defpifed. The ftory of the Apparition is borrowed from one of the tales of Poggio. Those that please least are the pieces to which Gulliver gave occafion; for who can much delight in the echo of an unnatural fiction?

Dione is a counterpart to Amynta, and Paftor Fido, and other trifles of the fame kind, easily imitated, and unworthy of imitation. What the Italians call comedies from a happy conclufion, Gay calls a tragedy from a mournful event; but the style of the Italians and of Gay is equally tragical. There is fomething in the poetical Arcadia fo remote from known reality and fpeculative poffibility, that we can never fupport its representation through a long work. A Paftoral of an hundred lines may be endured; but who will hear of sheep and goats, and myrtle bowers and purling rivulets, through five acts? Such fcenes please Barbarians in the dawn of literature, and children in the dawn of life; but will be for the moft part thrown away, as men grow wife, and nations grow learned.

GRANVILLË.

F GEORGE GRANVILLE, or as others write Greenville, or Grenville, afterwards lord Landfdown of Biddeford in the county of Devon, lefs is known than his name and rank might give reafon to expect. He was born about 1667, the fon of Bernard Greenville, who was entrusted by Monk with the most private tranfactions of the Restoration, and the grandfon of Sir Bevil Greenville, who died in the King's cause, at the battle of Landfdowne.

His early education was fuperintended by Sir William Ellis; and his progrefs was fuch that before the age of twelve he was fent to Cambridge, where he pronounced a copy of his own verfes to the princess Mary d'Efte of Modena, then dutchess of York, when she visited the university.

* To Trinity College. By the univerfity register, it appears, that he was admitted to his Master's Degree in 1679: we must, therefore, fet the year of his birth fome years back.

At

At the acceffion of king James, being now at eighteen, he again exerted his poetical powers, and addreffed the new monarch in three fhort pieces, of which the first is profane, and the two others fuch as a boy might be expected to produce; but he was commended by old Waller, who perhaps was pleased to find himself imitated, in fix lines, which, though they begin with nonsense and end with dulness, excited in the young author a rapture of acknowledgement, in numbers fuch as Waller's felf might use.

It was probably about this time that he wrote the poem to the earl of Peterborough, upon his accomplishment of the duke of York's marriage with the princefs of Modena, whofe charms appear to have gained a strong prevalence over his imagination, and upon whom nothing ever has been charged but impru dent piety, an intemperate and mifguided zeal for the propagation of popery.

However faithful Granville might have been to the King, or however enamoured of the Queen, he has left no reafon for fuppofing that he approved either the artifices or the violence with which the King's religion was infinuated or obtruded. He endeavoured to be true at once to the King and to the Church.

Of this regulated loyalty he has tranfmitted to pofterity a fufficient proof, in the letter which he wrote to his father about a month before the prince of Orange landed.

"Mar, near Doncafter, Oct. 6, 1688,

"To the honourable Mr. Barnard Granville, at the "earl of Bathe's, St. James's.

"SIR,

"Your having no profpect of obtaining a commif- r "fion for me, can no way alter or cool my defire at "this important juncture to venture my life, in "fome manner or other, for my King and my Coun try.

"I cannot bear living under the reproach of lying "obfcure and idle in a country retirement, when "every man who has the leaft fenfe of honour fhould "be preparing for the field.

"You may remember, Sir, with what reluctance I "fubmitted to your commands upon Monmouth's re"bellion, when no importunity could prevail with you "to permit me to leave the Academy: I was too young to be hazarded; but, give me leave to fay, it "is glorious at any age to die for one's country, and "the fooner the nobler the facrifice.

"I am now older by three years. My uncle Bathe " was not fo old when he was left among the flain at "the battle of Newbury; nor you yourself, Sir, when

you made your escape from your tutor's, to join 46 your brother at the defence of Scilly.

"The fame caufe is now come round about again. "The king has been mifled; let those who have mis"led him be anfwerable for it. Nobody can deny but "he is facred in his own perfon, and it is every honeft "man's duty to defend it.

"You are pleased to fay, it is yet doubtful if the "Hollanders are rafh enough to make fuch an attempt;

"but,

“but, be that as it will, I beg leave to infist upon it, "that I may be presented to his majefty, as one whofe "utmost ambition it is to devote his life to his fer"vice, and my country's, after the example of all my ancestors.

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"The gentry affembled at York, to agree upon the "choice of representatives for the county, have pre"pared an address, to affure his majesty they are ready "to facrifice their lives and fortunes for him upon "this and all other occafions; but at the fame time "they humbly befeech him to give them fuch magif"trates as may be agreeable to the laws of the land; "for, at present, there is no authority to which they can legally fubmit.

They have been beating up for volunteers at York, "and the towns adjacent, to fupply the regiments at "Hull; but nobody will lift.

"By what I can hear, every body wishes well to the King; but they would be glad his minifters were 66 hanged.

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"The winds continue fo contrary, that no landing "can be fo foon as was apprehended; therefore I may hope, with your leave and affiftance, to be in rea"dinefs before any action can begin. I beseech you, "Sir, most humbly and most earnestly, to add this one "act of indulgence more to fo many other teftimonies "which I have conftantly received of your goodness; "and be pleased to believe me always with the utmost duty and fubmiffion, Sir,

"Your most dutiful fon,

" and most obedient fervant,

"GEO. GRANVILLE."

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