No More Learning

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Xl NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR.

Of the editious of MarvelFs collected works,
that of 1726, in two volumes duodecimo, contains
only his poems and some of his private letters.
That of Captain Thompson, in three volumes
quailo, was published in 1776. Yet even this,
as already said, omits one treatise. The Captain's
diligence is indeed worthy of commendation, and
his enthusiasm may be pardoned. But he was
far from being a correct or judicious editor ; and
is often betrayed by his indiscriminate admiration
into excessive and preposterous eulogy. The
only separate biography is, we believe, that of
John Dove.

The characteristic attribute of Marvell's genius
was unquestionably wit, in all the varieties of
which — ^brief sententious sarcasm, fierce invective,
light raillery, grave irony, and broad laughing
humour — he seems to have been by nature almost
equally fitted to excel. To say that he has equally
excelled in all would be untrue, though striking
examples of each might easily be selected from
his writings. The activity with which his mind
suggests ludicrous images and analogies is asto-
nishing ; he often absolutely startles us by the
remoteness and oddity of the sources from which
they are supplied, and by the unexpected inge-
nuity and felicity of his repartees. *

♦ In this respect he constantly reminds one of Butler, and
in proof of his literary catholicity, wo quote the following
from tlie Uehearsal Trunsprosed. " Uut lest I might be mis-



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KOTIC£ OF THE AUTHOR. xli

His ybr^e, however, appears to be a grave ironi-
cal banter, which he often pursues at such a length
that there seems no limit to his fertility of inven-
tion. In his endless accumulation of ludicrous
images and allusions, the untiring exhaustive ridi-
cule with which he will play upon the same topics,
he is unique; yet this peculiarity not seldom
leads him to drain the generous wine even to the
dregs — to spoil a series of felicitous railleries by
some far-fetched conceit or unpardonable extra-
vagance.

But though Marvell was so great a master of
wit, and especially of that caustic species which
is appropriate to satirists, we will venture to say
that he was singularly free from many of the
faults which distinguish that irritable brotherhood.
Unsparing and merciless as his ridicule is, con-
temptuous and ludicrous as are the lights in which
he exhibits his opponent ; nay, further, though
his invectives are not only often terribly severe,
but (in compliance with the spirit of the age)
often grossly coarse and personal, it is still im-
possible to detect a single particle of malignity.
His geneml tone is that of broad laughing banter,

taken as to the persons I mention, I will assure the reader
that I intend not Hudibras; for he is a man of the other robe,
and his excellent wit hath taken a flight fur above these
ivhifficrs ; that whoever dislikes his subject cannot but com-
mend his performance of it, and calculate if on so barren a
theme he were so copious, what admirable sport he would
have made of an ecclesiastical politician. *' Ed.



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Xlii NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR.

or of the most cutting invective ; but he appears
equally devoid of malevolence in both. In the
one, he seems amusing himself with opponents
too contemptible to move his anger ; in the other,
to lay on with the stern imperturbable gravity of
one who is performing the unpleasant but neces-
sary functions of a public executioner. This
freedom from the usual faults of satirists may be
traced to several causes ; partly to the honhommie
which, with all his talents for satire, was a pecu-
liar characteristic of the man, and which rendered
him as little disposed to take offence, and as pla-
cable when it was offered, as any man of his time;
partly to the integrity of his nature, which, while
it prompted him to champion any cause in which
justice had been outraged or innocence wmnged,
effectually preserved him from the wanton exer-
cise of his wit for the gratification of malevo-
lence; partly, perhaps principally, to the fact,
that both the above qualities restricted him to
encounters in which he had personally no con-
cern. If he carried a keen sword, it was a most
peaceable and gentlemanly weapon ; it never left
the scabbard except on the highest provocation,
and even then, only on behalf of others. His
magnanimity, self-control, and good temper, re-
strained him from avenging any insult offered to
himself; — his chivalrous love of justice instantly
roused all the lion within him on behalf of the
injured and oppressed. It is perhaps well for



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NOTICE OP THE AUTHOR. xliii

Marvcirs fame that his quarrels were not per-
sonal: had they been so, it is hardly probable
that such powers of sarcasm and irony should
have been so little associated with bitterness of
temper.

We must not quit the subject of his wit, with-
out presenting the reader with some few of his
pleasantries : premising that they form but a very
small part of those which we had marked in the
perusal of his works; and that, whatever their
merit, it were easy to find others far superior to
them, if we could afford space for long citations.

Of the invention of printing, he writes in the
following cutting train of irony : —

* The press, (that villanous engine,) invented much
about the same time with the Reformation, hath done
more mischief to the discipline of our Church than the
doctrine can make amends for. It was a happy time,
when all learning was in manuscript, and some little
officer, like our author, did keep the keys of the
library : When the clergy needed no more knowledge
than to read the liturgy, and the laity no more clerk-
ship than to save them from hanging. But now, since
printing came into the world, such is the mischief, that
a man cannot write a book, but presently ho is an-
swered. Could the press but at once be conjured to
obey only an imprimatur^ our author might not dis-
daine, perhaps, to be one of its most zealous patrons.