The Life of Mr. Richard Savage

The Coroner's Inquest having sat upon the Body, did not finish their Enquiry at their first Meeting, but adjourn'd till the Tuesday following, and then brought in their Verdict Manslaughter.

Let the Reader now behold a Man of his unspotted Character, and inoffensive Behaviour, till this fatal Action, involv'd all on a sudden in all the wretched Circumstances and Sufferings of the most inhuman Criminals and abandon'd of Profligates, and admire at the decent Fortitude and Serenity of Mind, with which, according to the Report of all who saw him, he supported so shocking and unexpected a Misfortune, as well before as at the Time of his Trial, which was on Thursday the 7th of this Instant December, at the Old Baily; where after eight Hours being taken up in hearing the Evidence on both Sides, he and Mr. Gregory were found Guilty of the Murther, and Merchant of Manslaughter only.

The whole Trial having already been made publick, it will be needless to give any Repetition of it here, any farther than this, that upon the Testimonies of Nuttal, a Friend of the Deceas'd, and another Person, who was drinking with him and Mr. Sinclair; together, with those of the Women of the House, it appear'd the Affront was given by Merchant's kicking down the Table that belong'd to the Deceased and his Company, and that in Justification of that Rudeness, Mr. Savage and Mr. Gregory drew their Swords, and Mr. Sinclair receiv'd his Death Wound from Mr. Savage.

Being thus cast out of all possible Hopes of making any farther Defence by Law for his Life, he was carry'd back to the Prison, where the Indulgence which he had before obtained from the Keeper, of being excused from having any Irons, could no longer with Safety, be allowed him, but he and Mr. Gregory were fetter'd with near fifty Pounds Weight a-piece. On the Monday following, at the Conclusion of the Sessions, he was carry'd down to the Court to receive Sentence, as usual, previous to which he made the following Speech.

'It is now, my Lord, too late, to offer any thing by way of Defence, or Vindication; nor can we expect ought from your Lordships, in this Court, but the Sentence which the Law requires you as Judges, to pronounce against Men of our calamitous Condition. – But we are also perswaded, that as meer Men, and out of this Seat of rigorous Justice, you are susceptive of the tender Passions, and too humane, not to commiserate the unhappy Situation of those, whom the Law sometimes perhaps – exacts – from you to pronounce upon. No doubt you distinguish between Offences, which arise out of Premeditation, and a Disposition habituated to Vice or Immorality, and Transgressions, which are the unhappy and unforeseen Effects of a casual Absence of Reason, and sudden Impulse of Passion: We therefore hope you will contribute all you can to an Extension of that Mercy, which the Gentlemen of the Jury have been pleas'd to shew Mr. Merchant, who (allowing Facts as sworn against us by the Evidence) has led us into this our Calamity, I hope, this will not be constru'd, as if we mean to reflect upon that Gentleman, or remove any thing from us upon him, or that we repine the more at our Fate because he has no Parcipitation of it: No, my Lord! For my Part, I declare nothing could more soften my Grief, than to be without any Companion in so great a Misfortune.'

Who can read this without wishing it may have its desir'd Effect? No one, I am sure, who knows him personally but interested his Hopes warmly and zealously in it. His Friends (for his Calamities had added many to those who were to his Merit before) were generous Partakers of that Distress which he bore himself so manfully, and are extreamly Assiduous in recommending him to the Mercy to the best of Sovereigns. Among which we think nothing more to the Purpose of these Sheets than the following Letter, with which we shall conclude, supposed to be wrote by one of the Gentlemen before-mentioned for having publickly express'd his Compassion for Mr. Savage's Sufferings.

A LETTER to a Noble Lord in the behalf of Mr. Savage and Mr. Gregory.

My Lord,

I am persuaded, you will not refuse this Letter a reading, since the principal Subject of it is Mercy: I would not have took this Liberty with your Lordship, was I not throughly convinced that your Virtue is equal to your Wisdom, and that you are always ready to exert both in a proper Cause. I know, for I have experienced it, that you have a Heart which can commiserate the Misfortunes of Man, and that you are ever willing to lend a Hand to the sinking Wretch. What I now write is with the greatest Confusion of Spirits, and with the tenderest Sentiments of Humanity for two unhappy Gentlemen, one of which is my Friend; my Friend, my Lord, just on the Brink of suffering an ignominious Death. Imagine the Tumult of my Soul, when the dreadful Idea is before me: But Friendship is not the chief Motive of my Concern for him; he is a Man of Virtue and of Honour, sufficient Recommendations for your Lordship to intercede for him. Blot out the unhappy Moment which was the Source of his present Calamity, and he will appear unsullied in either; nor will that appear so black, if Murder in any Case may be extenuated; when we consider the Evidences who cast him; three Women, my Lord, who have since contradicted what before they had sworn; the other Evidence, a Man, by Report of no amiable Character; but who are said to have most grosly misrepresented the Fact, and to have industriously spread that Misrepresentation: But my Intention is not to prove innocent whom the Law has found guilty; but to submit the two distressful Gentlemen, who now lie under Sentence of Death, as Objects of the Royal Mercy. When the Law has found guilty one or more Persons, whom it is consistent with Virtue and Wisdom to save, it is the blessed Privilege of the Sovereign to turn the Course of the Law, and bid the afflicted live. The Reputations of Mr. Savage and Mr. Gregory have been always clear; nor are they in any Action of their Lives to be lamented by their Friends but on this melancholly Occasion. The first I have known and conversed with several Years, and can therefore more fully speak him: I have discovered in him a Mind uncapable of Evil; I have beheld him sigh for the distressed, when more distressed himself; I have seen him give that Relief to others, which not long before he has in some degree wanted. He is so far from a litigious Man, that he was always more ready to stifle the Remembrance of an Injury than to resent it. Much more could I say of his virtuous Qualities, without swerving the least from Truth; but as his Friends, which are many, are as sensible of them as my self, I doubt not but they will be as ready to declare them as I am, who can make the most solemn Appeal to Heaven, that I have seen repeated Instances of every one of these Virtues, and more. In his Death, I am certain, the King would lose a good Subject; all good Men, a Friend; and Vice, an Enemy. To enforce what I have said, I must beg Leave to use some of Mr. Savage's own Expressions in his Address to the Court, when he received his Sentence: I am perswaded that, as mere Men, and out of the Seat of Justice, the Court is susceptible of the tender Passions, and too humane not to commiserate the unhappy Situation of him and his Fellow-sufferer Mr. Gregory; and to distinguish between Offences which arise out of premeditation and a Disposition habituated to Vice or Immorality, and Transgressions which are the unhappy and unforeseen Effects of a casual Absence of Reason, and a sudden Impulse of passion. I hope the Court will contribute to an Extension of that mercy which the Jury had shewed to Mr. Merchant, who had, according to the Evidence, led them into this Calamity. To this Effect, and in almost the same Words, spoke Mr. Savage. I am satisfied, your Lordship sees the Force of Reason in his Words; and nothing can add more to this Gentleman's Character, or shew the Goodness of his Disposition, than when he declared, that nothing could more soften his Grief than to be without any Companion in so great a misfortune. Here I cannot help reviving the Memory of his past Misfortunes: Wretched from the Womb, robbed of two Fathers, and who never yet was blessed with the Smiles of a Parent! Who that is born of a Woman can reflect on his Fate, and refuse a Tear? I dare venture to say, that your Lordship, and all virtuous disposed Souls, would rejoice to see his past miseries recompensed with his Life, which is now in the Hands of the King: And happy for him, and his Fellow-sufferer, that Mercy sits in Person on the Throne of Great-Britain! Since it is plain, the Publick may be a Loser by the Death of these Gentlemen, and none but the Grave can be a Gainer, there is great Reason to hope for a Pardon, or an extensive Reprieve. Once more, my Lord, let me repeat my Intreaty for your Intercession for him; restore him once more to Life and Freedom; rejoice his Friends, and preserve the Publick a useful Member; and forgive, my Lord, the Importunity of

Your most obliged, and most obedient humble Servant.

Dec. 13. 1727.

FINIS

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D. Hamilton and Lord Mohun.