Being thus abandoned on all Sides to the Frowns of Fortune and a capricious World, without any other Friend but his own _Genius_ to support him, he threw himself upon the barren and unthriving Province of _Poetry_, a Science how ornamental a Flower soever it may be among the Qualifications of Men of Ease and Fortune, when display'd only for the Amusement of a leisure Hour, yet too frequently held in Contempt, when made the whole Business of a Man's Life, and set to Sale for Bread; and more especially from the Taste of the present Age, in which the Figure and Condition of the Author takes up a greater Share of the Reader's Enquiry, than his Parts or the Matter he writes upon. Had the unfortunate Gentleman I am speaking of, been invested with either of his Father's Titles or Estates, I question not but we should have almost lost the Nobleman in the Honours paid to the _Poet_: But few modern Authors I fear, who launch into the World, unaided by such Advantages, will, like _Virgil_, when living, have the same Respect paid to them that was due to an Emperor, or like _Homer_, have Temples rais'd to their Memories when dead. The first _Poem_ Mr. _Savage_ published, was whilst he was very young, concerning the _Bangorian Controversy_; although there were some pretty Lines in it, yet as his Judgment ripened, he grew himself ashamed of this Piece, and contributed all he could to suppress the Edition, so that, it having but an indifferent Sale, very few of them are in any body's Hands at present. His next Performance was a _Comedy_, wrote at the Age of Eighteen, which he offered to the Managers of _Lincoln's-Inn-Fields_ House, but, they not entirely approving it, he could not get it acted immediately, but not long after, it was altered by Mr. _Christopher Bullock_, one of the Managers, and brought upon the Stage as his own, under the Title of WOMAN'S A RIDDLE, without any Manner of Benefit or Advantage to the distressed _Author_: This Play was represented with some Applause in the Year 1716, the Plot is taken from a _Spanish_ Play called, _La Dama Duende_, and was Dedicated to the then Marquis of _Wharton_.