Of Thoughts as narrow as of Words immenfe ;
As full of Turbulence as void of Senfe:
Thee, thee what fenatorial Souls adorn?
Thy Natives fure wou'd prove a Senate's Scorn.
Do Strangers deign to ferve thee? What their Praise?
Their gen'rous Services thy Murmurs raise.
What Fiend malign, that o'er thy Air prefides,
Around from Breast to Breaft inherent glides,
And, as he glides, there fcatters in a Trice
The lurking Seeds of ev'ry rank Device ?
Let foreign Youths to thy Indentures run!
Each, each will prove, in thy adopted Son,
Proud, pert and dull-Tho' brilliant once from Schools,
Will fcorn all Learning's as all Virtue's Rules;
And, tho' by Nature friendly, honest, brave,
Turn a fly, selfish, fimp'ring, fharping Knave.
Boaft petty Courts, where 'ftead of fluent Ease;
Of cited Precedents and learned Pleas;
'Stead of fage Council in the dubious Cause,
Attornies chatt'ring wild, burlesque the Laws.
So fhameless Quacks, who Doctor's Rights invade,
Of Jargon and of Poifon form a Trade.

So canting Coblers, while from Tubs they teach,
Buffoon the Gospel they pretend to preach.
Boaft petty Courts, whence Rules new Rigour draw ;
Unknown to Nature's and to Statute Law;
Quirks that explain all faving Rights away,
To give the Attorney and the Catch-poll Prey.
Is there where Law too rig'rous may defcend?
Or Charity her kindly Hand extend?

Thy Courts that shut, when Pity wou'd redress,
Spontaneous open to inflict Diftrefs.

Try Misdemeanours !-All thy Wiles employ,
Not to chaftife the Offender but destroy;
Bid the large lawless Fine his Fate foretel;
Bid it beyond his Crime and Fortune (well.

Cut.

Cut off from Service due to kindred Blood
To private Welfare and to publick Good,
Pitied by all, but thee, he sentenc'd lies ;
Imprifon'd languishes, imprison'd dies,

*

*

Boaft fwarming Veffels, whofe Plæbean State
Owes not to Merchants but Mechanicks Freight.
Boaft nought but Pedlar Fleets-In War's Alarms,
Unknown to Glory, as unknown to Arms.
Boaft thy base * Tolfey, and thy Turn-fpit Dogs
Thy + Hallier's Horfes and thy human Hogs;
Upftarts and Mushrooms, proud, relentless Hearts;
Thou Blank of Sciences! Thou Dearth of Arts!
Such Foes as Learning once was doom'd to fee;
Huns, Goths, and Vandals were but Types of Thee.
Proceed, great Bristol, in all-righteous Ways,
And let one Juftice heighten yet thy Praife;
Still fpare the Catamite, and fwinge the Whore,
And be, whate'er Gomorrah was before.

When he had brought this Poem to its present State, which, without confidering the Chafm, is not perfect, he wrote to London an Account of his Defign, and informed his Friend, that he was determined to print it with his Name; but enjoined him hot to communicate his Intention to his Bristol Acquaintance. The Gentleman furpriz'd at his Refolution, endeavoured to diffuade him from publishing VOL. II. X it,

A Place where the Merchants used to meet to transact their Affairs before the Exchange was erected.

+ Halliers are the Perfons who drive er own the Sledgas, which are used here instead of Carts.

it, at least, from prefixing his Name, and declar'd, that he could not reconcile the Injunction of Secrefy with his Refolution to own it at its firft Appearance. To this Mr. Savage returned an Answer agreeable to his Character in the following Terms.

"I received yours this Morning and not without "a little Surprize at the Contents. To answer a "Question with a Queftion, you ask me concerning "London and Bristol, Why will I add delineated ? "Why did Mr. Woolafton add that Word to his Re"ligion of Nature? I fuppofe that it was his Will "and Pleafure to add it in his Cafe; and it is mine

4

M

"to do fo in my own. You are pleased to tell me, "that you understand not, why Secrefy is enjoin'd, " and yet I intend to fet my Name to it. My An“fwer is—I have my private Reasons; which I am "not obliged to explain to any one. You doubt, << my Friend Mr. S would not approve of it. "And what is it to me whether he does or not? "Do you imagine, that Mr. S is to dictate to "me? If any Man who calls himself my Friend, "fhould affume fuch an Air, I would fpurn at his "Friendfhip with Contempt. You fay, I feem to

think fo by not letting him know it--And fuppofe "I do, what then? Perhaps I can give Reasons for

that Disapprobation, very foreign from what you would imagine. You go on in faying, fuppofe, "Ifhould not put my Name to it My Anfwer is, 5 that I will not suppose any fuch Thing, being de“termined to the contrary; neither, Sir, would I

have you fuppofe, that I applied to you for Want "of another Prefs: Nor would I have you imagine, that Lowe Mr. S Obligations which I do

not.""

Such was his Imprudence and fuch his obftinate Adherence to his own Refolutions, however abfurd.

A

A Prisoner! supported by Charity! and whatever Infults he might have received during the latter Part of his Stay in Bristol, once careffed, efteemed, and presented with a liberal Collection, he could forget on a fudden his Danger, and his Obligations, to gratify the Petulance of his Wit, or the Eagernefs of his Refentment, and publish a Satire by which he might reasonably expect, that he fhould alienate those who then supported him, and provoke those whom he could neither refift nor escape.

This Refolution, from the Execution of which, it is probable, that only his Death could have hindered him, is fufficient to fhew, how much he difregarded all Confiderations that opposed his present Paffions, and how readily he hazarded all future Advantages for any immediate Gratifications. Whatever was his predominant Inclination, neither Hope nor Fear hinder'd him from complying with it, nor had Oppofition any other Effect than to heighten his Ardour and irritate his Vehemence.

This Performance was however laid afide, while he was employed in foliciting Affiftance from several' great Perfons, and one Interruption fucceeding another hindered him from fupplying the Chafm, and perhaps from retouching the other Parts, which he can hardly be imagined to have finifhed, in his own Opinion; for it is very unequal, and some of the Lines are rather inserted to thime to others than to support or improve the Sense.

He had now quite ceas'd from correfponding with any of his Subfcribers except Mr. Pope, and feldom with him, tho' he continued to remit him the twenty Pounds a Year he had promised him, and by whom it was expected, that he would have been in a very fhort Time enlarged, because he had directed the Keeper to enquire after the State of his Debts.

X 2

When

When he had been fix Months in Prison, he receiv'd a Letter from Mr. Pepe, who had heard fomething of him, as to the Freedom of his Speech concerning his Subfcribers, and fomething particularly regarding himself, which, if true, was totally unbecoming the Mouth of Mr. Savage; this Letter contained a Charge of a very atrocious Ingratitude, and was drawn up in Terms, that fhew'd it was dictated by the ftrong Refentment of Mr. Pope, and in his most unforgiving Way. Mr. Savage in Return fent a very folemn Proteftation of his Innocence, declaring it impoffible for him to have been guilty, and at the fame Time confeffing himself much hurt and difturb'd by the Accufation, and fo he really was: For before any Reply could come to his humble Letter, wherein he fo earnestly begg'd Mr. Pope to believe him innocent of the Crime he ftood charg'd with: ftill appearing more and more concern'd, he was feiz'd with a Pain in his Back and Side, not very violent but conftant, and growing every Day more languid. and dejected, he took to his Room, where he confin'd himself, and where the bad Symptoms grew every Day more formidable, and his Condition did not enable him to procure any the least Affistance: After fix Days he was found dead in the Morning of the first of Auguft, and was buried in the Church Yard of St. Peter, at the Expence of the Keeper.

If he had liv'd a little longer, Mr. Pope intended to have fet him at Liberty, and was laying a Scheme (for he feem'd willing to believe his Proteftations) to provide for him in a Way which would not have been difpleafing to him; he had been like a Rentcharge to Mr. Pope for feveral Years, to which he was induc'd by nothing but Compaffion. As for Mr. Savage's Mother, when the News of his Death reach'd her Ear, the exprefs'd fuch cruel Joy, and

spoke