nners of a
gentleman in days when there were still gentlemen of fashion who drank,
lied, and swaggered into midnight brawls. I have no doubt whatever that
he was the son of the nurse with whom the Countess of Macclesfield had
placed a child that died, and that after his mother's death he found the
papers upon which he built his plot to personate the child, extort money
from the Countess and her family, and bring himself into a profitable
notoriety.

Johnson's simple truthfulness and ready sympathy made it hard for him to
doubt the story told as Savage told it to him. But when he told it again
himself, though he denounced one whom he believed to be an unnatural
mother, and dealt gently with his friend, he did not translate evil into
good. Through all the generous and kindly narrative we may see clearly
that Savage was an impostor. There is the heart of Johnson in the noble
appeal against judgment of the self-righteous who have never known the
harder trials of the world, when he says of Savage, "Those are no proper
judges of his conduct, who have slumbered away their time on the down
of plenty; nor will any wise man easily presume to say, 'Had I been in
Savage's condition, I should have lived or written better than Savage.'"
But Johnson, who made large allowance for temptations pressing on the
poor, himself suffered and overcame the hardest trials, firm always to
his duty, true servant of God and friend of man.

Richard Savage's whole public life was built upon a lie. His base nature
foiled any attempt made to befriend him; and the friends he lost, he
slandered; Richard Steele among them. Samuel Johnson was a friend easy
to make, and difficult to lose. There was no money to be got from him,
for he was altogether poor in everything but the large spirit of human
kindness. Savage drew largely on him for sympathy, and had it; although
Johnson was too clear-sighted to be much deceived except in judgment
upon the fraudulent claims which then gave rise to division of opinion.
The Life of Savage is a noble piece of truth, although it rests on faith
put in a fraud.

H. M.

ADDISON.

Joseph Addison was born on the 1st of May, 1672, at Milston, of which
his father, Lancelot Addison, was then rector, near Ambrosebury, in
Wiltshire, and, appearing weak and unlikely to live, he was christened
the same day. After the usual domestic education, which from the
character of his father may be reasonably supposed to have given h