onduct; but fled from reproach, though she felt no pain from guilt,
and left Bath with the utmost haste, to shelter herself among the crowds
of London.

Thus Savage had the satisfaction of finding, that, though he could not
reform his mother, he could punish her, and that he did not always
suffer alone.

The pleasure which he received from this increase of his poetical
reputation, was sufficient, for some time, to overbalance the miseries
of want, which this performance did not much alleviate; for it was sold
for a very trivial sum to a bookseller, who, though the success was so
uncommon that five impressions were sold, of which many were,
undoubtedly, very numerous, had not generosity sufficient to admit the
unhappy writer to any part of the profit.

The sale of this poem was always mentioned by Savage with the utmost
elevation of heart, and referred to by him as an incontestable proof of
a general acknowledgment of his abilities. It was, indeed, the only
production of which he could justly boast a general reception.

But though he did not lose the opportunity which success gave him, of
setting a high rate on his abilities, but paid due deference to the
suffrages of mankind when they were given in his favour, he did not
suffer his esteem of himself to depend upon others, nor found any thing
sacred in the voice of the people, when they were inclined to censure
him; he then readily showed the folly of expecting that the publick
should judge right, observed how slowly poetical merit had often forced
its way into the world; he contented himself with the applause of men of
judgment, and was somewhat disposed to exclude all those from the
character of men of judgment who did not applaud him.

But he was at other times more favourable to mankind than to think them
blind to the beauties of his works, and imputed the slowness of their
sale to other causes; either they were published at a time when the town
was empty, or when the attention of the publick was engrossed by some
struggle in the parliament, or some other object of general concern; or
they were, by the neglect of the publisher, not diligently dispersed, or
by his avarice not advertised with sufficient frequency. Address, or
industry, or liberality, was always wanting; and the blame was laid
rather on any person than the author.

By arts like these, arts which every man practises in some degree, and
to which too much of the little tranquillity of life is to be a