Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/132

122 were to go, Savage could not conjecture, and was not willing to inquire, but immediately ſeated himſelf with Sir Richard: The coachman was ordered to drive, and they hurried with the utmoſt expedition to Hyde-Park Corner, where they ſtopped at a petty tavern, and retired to a private room. Sir Richard then informed him, that he intended to publiſh a pamphlet, and that he deſired him to come thither, that he might write for him. They ſoon ſat down to the work, Sir Richard dictated, and Savage wrote, till the dinner which had been ordered, was put upon the table. Savage was ſurpriſed at the meanneſs of the entertainment, and after ſome heſitation, ventured to aſk for wine, which Sir Richard, not without reluctance ordered to be brought. They then finiſhed their dinner, and proceeded in their pamphlet, which they concluded in the afternoon. Mr. Savage then imagined his taſk over, and expected that Sir Richard would call for the reckoning and return home; but his expectations deceived him, for Sir Richard told him he was without money and that the pamphlet muſt be ſold before the dinner could be paid for; and Savage was therefore obliged to go and offer their new production to ſale for two guineas, which with ſome difficulty he obtained. Sir Richard then returned home, having retired that day only to avoid his creditors, and compoſed the pamphlet only to diſcharge his reckoning.’ As Savage has ſaid nothing to the contrary, it is reaſonable to conjecture that he had Sir Richard’s permiſſion to uſe his name to the Bookſeller, to whom he made an offer of it for two guineas, otherwiſe it is very improbable that the pamphlet ſhould be ſold at all in ſo ſhort a time.

The other inſtance is equally uncommon with the former; Sir