in hopes to catch a +Moment's Sight of her as she might cross the Room by Candle-light." + +Being thus abandoned on all Sides to the Frowns of Fortune and a +capricious World, without any other Friend but his own _Genius_ to +support him, he threw himself upon the barren and unthriving Province of +_Poetry_, a Science how ornamental a Flower soever it may be among the +Qualifications of Men of Ease and Fortune, when display'd only for the +Amusement of a leisure Hour, yet too frequently held in Contempt, when +made the whole Business of a Man's Life, and set to Sale for Bread; and +more especially from the Taste of the present Age, in which the Figure +and Condition of the Author takes up a greater Share of the Reader's +Enquiry, than his Parts or the Matter he writes upon. Had the +unfortunate Gentleman I am speaking of, been invested with either of his +Father's Titles or Estates, I question not but we should have almost +lost the Nobleman in the Honours paid to the _Poet_: But few modern +Authors I fear, who launch into the World, unaided by such Advantages, +will, like _Virgil_, when living, have the same Respect paid to them +that was due to an Emperor, or like _Homer_, have Temples rais'd to +their Memories when dead. + +The first _Poem_ Mr. _Savage_ published, was whilst he was very young, +concerning the _Bangorian Controversy_; although there were some pretty +Lines in it, yet as his Judgment ripened, he grew himself ashamed of +this Piece, and contributed all he could to suppress the Edition, so +that, it having but an indifferent Sale, very few of them are in any +body's Hands at present. His next Performance was a _Comedy_, wrote at +the Age of Eighteen, which he offered to the Managers of +_Lincoln's-Inn-Fields_ House, but, they not entirely approving it, he +could not get it acted immediately, but not long after, it was altered +by Mr. _Christopher Bullock_, one of the Managers, and brought upon the +Stage as his own, under the Title of WOMAN'S A RIDDLE, without any +Manner of Benefit or Advantage to the distressed _Author_: This Play was +represented with some Applause in the Year 1716, the Plot is taken from +a _Spanish_ Play called, _La Dama Duende_, and was Dedicated to the then +Marquis of _Wharton_. + +Two Years after this he got a _Comedy_ upon the Stage in _Drury-Lane_, +called, LOVE IN A VEIL, built likewise on a _Spanish_ Plot, which he +Dedicated to the Right Honourable George _Lord Lansdown_. This Play was +indeed acted for his own Benefit, but it being very late in the Year, +either _May_ or _June_, the Profits of it hardly answer'd the Trouble he +was at in writing and getting it acted: It brought him acquainted +however with some Persons who were good Friends to him afterwards, +particularly a certain Knight, whose Name is not a little known by his +Writings, and Mr. _Wilks_, one of the Patentees of that House; The first +was so, for a short Time, but the latter, who is very remarkable, +notwithstanding his Profession, for his Humanity and Generosity, has +continu'd his Friendship to him to the last, and done him many very kind +and charitable Offices: The other Gentleman gave him a constant +Allowance, and was for a while so fond of him that, it is said, he +proposed his natural Daughter to him, for a Wife, with a Thousand Pounds +Portion, and his Interest, which was thought to be very good at that +Time, to put him into some small Place in the Government; thinking, as +their Births were alike, he could not reproach her, or use her ill, as +some others might have Cruelty enough to do, upon that Account. But this +was too much good Fortune to fall to the Lot of one who seems to have +been born to taste but little of the Comforts of this Life; for some +malicious Person, (and he must be so to a great Degree, who could think +of injuring the most inoffensive Man living) had framed such a Story to +the Knight of scandalous Things said by Mr. _Savage_ against him and his +Lady, that he withheld his Bounty from him, and was not easily prevail'd +upon to see him afterwards. + +Now was he again entirely to seek for every support of Life, when by +the Assistance of the Gentleman, just mention'd for his Humanity, he +obtain'd the Sum of fifty Pounds as a Present, from a Lady, whose Duty +it seem'd to have been to take some Care of him; this Sum he was told +should be made up two Hundred, but it being in the Height of the +_South-Sea Infatuation_, by which this Lady was one of the imaginary +Gainers, when that _Grand Bubble broke_, the other Hundred and Fifty +Pounds _evaporated_ with it; and the poor Gentleman who is the Subject +of our Discourse would have been reduced to as great Extremities as +ever, if his Merit had not recommended him to that Ornament of _English_ +Poesy, _Aaron Hill_, Esq; Miserable as he was in every other Part of his +Life, his Intimacy and Friendship with this Gentleman was a Happiness he +has been much envy'd for, by several, whose Accomplishments could not +entitle them to so great a Share of his Esteem as himself. + +In the Year 1724 Mr. _Savage_ wrote his Tragedy of _Sir Thomas +Overbury_, which was acted at the _Theatre Royal_ in _Drury-Lane_, and +dedicated to _Herbert Tryst_, of the City of _Hereford_, Esq; In this +Play he perform'd the principal Part himself, with much Applause: In an +Advertisement to the Reader, printed before it, he acknowledges the +Obligations he had to his best and dearest Friend, as he there calls +him, Mr. _Aaron Hill_, for his many judicious Corrections in it. The +_Prologue_ and _Epilogue_ were both wrote by that Gentleman; in the +former are these Lines concerning the _Author_. + + _In a full_ World, _our Author lives_, alone! + Unhappy--_and, of Consequence_ unknown; + _Yet, amidst Sorrow, he disdains Complaint;_ + _Nor, languid, in the Race of Life, grows faint._ + _He swims, unyielding_, against _Fortune's Stream_, + _Nor, to his_ private Sufferings, _stoops his_ Theme: + _Adopts the Pains, which others undergo_; + _And for_ your Pleasure, _feels not his_ own Woe. + +The next Year he was perswaded by his Friends to publish his _Poems_ by +Subscription, but not being enough in Number to make a compleat Volume, +he was favoured with those of several other Gentlemen, among which, Mr. +_Hill_ has the largest Share. And the Author of a Paper which came out +at that Time, call'd the _Plain Dealer_, recommended his Undertaking in +a very handsome Manner, to the Publick: In which, speaking of him, he +says, Perhaps few Things could be more surprizing than an History of his +Birth and Usage! Of two Fathers, whom he might have claim'd, and _both_ +of them _Noble_, he lost the _Title_ of the _one_, and a Provision from +the _other's_ Pity, by the Means alone of his _Mother_! Who, as if she +had resolv'd not to leave him a single Comfort, afterwards robb'd him of +_herself_ too! And in direct Opposition to the Impulse of her natural +Compassion, upon mistaken Notions of a false Delicacy, shut her Memory +against his Wants, and cast him out to the severest Miseries; without +allowing herself to contribute even such small Aid, as might at least +have preserved him from Anguish, and pointed out some Path to his future +Industry. + +His good Qualities, which are very numerous, ought the more to be +esteem'd and cherish'd, because he owes them to himself only: Without +the Advantage of Friends, Fortune or Education, he wants neither +Knowledge nor Politeness, to deserve a _Mother's_ Blessing, and adorn, +rather than disgrace her.----I am strongly perswaded, from the +Character, which upon all Occasions, he has taken Pleasure to give of +the Lady's Humanity, with regard to the rest of the World, that nothing +but her having, much too long, already been a Stranger to such a Son, +could make her satisfy'd to continue so.----It is impossible, at least, +that she should not distinguish him, by some kind Notice, some little +Mark of her returning Tenderness, if, without Regard to his Merit, she +knew but his Manner of thinking of her: Which is, itself, a shining +Merit! and a surprising Instance of Generosity! if consider'd against +those Reasons, which might excuse a different Treatment of her. + +He writ the following Copy of Verses, and several others, on the same +Subject, at a Time, when, I know not, which was most to be wonder'd at; +That he should be serene enough for _Poetry_, under the Extremity of Ill +Fortune!----Or, that his _Subject_ should be the Praise of her, to whom +he ow'd a Life of Misery! + + _Hopeless, abandon'd, aimless, and oppress'd,_ + _Lost to Delight, and, every way, distress'd:_ + _Cross his cold Bed, in wild Disorder, thrown,_ + _Thus, sigh'd_ Alexis, _Friendless, and alone_-- + _Why do I breathe?--What_ Joy _can_ Being _give_, + _When she, who gave me Life, forgets I live!_ + _Feels not those Wintry Blasts;--nor heeds my Smart._ + _But shuts me from the Shelter of her Heart!_ + _Saw me expos'd, to Want! to Shame! to Scorn!_ + _To Ills!--which make it_ Misery, _to be_ born! + _Cast me, regardless on the World's bleak Wild:_ + _And bad me, be a_ Wretch, _while yet, a Child!_ + _Where can he hope for Pity, Peace, or Rest,_ + _Who moves no Softness in a_ Mother's _Breast_? + _Custom, Law, Reason_, All! _my Cause forsake_, + _And_ Nature sleeps, _to keep my Woes_ awake! + _Crimes, which the_ Cruel _scarce believe, can be_, + _The_ Kind _are guilty of, to ruin_ me! + _Even She, who bore me, blasts me, with her Hate,_ + _And_, meant _my_ Fortune, makes _herself my Fate_! + _Yet has this sweet Neglecter of my Woes,_ + _The softest, tend'rest, Breast, that_ Pity _knows_! + _Her Eyes shed Mercy, wheresoe'er they shine;_ + _And her Soul_ melts, _at every Woe--but mine_. + _Sure, then! some secret Fate, for Guilt, unwill'd,_ + _Some Sentence, pre-ordain'd to be fulfill'd!_ + _Plung'd me, thus deep, in Sorrow's searching Flood:_ + _And wash'd me from the Mem'ry of her Blood._ + _But, Oh! whatever Cause has mov'd her Hate,_ + _Let me but sigh, in silence, at my Fate._ + _The God_, within, _perhaps, may_ touch _her Breast_: + _And, when she_ pities, _who can be distress'd_? + +These Verses, as I said before, were published in the _Plain Dealer_, +to whom Mr. _Savage_ afterwards wrote a Letter himself, that was printed +in that Paper, in which he says: I am, Sir, that unfortunate _Richard +Savage_, the peculiar Circumstances of whose uncommon Treatment from a +Mother (whose fine Qualities make it impossible to me not to forgive +her, even, while I am miserable, by her Means only) induced you some +Months since, in your _28th Paper_, to publish a few ineffectual Lines, +which I had written, on her surprising Usage of me: To which your +Humanity was pleas'd to add certain Reflections, in my Favour, which I +remember, with due Gratitude; and am encouraged, by that Instance of +your Goodness, to make the present Application. + +When you shall have perus'd my extraordinary _Case_, and those +convincing _Original Letters_, which I have entrusted with the +Gentleman, who brings you this, I shall need say no more, to satisfy +you, what _Right_ I have to _complain_, in a more _publick Manner_, than +I have, yet allowed myself to resolve on.--The Papers, in the Order you +will see them, are prepared for a Hand, too _Just_, and too _Powerful_, +to leave me the least Distrust of being, shortly, _less oppressed than I +have been_; but I judged myself obliged to lay them under your Eye, that +you might be sensible, you said less, of my _Wrongs_, and my +_Sufferings_, than the unhappy _Truth_ could have justified. + +He afterwards, in the same Letter, mentions his Subscription, and begs +those, who think _him_, or his _Design_ worth their Notice or +Encouragement, to send their Names, and the Number of Books they +subscribe for, to _Button's Coffee-house_. Accordingly when his List of +Subscribers was printed before his Book, the following Names were +distinguished from the rest, and which I mention here, to do them +Honour, as having sent their Subscriptions without any other +Sollicitation; prompted only by the Influence of Compassion, and the +Greatness and Generosity of their own Tempers. + + Her Grace the Dutchess of _Cleveland_. + The Right Honourable the Lady Viscountess _Cheyney_. + The Right Honourable the Lady Viscountess _Castlemain_. + Mrs. _Mary Floyer_. + The Right Honourable the Earl of _Gainsborough_. + The Right Honourable the Lady _Gower_. + The Right Honourable the Lady _Lechmere_. + The Right Honourable the Lord _Milsington_. + Mrs. _Sofuel Noel_. + His Grace the Duke of _Rutland_, for Ten Books. + Her Grace the Dutchess Dowager of _Rutland_. + Her Grace the Dutchess of _Rutland_. + The Right Honourable the Countess of _Strafford_. + Mr. _John Savage_. + The Right Honourable the Countess Dowager of _Warwick_. + +The Dedication of this Book, was to the Right Honourable the Lady _Mary +Wortley Montague_; wherein he says thus, "Nature seems to have form'd my +Mind as inconsistently, as Fortune has my Condition: She has given me a +_Heart_ that is as _proud_ as my _Father's_; to a Rank in Life, almost +as _low_ as the Humanity of my Mother!" + +He had also wrote a long Preface to it, giving some Account of his +_Mother's_ unparallel'd ill Treatment of him; but was prevail'd on +through the Imposition of some very considerable Persons to cancel it; +and about that Time he had a Pension of 50 Pounds a Year settled upon +him. I will not venture to say whether this Allowance came directly from +_her_, or, if so, upon what Motives she was induced to grant it him; but +chuse to leave the Reader to guess at it. This was the first Time that +he may properly be said to have enjoyed any Certainty in Life, and this, +alass! of how short a Duration is it like to be, from the unhappy Affair +that has brought him under the heaviest Sentence of the Law! A Sentence, +which, of all Men living, he was thought, by his whole Acquaintance, the +most unlikely to have incurr'd his good Nature and Meekness of Temper, +having before this fatal Accident, been remarkable, among all who +convers'd with him, if I may be allow'd the Expression, even to a Fault. + +The last Piece which he exhibited to the World, was, a _Poem_ Sacred to +the Memory of our late most gracious Sovereign, address'd to the Right +Honourable Mr. _Doddington_, one of the Lords Commissioners of the +Treasury, which Subject, tho' it employ'd several other poetic Genius's; +he is allow'd, by some approv'd Judges in that way of Writing, to have +manag'd with a Delicacy, superior to any of his Competitors. But to come +to the dismal Cause of his present Condition; having for some Time had a +Lodging at _Richmond_ in _Surrey_, for the Benefit of the Air, and the +Conveniencies of his Studies; he came to Town on _Monday_ the 20th Day +of _November_ last, in order to pay off another he had in _Queen-street, +Westminster_, thinking the Expence too great to keep them both; and +falling into Company with Mr. _Merchant_ and Mr. _Gregory_, they all +went together to a Coffee-house near his old Lodgings, where they drank +till pretty late in the Evening; Mr. _Savage_ would willingly have got a +Bed at the Coffee-house for that Night, but there not being a +Conveniency for himself, and Company both, they went away from thence +with a Resolution to waste Time as well as they could till Morning, when +they purposed to go together to _Richmond_. In their Walks, seeing a +Light in _Robinson's_ Coffee-house, they thought that a Place proper to +entertain them, tho' Mr. _Savage_ protested he was entirely ignorant of +the Character of the House, and had never been there in his Life before. +Let it suffice in this Place to say, that the direful Consequence of +their going in there, was from an Insult offer'd by Mr. _Merchant_ to +the Company who were drinking there, a mortal Wound given to Mr. +_Sinclair_, of which he languish'd till the next Day, and then died, and +the Condemnation of Mr. _Savage_ and Mr. _Gregory_ for the said Fact. +They were secur'd for that Night, and in the Morning carried before +_Nathaniel Blackerby_, Esq; and two other of his Majesty's Justices of +the Peace, and by them committed to the _Gate-house_; but Mr. _Sinclair_ +dying, they were from thence removed to _Newgate_, between Twelve and +One o' Clock on _Tuesday_ Night. + +The Coroner's Inquest having sat upon the Body, did not finish their +Enquiry at their first Meeting, but adjourn'd till the _Tuesday_ +following, and then brought in their Verdict _Manslaughter_. + +Let the Reader now behold a Man of his unspotted Character, and +inoffensive Behaviour, till this fatal Action, involv'd all on a sudden +in all the wretched Circumstances and Sufferings of the most inhuman +Criminals and abandon'd of Profligates, and admire at the decent +Fortitude and Serenity of Mind, with which, according to the Report of +all who saw him, he supported so shocking and unexpected a Misfortune, +as well before as at the Time of his Trial, which was on _Thursday_ the +7th of this Instant _December_, at the _Old Baily_; where after eight +Hours being taken up in hearing the Evidence on both Sides, he and Mr. +_Gregory_ were found Guilty of the _Murther_, and _Merchant_ of +_Manslaughter_ only. + +The whole Trial having already been made publick, it will be needless +to give any Repetition of it here, any farther than this, that upon the +Testimonies of _Nuttal_, a Friend of the Deceas'd, and another Person, +who was drinking with him and Mr. _Sinclair_; together, with those of +the Women of the House, it appear'd the Affront was given by +_Merchant's_ kicking down the Table that belong'd to the Deceased and +his Company, and that in Justification of that Rudeness, Mr. _Savage_ +and Mr. _Gregory_ drew their Swords, and Mr. _Sinclair_ receiv'd his +Death Wound from Mr. _Savage_. + +Being thus cast out of all possible Hopes of making any farther Defence +by Law for his Life, he was carry'd back to the Prison, where the +Indulgence which he had before obtained from the Keeper, of being +excused from having any Irons, could no longer with Safety, be allowed +him, but he and Mr. _Gregory_ were fetter'd with near fifty Pounds +Weight a-piece. On the _Monday_ following, at the Conclusion of the +Sessions, he was carry'd down to the Court to receive Sentence, as +usual, previous to which he made the following Speech. + + 'IT is now, my Lord, too late, to offer any thing by way of + Defence, or Vindication; nor can we expect ought from your + Lordships, in this Court, but the Sentence which the Law requires + you as Judges, to pronounce against Men of our calamitous + Condition.----But we are also perswaded, that as meer Men, and out + of this Seat of rigorous Justice, you are susceptive of the tender + Passions, and too humane, not to commiserate the unhappy Situation + of those, whom the Law sometimes perhaps----exacts----from you to + pronounce upon. No doubt you distinguish between Offences, which + arise out of Premeditation, and a Disposition habituated to Vice or + Immorality, and Transgressions, which are the unhappy and + unforeseen Effects of a casual Absence of Reason, and sudden + Impulse of Passion: We therefore hope you will contribute all you + can to an Extension of that Mercy, which the Gentlemen of the Jury + have been pleas'd to shew Mr. _Merchant_, who (allowing Facts as + sworn against us by the Evidence) has led us into this our + Calamity, I hope, this will not be constru'd, as if we mean to + reflect upon that Gentleman, or remove any thing from us upon him, + or that we repine the more at our Fate because he has no + Parcipitation of it: No, my Lord! For my Part, I declare nothing + could more soften my Grief, than to be without any Companion in so + great a Misfortune.' + +Who can read this without wishing it may have its desir'd Effect? No +one, I am sure, who knows him personally but interested his Hopes warmly +and zealously in it. His Friends (for his Calamities had added many to +those who were to his _Merit_ before) were generous Partakers of that +Distress which he bore himself so manfully, and are extreamly Assiduous +in recommending him to the _Mercy_ to the best of Sovereigns. Among +which we think nothing more to the Purpose of these Sheets than the +following Letter, with which we shall conclude, supposed to be wrote by +one of the Gentlemen before-mentioned for having publickly express'd his +Compassion for Mr. _Savage's_ Sufferings. + +A LETTER to a Noble Lord in the behalf of Mr. _Savage_ and Mr. +_Gregory_. + + MY LORD, + + I am persuaded, you will not refuse this Letter a reading, + since the principal Subject of it is Mercy: I would not have took + this Liberty with your Lordship, was I not throughly convinced that + your Virtue is equal to your Wisdom, and that you are always ready + to exert both in a proper Cause. I know, for I have experienced it, + that you have a Heart which can commiserate the Misfortunes of Man, + and that you are ever willing to lend a Hand to the sinking Wretch. + What I now write is with the greatest Confusion of Spirits, and + with the tenderest Sentiments of Humanity for two unhappy + Gentlemen, one of which is my Friend; my Friend, my Lord, just on + the Brink of suffering an ignominious Death. Imagine the Tumult of + my Soul, when the dreadful Idea is before me: But Friendship is not + the chief Motive of my Concern for him; he is a Man of Virtue and + of Honour, sufficient Recommendations for your Lordship to + intercede for him. Blot out the unhappy Moment which was the Source + of his present Calamity, and he will appear unsullied in either; + nor will that appear so black, if Murder in any Case may be + extenuated; when we consider the Evidences who cast him; three + Women, my Lord, who have since contradicted what before they had + sworn; the other Evidence, a Man, by Report of no amiable + Character; but who are said to have most grosly misrepresented the + Fact, and to have industriously spread that Misrepresentation: But + my Intention is not to prove innocent whom the Law has found + guilty; but to submit the two distressful Gentlemen, who now lie + under Sentence of Death, as Objects of the Royal Mercy. When the + Law has found guilty one or more Persons, whom it is consistent + with Virtue and Wisdom to save, it is the blessed Privilege of the + Sovereign to turn the Course of the Law, and bid the afflicted + live. The Reputations of Mr. _Savage_ and Mr. _Gregory_ have been + always clear; nor are they in any Action of their Lives to be + lamented by their Friends but on this melancholly Occasion. The + first I have known and conversed with several Years, and can + therefore more fully speak him: I have discovered in him a Mind + uncapable of Evil; I have beheld him sigh for the distressed, when + more distressed himself; I have seen him give that Relief to + others, which not long before he has in some degree wanted. He is + so far from a litigious Man, that he was always more ready to + stifle the Remembrance of an Injury than to resent it. Much more + could I say of his virtuous Qualities, without swerving the least + from Truth; but as his Friends, which are many, are as sensible of + them as my self, I doubt not but they will be as ready to declare + them as I am, who can make the most solemn Appeal to Heaven, that I + have seen repeated Instances of every one of these Virtues, and + more. In his Death, I am certain, the King would lose a good + Subject; all good Men, a Friend; and Vice, an Enemy. To enforce + what I have said, I must beg Leave to use some of Mr. _Savage's_ + own Expressions in his Address to the Court, when he received his + Sentence: _I am perswaded that, as mere_ Men, _and out of the Seat + of Justice, the Court is susceptible of the tender Passions, and + too humane not to commiserate the unhappy Situation of him and his + Fellow-sufferer_ Mr. Gregory; _and to distinguish between Offences + which arise out of premeditation and a Disposition habituated to + Vice or Immorality, and Transgressions which are the unhappy and + unforeseen Effects of a casual Absence of Reason, and a sudden + Impulse of passion. I hope the Court will contribute to an + Extension of that mercy which the Jury had shewed to_ Mr. Merchant, + _who had, according to the Evidence, led them into this Calamity._ + To this Effect, and in almost the same Words, spoke Mr. _Savage_. I + am satisfied, your Lordship sees the Force of Reason in his Words; + and nothing can add more to this Gentleman's Character, or shew the + Goodness of his Disposition, than when he declared, that _nothing + could more soften his Grief than to be without any Companion in so + great a misfortune_. Here I cannot help reviving the Memory of his + past Misfortunes: Wretched from the Womb, robbed of two Fathers, + and who never yet was blessed with the Smiles of a Parent! Who that + is born of a Woman can reflect on his Fate, and refuse a Tear? I + dare venture to say, that your Lordship, and all virtuous disposed + Souls, would rejoice to see his past miseries recompensed with his + Life, which is now in the Hands of the King: And happy for him, and + his Fellow-sufferer, that Mercy sits in Person on the Throne of + _Great-Britain_! Since it is plain, the Publick may be a Loser by + the Death of these Gentlemen, and none but the Grave can be a + Gainer, there is great Reason to hope for a Pardon, or an extensive + Reprieve. Once more, my Lord, let me repeat my Intreaty for your + Intercession for him; restore him once more to Life and Freedom; + rejoice his Friends, and preserve the Publick a useful Member; and + forgive, my Lord, the Importunity of + + _Your most obliged,_ + + _and most obedient_ + + _humble Servant._ + + Dec. 13. 1727. + + +_FINIS._ + + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +The transcriber made these changes to the text to correct obvious +errors: + + 1. p. 8 by Candle-light. --> by Candle-light." + 2. p. 12 Mr Savage --> Mr. Savage + 3. p. 18 Honouroble --> Honourable + 4. p. 19 Humanity of my Mother! --> Humanity of my Mother!" + + * * * * * + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Life of Mr. Richard Savage, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE OF MR. 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