40 
to Mr. M. endeavoured to prevail on 
- him, to accept of the “ six broad pieces,” 
which he, however, refused, with his 
usual disinterestedness. 
After the prorogation of parliament, 
in November, 1675, the subject of this 
memoir, demands instructions on the 
part of his constituents. ‘I desire,” 
says he, “ that you will consider, whether 
there be any thing that particularly re- 
Jates to the state of your town; and I 
shall strive to promote it, to the best of 
my duty; and in the more general con- 
eerns of the nation, shall maintain the 
same incorrupt mind,—and clear con- 
science, far from faction, or any. self- 
ends, which by the grace of God, I have 
hitherto preserved.” He was $0 at- 
tentive to his political communications, 
that each letter contained a minute nar- 
rative of parliamentary business. Such 
was his diligence too, that he says, “ he 
sits down to write at six in the even- 
ing, though he had not eat since the 
day before at neon; and that it had 
become habitual to him, to write to 
- them every post, during the sitting of- 
parliament,” 
“* It was not his duty there,” says his 
biographer, “ which wholly engrossed his 
mind: fur the numberless pieces of prose 
and verse, which he threw out, were of 
excellent use, and had great effect upon 
the people’s minds ; aud must have taken 
a deal of time in the composition. [ 
cannot find, by any writings, that. he 
ever spoke in the house; the journals 
thereof, make no mention of any speech 
of his; but by his own account, he al- 
ways made notes of what passed; and by 
his indefatigable conduct otherwise, 
he obtained a great ascendency over the 
minds of -the members. Though the 
power of the court had not influence 
over his virtue, yer the good sense of 
Prince. Rupert was conspicuous, in 
making him vhis friend; for when. Mr. 
_Mairveil’s name became the hatred of 
that party, which he ever attacked with 
unremitting keen satire, and it became 
dangerous for him to appear abroad, 
Prince Rupert would forget his, rank, 
and be led, by his good understanding, 
privately to the apartments of Mr. Mar- 
vell: so, whenever his Royal Highness 
voted on the side of Mr. Marvell, which 
he often did, it was the observation of 
the adverse folks, “that he had been 
with his tutor.” % 
‘The severe tracts, which he was 
_ continually publishing against the state, 
aud popery, and the inflammatory lites 
— Memotr of Andrew Marvell. 3 Sie 
fAug. 1, 
rary fight which he had with Parker, and 
‘others, often made his life in danger ; 
but no bribes, no offers of fortune, or 
“situation, though so.very contrary to his 
private interest, could make him swerve 
from the virtuous path he had first set 
Out upon; and in which he continued to 
walk invariably to the last. A man of 
such excellent parts, and facetious con- 
verse, could not beunknown to CharlesIE, 
who loved the company of wits so much, 
that he would suffer the severest jokes, 
rather than not enjov them. Mr. Mar- 
vell had been honoured with an 
evening's entertainment by his majesty,” 
who was so charmed with the ease of 
his manners, the soundness of his judg-- 
ment, and the nimbleness of his wit, that 
the following morning, to shew him his 
regard, he sent the Lord Treasurer, 
Danby, to wait upon him, with a par- 
ticular message from himself, — 
““ His lordship, with some difficulty, 
found his elevated retreat, which was in 
a second floor, in‘ a court in the Strand, 
the very gradus ad Parnassum. Lord 
Danby, from the darkness of the stair- 
case, and the narrowness thereof; 
abruptly burst open,the door, and sud-— 
deniy entered the room, wherein he 
found Mr. Marvell writing. Astonished 
-at the sight of so noble and so unex- 
pected a visitor, he asked his lordship _ 
with a smile, If he had not mistook his — 
way. “No” replied my lord, with a bow, 
not since I have found Mr. Marvell; 
continuing, that he came with a messave 
from the king, who wished to do him 
some signal service, to testify his high 
opinion of his merits. Ie replied, with 
bis usual pleasantry, that kings had it 
not in their power to serve him ;-he had 
no void Jeft aching in his breast: but 
becoming more serious, he assured his 
lordship, that he was highly sensible of 
this mark, of his majesty’s affection ; but 
he knew too well the nature of courts, to 
accept of favours, which were expected 
to bind a man in the chains-of their in- 
~terest, which his spirit of freedom and 
independence would not suffer him to em= 
brace. To take a place at the hands of his 
majesty, would be proving him guilty of 
the first sin; ingratitude, if he voted 
against him; and if he went in the 
smooth stream of his interest, it might 
be doing injustice to his country, and his 
conscience: he therefore begged that his 
majesty would allow him to enjoy a state. 
of liberty,.and to esteem him more his 
faithful and dutiful subject, and more in 
the true interest of his welfare, by the 
. . eh <a 
os 
