lost among the innumerable pamphlets to which that dispute gave
occasion. Mr. Savage was himself in a little time ashamed of it,
and endeavoured to suppress it, by destroying all the copies that he
could collect. He then attempted a more gainful kind of writing,
and in his eighteenth year offered to the stage a comedy borrowed
from a Spanish plot, which was refused by the players, and was
therefore given by him to Mr. Bullock, who, having more interest,
made some slight alterations, and brought it upon the stage, under
the title of Woman's a Riddle, but allowed the unhappy author no
part of the profit.

Not discouraged, however, at his repulse, he wrote two years
afterwards Love in a Veil, another comedy, borrowed likewise from
the Spanish, but with little better success than before; for though
it was received and acted, yet it appeared so late in the year, that
the author obtained no other advantage from it than the acquaintance
of Sir Richard Steele and Mr. Wilks, by whom he was pitied,
caressed, and relieved.

Sir Richard Steele, having declared in his favour with all the
ardour of benevolence which constituted his character, promoted his
interest with the utmost zeal, related his misfortunes, applauded
his merit, took all the opportunities of recommending him, and
asserted that "the inhumanity of his mother had given him a right to
find every good man his father." Nor was Mr. Savage admitted to his
acquaintance only, but to his confidence, of which he sometimes
related an instance too extraordinary to be omitted, as it affords a
very just idea of his patron's character. He was once desired by
Sir Richard, with an air of the utmost importance, to come very
early to his house the next morning. Mr. Savage came as he had