'The general character of his poetry is elegance, sprightliness and dignity. He is seldom tender, and very rarely sublime. In his smaller pieces he endeavours to be gay, in his larger to be great. Of his airy and light productions the chief source is gallantry, and the chief defect a superabundance of sentiment and illustrations from mythology. He seldom fetches an amorous sentiment from the depth of science. His thoughts are such as a liberal conversation and large acquaintance with life would easily supply. His diction is chaste and elegant, and his versification, which he borrowed from Waller, is rather smooth than strong. 'Mr. Granville,' says Dr. Felton, 'is the poetical son of Waller. We observe with pleasure, similitude of wit in the difference of years, and with Granville do meet at once the fire of his father's youth, and judgment of his age. He hath rivalled him in his finest address, and is as happy as ever he was in raising modern compliments upon ancient story, and setting off the British valour and the English beauty with the old gods and goddesses!' 'Granville,' says Lord Orford, 'imitated Waller, but as that poet has been much excelled since, a faint copy of a faint master must strike still less.' The estimate of his poetical character, given by Dr. Johnson, is, in some respects, less favourable: 'Granville,' says the Doctor, 'was a man illustrious by his birth, and therefore attracted notice; since he is by Pope styled "the polite," he must be supposed elegant in his manner, and generally loved; he was in times of contest and turbulence steady to his party, and obtained that esteem which is always conferred upon firmness and consistency. With these advantages, having learned the art of versifying, he declared himself a poet, and his claim to the laurel was allowed.' Pope, in a courtier-like passage in his 'Windsor Forest'--a poem which he dedicated to Lord Granville--says of him: 'Here his first lays majestic Denham sung; Here the last numbers flowed from Cowley's tongue. * * * * * * Since fate relentless stopped their heavenly voice No more the forest rings, or groves rejoice; Who now shall charm the shades where Cowley strung His living harp, and lofty Denham sung? But hark! the groves rejoice, the forest rings-- Are these reviv'd? or is it GRANVILLE sings?' adding, 'The thoughts of gods let GRANVILLE'S verse recite, And bring the scenes of opening fate to light.' With one more extract from the praises of his contemporaries, and this the weightiest and most poetic of them all, we will conclude. Dryden said of him--à propos of his tragedy of 'Heroick Love'-- 'Auspicious poet, wert thou not my friend, How could I envy what I must commend? But since 'tis Nature's law, in love and wit, That youth should reign, and with'ring age submit; With less regret these laurels I resign, Which, dying on my brow, revive on thine.'