Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-09-02
Miscellany.
Richard Savage.

This celebrated, but unfortunate
English poet, was the natural son of
the Countess of Macclesfield, by the
Earl of Rivers; and might have been
considered as the lawful issue of the
Earl of Macclesfield, had not his moth
er, in order to procure a divorce from
her husband, made a public confession
of the adultery, This confession she
made on the day of his birth, January
16. 1857. She then resolved totally to
discard the fruit of her illicit love, and
committed him to the care of n poor
woman to educate as her own, with the
injunction never TO inform him of his
birth. She also prevented the Earl of
Rivers from leaving him legacy of
$1,000 by falsely informing him that
the child was dead. She endeavored
to get him secretly conveyed TO this
country, but not succeeding in that
project, he was, at a proper age, ap-
prentlced to shoemaker in HolbOrn;
but how long he continued in this stu
alton does not appear. His nurse dy-
ing about this time, he searched among
her papers and effects, ,suppoSingh lac had
a right so to do; and found some letters
which informed him of his birth, and
the reason for which ii was concealed
He then tried, but IN vain, to rouse the
feelings of his mother; and being re-
duced to penury, lie commenced writer
for the stage. In 1928, he brought a
tragedy on the stage, in which he per
formed part himself. 1t was entitled
Sir Thomas OverbuTy.' Whilst he
was employed in the composition of
this piece, he frequently wanted food.
and all the necesSaries of life; nor had
he any other conyeniences for study
than the fields or streets. The profits
of this performance amounted to abOut
E2O0. And ii was sowell received that
II procured him the notice and esteem
OF several persons of distinction; some
rays of genius glimmeTing through the
all the clouds of poverty and oppres-
sion. But when the world was begin
ming TO behold him with more favor
able eye, a misfortune befel him, in
which his life, as well as his reputa-
tlon, was in danger. In night ramble
he went into coffee house of i'll fame
near Charing Cross, when a quarrel
happened, and a Mr.. Sinclair was
killed in the fray. Savage was taken
into custody, tried for murder, and
capltaIly convicted of the offence. His
mother was so Inhuman, at this Juno
ture, TO step forward and prejudice the
the hopes he had of life from the royal
mercy; but the Countess of Hertford
very compassionately related to her
majesty the extraordinary story and
sutferings of poor Savage, and obtained
a pardon for him. After this, he was
taken into the family of Lord TyTcOn-
mel, treated as his equal, and allowed
pension OF t2OO year. About this
time he published the "Wanderer." a
moral poem, which was approved by
Pope, and which the author himself
considered as his masterpiece. Ii was
addressed to the Earl of Tyrconnel.
with the highest strains of panegyric.
But In short time he found himself
inclined to retract these praises. beng
discarded by that nobleman on account
of his imprudent and licentiOus be-
haviour. He now thought himself
again at liberty to expose the inhuman-
ity of his mother, and accordingly pub
hshed The Bastard a poem. The sale
of this poem was extraordinary; and
its appearance happening at a time
when the Countess was at Bath, many
persons, In her hearing, took frequent
opportunities of repeating passages
from 1t, which obliged her Immediately
to quit the place. Soon after this cir
cumstance his poverty was very great.
Queen Caroline settled on him n pen
sion of 80 a year, which ceasing at
her death, his friends exerted them
selves in his behalf, and sent him into
Wales, with an intention of allowing
him salary sufficient for his mainte-
nance. There he wrote tragedy. and
set out for London to get it performed;
but stopping at Bristol on his way, he
contracted debt, and was thrown into
prison, where he died in 1143. The best
of his poems is The Bastard