No More Learning

Andrew Marvell was a native of Kingston-
upon-Hull,* where he was bom November 15,
1620. His father, of the same name, was master
of the grammar school, and lecturer of Trinity
Church in that town. He is described by Fuller
and Echard as ^^ facetious,'* so that his son's wit,
it would appear, was hereditary. He is also said
to have displayed considerable eloquence in the
pulpit; and even to have excelled in that kind
of oratory which would seem at first sight least
allied to a mirthful temperament — ^we mean the
pathetic. The conjunction, however, of wit and
sensibility, has been found in a far greater num-
ber of instances than would at first sight be
imagined, as we might easily prove by examples,
if this were the place for it : nor would it be
difficult to give the rationale of the fact. Both, at
all events, are amongst the most general, though
far from universal accompaniments of genius.

* So all the biographers; but a writer in "Notes and
Queries/' says that he was bom at Winstead in Holdemess,
where his baptismal register is still extant.



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X NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR.

The diligence of Mr. MarvelFs pulpit prepara-
tions has been celebrated by Fuller in his " Wor-
thies," with characteristic quaintness. " He was
a most excellent preacher/' says he, " who never
broached what he had new brewed, but preached
what he had pre-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 holi-
day of preachers. " The lessons of the pulpit he
enforced by the persuasive eloquence of a devoted
life. During the pestilential epidemic of 1637,
we are told that he distinguished himself by an
intrepid discharge of his pastoral functions.

Having given early indications of superior
talents, young Andrew was sent, wl^en not quite
fifteen years of age, to Trinity College, Cam-
bridge, where he was partly or wholly maintained
by an exhibition from his native town. He had
not been long there, when, like Chillingworth,
he was ensnared by the proselyting arts of the
Jesuits, who, with subtilty equal to their zeal,
commissioned their emissaries specially to aim at
the conversion of such of the university youths
as gave indications of signal ability.
It appears
that he was inveigled from college to London.
Having been tracked thither by his father, he
was discovered, after some months, in a booksel-
ler's shop, and restored to the university. During
the two succeeding years he pursued his studies



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NOTICE OP THE AUTHOR. XI

with diligence. About this peiiod he lost his
father under circumstances peculiarly affecting.

The death of this good man forms one of those
little domestic tragedies — not infrequent in real
life — to which imagination itself can scarcely add
one touching incident,, and which are as affecting
as any that fiction can furnish. It appears that
on the other side of the Humber lived a lady (an
intimate friend of Marveirs father) who had an
only and lovely daughter, endeared to all who
knew her, and so much the idol of her mother
that she could scarcely bear her to be out of her
sight On one occasion, however, she yielded to
the importunity of Mr. Marvell, and suffered her
daughter to cross the water to Hull, to be present
at the baptism of one of his children. The day
afler the ceremony, the young lady was to return.
The weather was tempestuous, and on reaching
the river's side, accompanied by Mr. Marvell, the
boatmen endeavored to dissuade her from cross-
ing. But, afraid of alarming her mother by pro-
longing her absence, she persisted. Mr. Marvell
added his importunities to the arguments of the
boatmen, but in vain. Finding her inflexible, he
told her that as she had incurred this peril to
oblige him, he felt himself ** bound in honour and
conscience" not to desert her, and, having pre-
vailed on some boatmen to hazard the passage,
they embarked together. As they were putting
off, he fiung his gold-headed cane on shore, and'



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Xll NOTICE OP THE AUTHOR.