ing her life
regularly paid. That this act of generosity may receive its due praise,
and that the good actions of Mrs. Oldfield may not be sullied by
her general character, it is proper to mention that Mr. Savage often
declared, in the strongest terms, that he never saw her alone, or in any
other place than behind the scenes.

At her death he endeavoured to show his gratitude in the most decent
manner, by wearing mourning as for a mother; but did not celebrate her
in elegies, because he knew that too great a profusion of praise would
only have revived those faults which his natural equity did not allow
him to think less because they were committed by one who favoured him;
but of which, though his virtue would not endeavour to palliate them,
his gratitude would not suffer him to prolong the memory or diffuse the
censure.

In his "Wanderer" he has indeed taken an opportunity of mentioning her;
but celebrates her not for her virtue, but her beauty, an excellence
which none ever denied her: this is the only encomium with which he has
rewarded her liberality, and perhaps he has even in this been too
lavish of his praise. He seems to have thought that never to mention
his benefactress would have an appearance of ingratitude, though to
have dedicated any particular performance to her memory would have
only betrayed an officious partiality, and that without exalting
her character would have depressed his own. He had sometimes, by the
kindness of Mr. Wilks, the advantage of a benefit, on which occasions
he often received uncommon marks of regard and compassion; and was
once told by the Duke of Dorset that it was just to consider him as an
injured nobleman, and that in his opinion the nobility ought to think
themselves obliged, without solicitation, to take every opportunity of
supporting him by their countenance and patronage. But he had generally
the mortification to hear that the whole interest of his mother was
employed to frustrate his applications, and that she never left any
expedient untried by which he might be cut off from the possibility of
supporting life. The same disposition she endeavoured to diffuse among
all those over whom nature or fortune gave her any influence, and indeed
succeeded too well in her design; but could not always propagate her
effrontery with her cruelty; for some of those whom she incited against
him were ashamed of their own conduct, and boasted of that relief which
they never gave him. In th