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Savage 'Gentleman's Magazine' as early as February 1737. But, although he repeatedly printed advertisements of his design, it was not carried out.

In 1739 a vain effort was made by Pope to reconcile him to Lord Tyrconnel. Shortly afterwards Savage promised to retire to Swansea, and to live there on a pension of 50l. a year, to be raised in London by subscription. Pope contributed 20l. In July Savage left London, after taking leave of Johnson, with tears in his eyes. He carried a sum of money deemed sufficient for the journey and the first months of his stay. But in fourteen days a message arrived that he was penniless and still on the road. A remittance was forwarded. He lingered at Bristol, and alienated most of his friends in London by petulant letters. When he finally reached Swansea he found the contributions raised in London supplied little more than 20l. a year. Twelve months sufficed to weary Savage of Swansea, and he returned to Bristol with a revised version of his tragedy, 'Sir Thomas Overbury,' intending to raise funds there to enable him to proceed to London. But, tempted by the hospitality offered him in Bristol, he put off his departure until, on 10 Jan. 1743, having exhausted the hospitality of the inhabitants, he was arrested for debt, and confined in the city Newgate. Beau Nash sent him 5l. from Bath; but otherwise he received little assistance. To avenge this neglect he composed a satire entitled 'London and Bristol Delineated,' which was published in 1744 after his death. While he was still in prison, Henley published certain insinuations concerning 'Pope's treatment of Savage.' Pope charged Savage with slandering him to Henley. Savage, in reply, solemnly protested his innocence, but he was agitated by the accusation; his health was infirm, and he developed a fever, of which he died on 1 Aug. 1743. He was buried on the following day in the churchyard of St. Peter's, Bristol. The position of his grave is uncertain, but a tablet has been erected to him in the south wall of the church ( and Bristol, Past and Present, iii. 188; Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. iv. 286).

No portrait of Savage exists. Johnson describes him as 'of middle stature, of a thin habit of body, a long visage, coarse features, and melancholy aspect; of a grave and manly deportment, a solemn dignity of mien,which on a nearer acquaintance softened into an engaging easiness of manners. His walk was slow and his voice tremulous and mournful; he was easily excited to smiles, but very seldom provoked to laughter.' Savage was a brilliant conversationalist, and, like Johnson, was always eager for society. In later life he was a freemason, and acted as master on 7 Sept. 1737 at the Old Man's Tavern, Charing Cross, when James Thomson, the author of 'The Seasons,' was admitted a mason (Bodl. MSS. Rawl. C. 136).

As an author Savage was unequal. 'The Bastard' is a poem of considerable merit, and 'The Wanderer' contains passages of poetic power. His satires are vigorous, though extremely bitter. But most of his pieces are mere hack-work written to supply the exigencies of the moment. Besides the works mentioned, he was the author of: 1. 'A Poem on the Memory of George F,' Dublin, 1727, 8vo. 2. 'Verses occasioned by Lady Tyrconnel's Recovery from the Smallpox at Bath,' London, 1730, fol. 3. 'On the Departure of the Prince and Princess of Orange,' London, 1734, fol. 4. 'A Poem on the Birthday of the Prince of Wales,' London, 1735, fol., besides many minor pieces published in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' and other periodicals. His principal poems were published collectively in 1761 under title 'Various Poems,' London, 8vo; but a complete edition of his works was not issued until 1775, London, 2 vols. 8vo. The 'Memoirs of Theophilus Keene' (London, 1718, 8vo) are also attributed to him (, Theatrical Literature, p. 291).

[Boswell's Life of Johnson, ed. Hill, 1887, i. 161-74; Johnson's Lives of the English Poets, ed. Cunningham, 1851, ii. 341-444; Wheatley and Cunningham's London, passim (esp. ii. 75, where is a summary of Moy Thomas's conclusions); Aitken's Life of Steele, ii. 204-6; Griffiths's Chronicles of Newgate, p. 212; Dasent's Hist. of St. James's Square; Baker's Biogr. Dramatica, i. 625-35; Chambers's Biogr. Dict.; Elwin's Introduction to Pope's Works; Ruffhead's Life of Pope, passim; Fitzgerald's English Stage, ii. 16-22; Waller's Imperial Dict. of Biography; Gait's Lives of the Players, pp. 93-120; Spence's Anecdotes, 1858, p. 270; Richard Savage, a novel by Charles Whitehead, 1842, preface.]

 SAVAGE, ROLAND (d. 1519), soldier, was lord of Lecale, co. Down, and a member of the ancient family of Savages of the Ards. His ancestor, Sir William, accompanied De Courcy to Ireland at the close of 1176, and settled at Ardkeen in the Ards, co. Down, holding his lands by baronial tenure.

Sir Roland was seneschal of Ulster on 2 Aug. 1482 (Cal. Rot. Pat. i. 270 b). He has been identified with Janico or Jenkin Savage, also seneschal of Ulster, whose name Janico was perhaps a sobriquet. The latter