Johnson on Savage: The Life of Mr Richard Savage by Samuel Johnson. Samuel Johnson

‘convincing Original Letters’ apparently proving his true birthright as Richard Savage 1716 Savage begins to haunt the street outside Lady Macclesfield’s house 1718 Savage is befriended by Sir Richard Steele, and the Drury Lane actors Robert Wilks and Anne Oldfield. 1720 Savage receives a £50 pension from Ann Oldfield until her death 1723 Savage’s play Sir Thomas Overbury fails at Drury Lane 1724 Aaron Hill begins campaign on behalf of Savage in the Plain Dealer, and publishes ‘Lament’ 1726 Savage publishes Miscellaneous Poems, with Preface violently attacking Lady Macclesfield 1727 (December) Trial of Savage, and conviction for murder Publication of the anonymous pamphlet The Life of Mr Richard Savage, Who was Convicted of Murder at the Old Bailey 1728 Savage receives Royal PardonSavage publishes The Bastard’ against LadyMacclesfield, which runs to five editionsSavage receives £200 pension from her nephew, Lord TyrconnelSavage’s ‘Golden period beginsJohnson goes to Oxford University 1729 Savage publishes The Wanderer, dedicated to Lord Tyrconnel 1732 Savage appoints himself Volunteer Laureate to Queen Caroline, and receives £50 pension 1733 Savage begins publishing poetry in the Gentleman’s Magazine 1735 Savage quarrels with Lord Tyrconnel, ‘Right Honourable Brute and Booby’ (Savage), and loses £200 pension 1736 Savage publishes Of Public Spirit in Regard to Public Works, dedicated to Frederick, Prince of Wales. 1737 (March) Johnson comes to LondonSavage reprints The Bastard’ in the Gentleman’s Magazine Savage meets Johnson at offices of The Gentleman’s Magazine (November) Death of Queen Caroline and loss of Savage’s £50 pension Savage reduced to penury 1738 Savage and Johnson begin to share night walks round London(April) Johnson publishes Latin epigram in praise of Savage(May) Johnson publishes poem London, partly based on Savage’s experiences as ‘Thales’ 1739 Pope launches subscription scheme to support Savage in Wales with £50 pension(July) Savage leaves for Bristol, parting from Johnson ‘with Tears in his Eyes’. 1740 Savage in Wales 1743 (January) Savage arrested for debt in Bristol(1 August) Death of Richard Savage in Newgate Gaol, Bristol 1744 (February) Johnson publishes An Account of the Life of Mr Richard Savage, Son of the Earl Rivers 1748 Johnson publishes a second, corrected edition of the Life 1750 Johnson publishes ‘On Biography’ (Rambler No. 60) 1753 Death of Lady Macclesfield (Mrs Ann Brett) 1759 Johnson publishes ‘On Autobiography’ (Idler No. 84) 1760 Johnson publishes ‘On Literary Biography’ (Idler No. 102) 1763 (May) Johnson meets James Boswell 1775 Publication of The Works of Richard Savage Esq., with A Life by Samuel Johnson, 2 vols. 1781 Life of Mr Richard Savage incorporated into The Lives 1784 Death of Samuel Johnson 1791 Boswell publishes The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF MR. RICHARD SAVAGE, SON OF THE EARL RIVERS

      It has been observed in all ages that the advantages of nature or of fortune have contributed very little to the promotion of happiness; and that those whom the splendour of their rank, or the extent of their capacity have placed upon the summits of human life, have not often given any just occasion to envy, in those who look up to them from a lower station: whether it be that apparent superiority incites great designs, and great designs are naturally liable to fatal miscarriages; or, that the general lot of mankind is misery, and the misfortunes of those whose eminence drew upon them an universal attention, have been more carefully recorded, because they were more generally observed, and have in reality been only more conspicuous than those of others, not more frequent or more severe.

      That affluence and power, advantages extrinsick and adventitious, and therefore easily separable from those by whom they are possessed, should very often flatter the mind with expectations of felicity which they cannot give, raises no astonishment; but it seems rational to hope, that intellectual greatness should produce better effects; that minds qualified for great attainments should first endeavour their own benefit; and that they, who are most able to teach others the way to happiness, should with most certainty follow it themselves.

      But this expectation, however plausible, has been very frequently disappointed. The heroes of literary as well as civil history, have been very often no less remarkable for what they have suffered, than for what they have achieved; and volumes have been written only to enumerate the miseries of the learned, and relate their unhappy lives and untimely deaths.

      To these mournful narratives, I am about to add the life of Richard Savage, a man whose writings entitle him to an eminent rank in the classes of learning, and whose misfortunes claim a degree of compassion, not always due to the unhappy, as they were often the consequences of the crimes of others, rather than his own.

      In the year 1697, Anne, countess of Macclesfield, having lived for some time upon very uneasy terms with her husband, thought a publick confession of adultery the most obvious and expeditious method of obtaining her liberty, and therefore declared that the child, with which she was then great, was begotten by the Earl Rivers. This, as may be imagined, made her husband no less desirous of a separation than herself, and he prosecuted his design in the most effectual manner; for he applied not to the ecclesiastical courts for a divorce, but to the Parliament for an act, by which his marriage might be dissolved, the nuptial contract totally annulled, and the children of his wife illegitimated. This act, after the usual deliberation, he obtained, though without the approbation of some, who considered marriage as an affair only cognizable by ecclesiastical judges; and on March 3rd was separated from his wife, whose fortune, which was very great, was repaid her, and who having as well as her husband the liberty of making another choice was in a short time married to colonel Brett.

      While the Earl of Macclesfield was prosecuting this affair his wife was on the 10th of January 1697–8 delivered of a son; and the Earl Rivers, by appearing to consider him as his own, left none any reason to doubt of the sincerity of her declaration; for he was his godfather and gave him his own name which was, by his direction, inserted in the register of St Andrew’s parish in Holborn