No More Learning

But he had not been more than three months
at home, when he intimates to his correspondents
his intention to accept an invitation to accompany
Lord Carlisle, who had been appointed ambas-
sador-extraordinary to Russia, Sweden, and Den-
mark. He formally solicits the assent of his
constituents to this step, urges the precedents for
it, and assures them that during his watchful col-
league's attendance, his own services may be
easily dispensed with. His constituents con-
sented ; he sailed in July, and appears to have
been absent rather more than a year. We find
him in his place in the Parliament that assembled
at Oxford, 1665.

In 1671, for some unknown reason, there is
another hicUtis in his correspondence. It ex-
tends over three year&. From 1674, the letters
are regularly continued till his death. There is
no proof that he ever spoke in Parliament ; but
it appears that he made copious notes of all the
debates.



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NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR. XXI

The strong views which Marvell took on public
affairs — the severe, satirical things which he had
said and written from time to time — and the con-
viction of his enemies, that it was impossible to
silence him by the usual methods of a place or a
bribe, must have rendered a wary and circum-
spect conduct very necessary. In fact, we are
informed that on more than one occasion he was
menaced with assassination. But, though hated
by the court party generally, he was as generally
feared, and in sonie few instances respected.
Prince Rupert continued to honour him with his
friendship long after the rest of his party had
honoured him by their hatred, and occasionally
visited the patriot at his lodgings. When he
voted on the side of Marvell, which was not in-
frequently the case, it used to be said that ** he
had been with his tutor. "

Inaccessible as Marvell was to flattery and
offers of preferment, it certainly was not for want
of temptations.
The account of his memorable
interview with the Lord Treasurer Danby has
been often repeated, and yet it would be unpar-
donable to omit it here. Marvell, it appears, once
spent an evening at court, and fairly charmed
the merry monarch by his accomplishments and
wit At this we need not wonder : Charles loved
wit above all things — except sensual pleasure.
To his admiration of it, especially the humorous
species, he was continually sacrificing his royal



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XXll NOTICE OP THE AUTHOR.

dignity. On the morning after the above-men-
tioned interview, he sent Lord Danby to wait on
the patriot with a special message of regard. His
lordship had some difficulty in ferreting out Mar-
velFs residence ; but at last found him on a second
floor, in a dark court leading out of the Strand.
It is said, that groping up the narrow staircase,
he stumbled against the door of Marvell's humble
apartment, which, flying open, discovered him
writing. A little surprised, he asked his lordship
with a smile, if he had not mistaken his way.
The latter replied, in courtly phrase — " No ; not
since I have found Mr. Marvell. " He proceeded
to inform him that he came with a message from
the king, who was impressed with a deep sense
of his meiits, and was anxious to serve him.
Marvell replied with somewhat of the spirit of
the founder of the Cynics, but with a very differ-
ent manner, ^^ that his Majesty had it not in his
power to serve him. " * Becoming more serious,
however, he told his lordship that he well knew



* Another and less authentic version of this anecdote has
been given, much more circumstantial, indeed, but on that
very account, in our judgment, more apocryphaJ. But if the
main additions to the story be fictitious, they are amongst
those fictions which have gained extensive circulatitm only
because they are felt to be not intrinsically improbable.
We have been at some pains to investigate the origin of this
version; but can trace it no further than to a pamphlet
printed in Ireland about the middle of the last century. Of
this we have not been able to get a perusal.