tism, or fugitive poetry, of Marvell; nor, indeed, would it have been desirable that Johnson should have shown him such a distinction, if the price of it had been injustice proportionate to that lavished on Marvell's illustrious friend and coadjutor in office. MARVELL was born at Kingston-upon-Hull, on the 15th of November, 1620; and discovering a genius for letters, was sent, at the early age of fifteen, with an exhibition belonging to his native place, to Trinity College, Cambridge. He had not been long, however, before (like Chillingworth) he was enticed from his studies by the JESUITS, who were then seeking converts with industrious proselytism among the young men of distinguished abilities-especially in the Universities; and they succeeded in inveigling Marvell from college to London, where his father followed and quickly restored him to the University. It appears that, like every mind of ardent and undisciplined feeling, he went through the usual course of rapidly succeeding extremes and inconsistent opinions. So powerful and vigorous an intellect, however, soon subsided into rational and wise views of the principles of human conduct, showing that, in proportion to the difficulty of discovering truth, is the usual estimation of its value. On the 13th of April, as appears from his own hand-writing, Marvell was again received at Trinity College, and, during the two following years, it seems that he pursued his studies with unremitting application, when his father's lamentable death gave a new turn to his mind.* *The Rev. ANDREW MARVELL, A.M. father of the patriot, was born at Mildred, in Cambridgeshire, in 1586. He was a Student of Emanuel College in that University, where he took his degree of Master of Arts, in 1608. Afterwards he was elected Master of the Grammar School at Hull, and in "He was a most excellent 1624, Lecturer of Trinity Church in that town. preacher," says FULLER, "who, like a good husband, never broached what In the year 1640, a melancholy accident put an end to this good man's life, the particulars of which are thus related:-"On that shore of the Humber opposite Kingston, lived a lady whose virtue and good sense recommended her to the esteem of Mr. Marvell, as his piety and understanding caused her to take particular notice of him. From this mutual approbation arose an intimate acquaintance, which was soon improved into a strict friendship. This lady had an only daughter, whose duty, devotion, and exemplary behaviour, had endeared her to all who knew her, and rendered her the darling of her mother, whose fondness for her arose to such a height that she could scarcely bear her temporary absence. Mr. Marvell, desiring to perpetuate the friendship between the families, requested the lady to allow her daughter to come over to Kingston, to stand godmother to a child of his; to which, out of her great regard to him, she consented, though depriving herself of her daughter's company for a longer space of time than she would have agreed to on any other consideration. The young lady went over to Kingston accordingly, and the ceremony was performed. The next day, when she came down to the river side, in order to return home, it being extremely rough, so as to render the passage dangerous, the watermen earnestly dissuaded her from any attempt to cross the river that day. But she, who had never wilfully given her mother a moment's uneasihe had new-brewed, but preached what he had studied some competent time before insomuch that he was wont to say that he would cross the common proverb, which called 'Saturday the working day, and Monday the holiday of Preachers. His excellent comment on St. Peter," Fuller continues, "was then daily desired and expected, if the envy and covetousness of private persons, for their own use, deprive not the public of the benefit thereof." -Fuller's Worthies, p. 159. Mr. Marvell greatly distinguished himself during the plague in 1637, by a fearless performance of his clerical duties, amid all the grim horrors of that devastating period; and his Funeral Sermons are said to have been most eloquent specimens of pathetic oratory. ness, and knowing how miserable she would be, insisted on going, notwithstanding all that could be urged by the watermen, or by Mr. Marvell, who earnestly entreated her to return to his house, and wait for better weather. Finding her resolutely bent to venture her life rather than disappoint a fond parent, he told her, as she had brought herself into that perilous situation on his account, he thought himself obliged, both in honour and conscience, to share the danger with her; and having, with difficulty, persuaded some watermen to attempt the passage, they got into the boat. Just as they put off, Mr. Marvell threw his gold-headed cane on shore, to some of his friends, who attended at the water-side, telling them, that as he could not suffer the young lady to go alone, and as he apprehended the consequence might be fatal, if he perished, he desired them to give that cane to his son, and bid him remember his father. Thus armed with innocence, and his fair charge with filial duty, they set forward to meet their inevitable fate. The boat was upset, and they were both lost." Thus perished Mr. Marvell, in the 54th year of his age, a man eminent for virtue and learning, universally lamented by his friends, and the people of Hull in general. The son gives this character of his father, in "The Rehearsal Transprosed:"-" He died before the war broke out, having lived with some reputation both for piety and learning; and was, moreover, a conformist to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, though I confess none of the most over-running, or eager in them." ECHARD, in his history, styles Mr. Marvell "the facetious Calvinistical Minister of Hull.” The extreme grief in which this melancholy event plunged the young lady's mother may be conceived: however, after her sorrow was somewhat abated, she sent for young Marvell, who was then at Cambridge, and did what she could towards supplying the loss he had sustained, and at her decease left him all that she possessed. Whether Marvell went down to Hull to take possession of the small fortune his father had left him, and by possessing it, grew negligent of his studies, is uncertain; but it appears that he, and four other students had absented themselves from their exercises, and been guilty of other indiscretions; which made the Masters and Seniors come to a resolution to refuse them the benefits of the College. In the Conclusion Book, Sept. 24th, 1641, appears the following entry:-"It is agreed by the Masters and Seniors, that Mr. Carter, Dominus Wakefield, Dominus Marvell, Dominus Waterhouse, and Dominus Maye [who afterwards translated Lucan,] in regard that some of them are reported to be married, and the others look not after their dayes nor acts, shall receive no more benefit of the College, and shall be out of their places, unless they show just cause to the College for the contrary, in three months." From the circumstance of this collegial record, we may infer that young Marvell left Cambridge about 1642, as we do not find that he ever attempted to vindicate himself against the charge. After this we presume he commenced his travels through the most polite parts of Europe. It appears he was at Rome, from his Poem entitled, "Flecnoe an English Priest," in which, though it be written in a slovenly metre, he describes, with great humour and satire, that wretched Poet, Richard Flecnoe, who, as Dryden expresses it,— "In prose and verse was owned without dispute, This Poem suggested one of the best and severest satires in the English language,—we mean Dryden's Mc Flecnoe," written against the "lambent dulness” of THOMAS SHADWELL, whose poetical character was injured by being placed in opposition to Dryden, as if he equalled that celebrated poet. After the Restoration the office of Poet-Laureat was taken from Dryden (who had become a Roman Catholic,) and given to Shadwell, "Whose brows, thick fogs, instead of glories, grace, And lambent dulness plays around his face."* It is probable that, during this excursion into Italy, Marvell made his first acquaintance with the immortal JOHN MILTON, who was at that time abroad. They met in Rome, and associated together, where they publicly argued against the superstitions of the Romish Church, even within the verge of the Vatican. It is thought by many, that Milton's great poem, which has since been deservedly placed on a level with the noblest productions of antiquity, would have remained longer in obscurity, had it not been for Marvell, and Dr. SAMUEL BARROW, a physician, who wrote it into favour. Marvell's poem, first prefixed to the second edition of Paradise Lost, is as reputable to his judgment and poetic talents, as to his friendship. * Dr. JOHNSON, in his life of Dryden, remarks, "that the revenue which he, (Dryden) had enjoyed with so much pride, was transferred to Shadwell, an old enemy, whom he had formerly stigmatized by the name of Og. Dryden could not decently complain that he was deposed; but seemed very angry that Shadwell succeeded him, and has therefore celebrated the intruder's inauguration in a Poem exquisitely satirical, called "Mc Flecnoe," of which the" Dunciad," as POPE himself declares, is an imitation, though more extended in its plan, and more diversified in its incidents." W. NEWCASTLE, has the following excellent lines in reference to Dryden's Poem: "Flecnoe, thy characters are so full of wit Each line's a volume, and who reads would swear Nor arrows in a quiver stuck, nor yet |