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as Churchill or Byron; but almost all that relates to the subject con-
sists of conceits, neither new nor good, and extravagancies strangely
out of keeping with the subject. About the best lines are these:
That precious life he yet disdains to save,

Or with known art to try the gentle wave:
Much him the honour of his ancient race
Inspir'd, nor would he his own deeds deface;
And secret joy in his calm soul does rise,

That Monk looks on to see how Douglas dies.

But their effect is sadly marred by what follows:-
Like a glad lover the fierce flames he meets,
And tries his first embraces in their sheets;
His shape exact, which the bright flames infold,
Like the sun's statue stands, of burnish'd gold;
Round the transparent fire about him glows
As the clear amber on the bees does close;
And as on angels' heads their glories shine,

His burning locks adorn his face divine.

We fear that Andrew was more inspired by aversion for prelacy than by admiration for the young Douglas, and only chose the latter for his theme, in order to lay the whole blame of certain national antipathies on the Bishops. We do not quote the following passages for the reader's approbation, but to shew the utter inefficiency of licencing laws, (for such were then in force,) to restrain the licentiousness of the Pen: Prick down the point, whoever has the art,

Where nature Scotland does from England part,
Anatomists may sooner fix the cells

Where life resides, and understanding dwells,
But this we know, tho' that exceeds our skill,
That whosoever separates them does ill.

*

What ethic river is this wondrous Tweed

Whose one bank virtue, t'other vice does breed?

'Tis Holy Island parts us, not the Tweed.
Nothing but clergy could us two seclude.

All litanies in this have wanted faith,
There's no "Deliver us from a Bishop's wrath,"

What the ocean binds, is by the Bishops rent,
As seas make Islands in the Continent.
Nature in vain us in one land compiles,

If the Cathedral still shall have its isles.

Nothing, not bogs, nor sands, nor seas, nor Alps,
Separate the worlds so, as the Bishop's scalps,
Stretch for the line their circingle alone,

'Twill make a more unhabitable zone;

The friendly loadstone has not more combined,

Than Bishops cramp't the commerce of mankind.

Though thus severe on the Hierarchy, the poet had not yet lost all respect for the Monarch :

Charles, our great soul, this only understands,

He our affections both, and wills commands.

It must be remembered that Charles had hitherto shewn many good dispositions, and in particular had interfered to save some of the Scotch Nonconformists from the vengeance of Sharpe: notwithstanding the insolent tyranny with which he had himself been treated by the Kirk in its days of sovereignty. He had, on several occasions, exerted himself to procure liberty of conscience, both for catholic and protestant dissenters, to little effect indeed, during the influence of Clarendon; but the secret inclination towards his mother's religion, which probably prompted this insidious toleration, was not yet more than vaguely suspected.

The year 1667 is a great epoch in the history of the human mind, for then was Paradise Lost first given to the world. According to the custom of those times, Marvell accompanied the work of his illustrious friend with a copy of commendatory verses: but it is a truly absurd surmise, that either Marvell's English couplets, or Dr. Barrow's Latin Elegiacs, preserved the production of Milton from obscurity. This is about as probable, as that a sealed and unopened epistle should reach its destination, if directed only in the inside. More plausibly has it been asserted that Marvell united with Sir Thomas Clarges, Mr. Secretary Morrice, and Sir William Davenant to prevent the mighty poet's being excepted out of the act of indemnity; but is it likely that he, who had himself held office under Cromwell, would possess any influence at Court?

Though his Parliamentary correspondence continues with little or no interruption, between the years 1667 and 1670, and as a series of historical documents is of high value, yet it throws no light on his private transactions; nor does it elucidate his personal character, except by affording additional proof of his indefatigable industry; his unwearied spirits; his attention to the minutest, as well as to the weightiest matters that came before the House. Rarely does he utter an opinion on any subject, unless it bore expressly upon the interests of his constituents. We cannot find any clue to discover, for example, his sentiments on the prosecution of Clarendon, which later historians have represented as a conspiracy between an ungrateful King, and a misguided nation, to ruin the most loyal and immaculate of statesmen; but it is most probable that he concurred in it. As we are not writing the

history of Andrew Marvell's Times, we cannot be expected to dilate on all the public measures which he has noticed in his letters, but shall content ourselves with a few extracts which may serve to illustrate the Parliamentary life of the Patriot, or at least the manners, temper, and politics, of the Parliament in which he sat.

Jan. 22, 1766-7:-" Heard the report of the fire of London, full of manifest testimonies that it was by a wicked design, and ordered the report of the insolence of Papists to-morrow."

Dec. 22, 1666:-"To-day the Duke of Buckingham and Marquis of Dorchester were upon their petitions freed from the Tower, having been committed for quarrelling and scuffling the other day when we were at the Canary Conference."

Feb 9, 1667 :-"I am sorry to hear of several fires of late in your town, but by God's mercy prevented from doing much harm. Though I know your vigilance, and have been informed of the occasions, I cannot but, out of the earnestness of mine own sense, advise you to have a careful eye against all such accidents. We have had so much of them here in the South, that it makes me almost superstitious. But indeed, as sometimes there arise new diseases, so there are seasons of more particular judgments, and such as that of fires seem of late to have been upon this nation: but God's providence in such cases is well pleased to be frustrated by human industry, but much more his mercies are always propitious to repentance."

July 25:"Yesternight, at one o'clock, a very dangerous fire happened in Southwark, but blowing up the next house in good time, there were but twelve consumed or ruined. I cannot but advise you to have especial care in your town of any such accident, or what you will call it; for I am sorry we can yet see no clearer by so many lights."

October 25th :-"This morning several members of our House did in their places move the House to proceed to an impeachment against the Earl of Clarendon, and laid very high crimes to his charge."

Nov. 14:-" Really the business of the House hath been of late so earnest daily, and so long, that I have not had the time, and scarce vigour left me by night to write to you; and to-day, because I would not omit any longer, I lose my dinner to make sure of this letter. The Earl of Clarendon hath taken up much of our time till within this three days. But since his impeachment hath been carried up to the House of Lords, we have some leisure from that; and now this is the third day that they have, without intermission of any other business, continued upon the question, Whether, upon our desire, to commit him to custody before we sent up (which yet we have not done) the particular articles of our charge against him."-P.S. of the same date:

"I hear the Lords are at last come to a resolution to desire a confer ence to-morrow with our House, to show us reason why they should not commit the Earl of Clarendon before special articles.”

“Nov. 23d :—“ The Lords and we cannot yet get off the difficulties risen betwixt us on occasion of our House's demanding the Earl of Clarendon's imprisonment upon a general charge of treason."

Dec. 3d:-"Since my last to you we have had a free conference with the Lords, and so a mutual debate on the reasons for, and for not, committing the Earl of Clarendon on our general charge. The Lords yesterday sent a message by Judge Archer and Judge Morton, that, upon the whole matter, they were not satisfied to commit him, without particular cause specified or assigned; whereupon our House, after very long debate, voted, 'that the Lords not complying with the desires of the House of Commons in committing and sequestring from their House the Earl of Clarendon, upon the impeachment carried up against him, is an obstruction of the public justice in the proceedings of both Houses of Parliament, and is the precedent of evil and dangerous consequences.' To-day the Lords sent down another message to us, that they had to-day received a large petition from the Earl of Clarendon, intimating that he was withdrawn.* Hereupon our House forthwith * Clarendon withdrew at the King's express command, who probably knew no other safe and easy means to shield a man whom he could not help revering.

"On the 29th of November, 1667, this illustrious exile embarked in a miserable boat in the middle of the night, at Erith, and after remaining at sea amidst the inconveniences and dangers of the worst weather for three days and nights, landed at Calais. He left behind him a representation at large to the House of Peers of his conduct since the Restoration, composed with all the simplicity and modest courage of conscious innocence and truth: such, however, was the rage of the prevailing party, that it was presently publicly burned, by order of both Houses.”—Lodge.

He had built a splendid mansion, to which the populace affixed the nick-name of Dunkirk House. In the edition of 1776 are two poems ascribed (we hope errroneously) to Marvell, one called "Clarendon's House-warming," and the other "Upon his House." Among other topics of obloquy, they allude pointedly to the misappropriation of certain building materials, originally set apart for the repair of St. Paul's, but afterwards diverted to the erection of the Chancellor's palace. As the second is but short, and sums up the principal arguments of odium against a venerated name, we shall give it almost entire :

Here lie the sacred stones

Of Paul.....

Here lie golden briberies,

The price of ruin'd families.

The Cavaliers' debenter wall,

Fix't on an eccentric basis;

Here Dunkirk Town and Tangier Hall,

The Queen's marriage, and all

The Dutchman's Templum pacis.

address his Majesty, that care might be taken for securing all the seaports, lest he should pass there. I suppose he will not trouble you at Hull."

March 7, 1668:-" On Wednesday last the House resumed the debate occasioned by the informations of several members concerning the insolencies of Nonconformists in some parts of the nation, disturbing ministers in their churches, and setting up their own preachers. The House hereupon came to a resolution, that they would in a body attend his Majesty, desiring him to reinforce by his proclamation the laws against conventicles, and that care might be taken to secure the peace of the nation against the unlawful meetings of Nonconformists and Papists." With this request Charles, who-half Catholic and half Infidel-hoped, under the mask of toleration, either to be rid of all religion, or to smuggle in that which he found most convenient, was obliged reluctantly to comply, though the petition was meant to imply a severe censure on himself and his favourite, Buckingham, who was now playing the same game with the Nonconformists as Leicester had played with the Puritans under Elizabeth.

Several letters after this are taken up almost entirely with the proceedings against the supposed authors of the miscarriages in the late Dutch war. The public vengeance had better been directed against the authors of the war itself. Of all wars, surely the least profitable have been those which grew out of commercial squabbles.

The privileges and jurisdiction of the two Houses were as undefined as the prerogatives of the crown. We continually find the Peers at variance with the Commons, and their Lordships generally forced to submit at last with no very good grace. An attempt of the Lords to act as a criminal court directly, and not on appeal from the courts below, was strongly resented by the Lower House; and Marvell, though he expresses himself gravely and coolly, no doubt entered fully into the indignation of his fellow members.

May 25, he writes thus :-" I have no more time than to tell you that the Lords, having judged and fined the East India Company, as we think, illegally, upon the petition of one Skinner, a merchant; and they petitioning us for redress, we have imprisoned him that petitioned them, and they have imprisoned several of those that petitioned us; and we, on Monday, send to the Lords severe votes against their proceedings it is a business of very high and dangerous consequence." On the 9th he informs the Mayor of Hull (then Mr. Anthony Lambert) that there had been a conference between the Houses,-the Commons having voted that the Lords' "taking cognizance and proceeding originally upon the petition of Skinner against the East India

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