CHAPTER LIX 1742 Relations with the Duchess of MarlboroughThe End of Savage-Proposal for the New Edition of "The Dunciad"-Visit to the Allens POPE OPE had intended to take his annual flight to Bath at the end of August, but his departure was postponed for a reason which, as he told Allen, Mr. Hooke could furnish. This reason was to be found in the exigent demands of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, who had laid violent hands upon the poet. Pope's friend, Hooke, had been recommended by Lord Chesterfield to the duchess when she was about to write her "Account" of her conduct which was published this year. The duchess is said to have offered Pope a considerable sum to write a laudatory Character of the late duke, but he probably thought that he had done enough in suppressing the satirical Character written for the Essay on Man.” 2 It is clear, from Pope's 1 "Account of the Conduct of the Dowager Duchess of Marlborough, from her first coming to Court to 1710." * The lines beginning In hearts of kings or arms of queens who lay, This Character formed a cancelled page of the "Essay on Man" in the quarto edition of Pope's works (1735). correspondence, that he accepted one or more of the favours that she tried to shower upon him at this time.1 The duchess was Ranger of Windsor Park, and she desired that Pope should spend a part of the summer with her and Mr. Hooke at Windsor Lodge. On July 19 he excuses himself to Allen for postponing his promised visit, explaining: "I can't deny what is so much at the heart of the old lady, who has made my friend's fortune; and she goes not into the country till the 9th or 10th at soonest of August." On August 10 he writes again : "I am going to the lady, Mr. Hooke with me, for the first time in the country, but not to stay above three or four days, and I hope to make no other than such short excursions; nor to lend myself, much less sell myself on any consideration, to any dependency half so strong as the tie of our friendship obliges me in to you and a very few others." 2 The next letter to Allen, which is undated, was written from the Ranger's Lodge : "I am now engaged in Windsor Forest unavoidably for some time to come. . . . Savage plagues me with his misunderstandings and miseries together In a letter to Marchmont (March 3, 1742) the duchess says: "If you talk to Mr. Pope of me, endeavour to keep him my friend, for I do firmly believe the immortality of the soul as much as he does, though I am not learned enough to have found out what it is." • Evidently Allen had heard something of the duchess's generous intentions towards Pope, and had warned him against accepting any substantial favours at her hands. (or I should not take so much regard to the former) and I must send him an answer. You see it enclosed, and I beg you to add and put into it an order for five guineas to be paid him by the postmaster at Bristol. I must further desire you to inquire whether he be in any particular misfortune or in prison? for such a report I have heard, though he says not a word like it, only requires me to send him a remittance to enable him to pay his journey to London, declaring his absolute resolution to stay no longer in the country. I can really assist him no further, nor will it be in that case to any purpose. "1 at Not till September 23 was Pope back Twickenham, and preparing for his journey to Widcombe, where Warburton was to be his fellowguest. "I have been so detained," he writes, "where I could not, without an imputation of ingratitude, refuse to pass some time, that it was past my power to avail myself of Lord Chesterfield's offer of carrying me half-way to you. The lady flamed upon it, and would hear of no such thing: her coach should carry me any whither, but I must be left with her by that lord. So I am, and not well into the bargain, nor have been fit to be from home, tho' indeed it is impossible to be better attended or kinder treated." 2 The allusion to Savage proves that Pope's long patience with his protégé was nearly at an end. The exile had spent about a year at Swansea, where he had finished his tragedy. He then desired to come 1 From the unpublished MS. • Ibid. to town, to bring it upon the stage. This project was opposed by his friends, and his chief benefactor (Pope) advised him to put it into the hands of Mr. Thomson and Mr. Mallet that it might be prepared for the stage, and to allow his friends to receive the profits, and pay him an annual pension out of them. This proposal Savage rejected with scorn, declaring that he was determined to be kept no longer in leading-strings, and that he had no elevated idea of the "bounty" which proposed to pension him out of the profits of his own labours. With the intent to return to London, he went to Bristol, where he was kindly received by his former associates, who made a collection for him of about thirty pounds. Instead of proceeding at once to town, he lingered on, in the hope of obtaining more, till the money already raised slipped through his fingers, and he found himself obliged to remain in Bristol till fresh funds could be obtained. Meanwhile he had been wearying his benefactors with complaints and reproaches. On September 15, 1742, Pope wrote him a stern letter, in which he says, "I once more tell you that neither I nor any one who contributed at first to assist you in your retirements, ever desired you should stay out of London for any other reason than that your debts prevented your staying in it." It was Savage himself, Pope points out, who chose Swansea for his place of retirement. When he objected to it, Pope had agreed to send remittances to any other country place that might be chosen. He now sent an extra contribution with the view of enabling Savage to travel to London. The little that he could contribute would be at the unfortunate man's service in town, but he could not persuade others to continue their subscriptions. "What mortal," he concludes, "would take your play, or your business with Lord T[yrconnel] out of your hands, if you could come and attend to it yourself? It was only in defect of that, these offices of the two gentlemen1 you are so angry at, were offered. What interest but trouble could they have had in it? And what was done more in relation to the lord, but trying a method we thought more likely to serve you, than threats and injurious language? . . . Indeed, I was shocked at your strong declarations of vengeance and violent measures against him, and am very glad you now protest you meant nothing like what those words imported." The money sent by Pope was probably the remittance of five pounds mentioned by Johnson. With this Savage bought a new coat, and intended to journey to London, but was tempted to spend the balance at his favourite tavern. On January 10, 1743, he was arrested for a debt of eight pounds, and taken to a sponging-house, whence, being unable to obtain bail, he was removed to Newgate. Fortunately, he found a very humane gaoler, who gave him a room to himself, and supported him at his own table. He had now ceased from corresponding with any of his subscribers except Pope, who continued to remit him the promised twenty pounds a year, and by whom it was expected that he would be set free, 1 Mallet and Thomson. |