her own son, of a son who never injured her, who was
never supported by her expense, nor obstructed any prospect of pleasure
or advantage: why she should endeavour to destroy him by a lie--a lie
which could not gain credit, but must vanish of itself at the first
moment of examination, and of which only this can be said to make it
probable, that it may be observed from her conduct, that the most
execrable crimes are sometimes committed without apparent temptation.

This mother is still alive[70] and may, perhaps, even yet, though her
malice was so often defeated, enjoy the pleasure of reflecting, that the
life, which she often endeavoured to destroy, was, at least, shortened
by her maternal offices; that, though she could not transport her son to
the plantations, bury him in the shop of a mechanick, or hasten the hand
of the publick executioner, she has yet had the satisfaction of
imbittering all his hours, and forcing him into exigencies that hurried
on his death.

It is by no means necessary to aggravate the enormity of this woman's
conduct, by placing it in opposition to that of the countess of
Hertford; no one can fail to observe how much more amiable it is to
relieve, than to oppress, and to rescue innocence from destruction, than
to destroy without an injury.

Mr. Savage, during his imprisonment, his trial, and the time in which he
lay under sentence of death, behaved with great firmness and equality of
mind, and confirmed by his fortitude the esteem of those who before
admired him for his abilities[71]. The peculiar circumstances of his
life ere made more generally known by a short account[72], which was
then published, and of which several thousands were, in a few weeks,
dispersed over the nation; and the compassion of mankind operated so
powerfully in his favour, that he was enabled, by frequent presents, not
only to support himself, but to assist Mr. Gregory in prison; and, when
he was pardoned and released, he found the number of his friends not
lessened.

The nature of the act for which he had been tried was in itself
doubtful; of the evidences which appeared against him, the character of
the man was not unexceptionable, that of the woman notoriously infamous;
she, whose testimony chiefly influenced the jury to condemn him,
afterwards retracted her assertions. He always himself denied that he
was drunk, as had been generally reported. Mr. Gregory, who is now,
1744, collector of Antigua, is said to declare