Here is some of the wit he wasted, whilst him in an eminent degree, and which every his "delusion" endured: "This last complaint the indulgent ears did pierce Long years had lapsed since the penning of these very verses, and the Countess of Sunderland had fallen into "the sere and yellow leaf," when, on some occasion encountering her poetical suitor "aforetime," she demanded to know (no doubt in memory of decayed coquetry) when he would make for the Countess such sweet and pleasant verses as "long time ago" he was wont to dedicate to his peerless "Sacharissa." "Whenever," replied adroit Waller, with a let-that-pass air becoming the occasion, "whenever the Countess shall have acquired the youth and grace and beauty that was Sacharissa's." Here is a question suggested for the consideration of a Ninon, or a De Staël, or a Lady Mary Wortley, or a "Lady of Fashion," or an authoress of "Etiquette, and the Code of Conversation": Was compliment intended or conveyed in Waller's answer? This ready-witted adaptation of himself to contingent circumstances was an instance of the quality of Brummellism which distinguished Sir Philip. where discovers itself in the course of his political career, being easily donned for all court occasions. Of the poems of Marvell, those which are exclusively political were necessarily most popular in his own day. In those times of partisan turbulence, oddly jumbled with court wit, careless gallantry, and reckless, unscrupulous, indiscriminate libertinism, a mere languishing lover cut but a sorry figure at best. To be sure, verses merely amatory were produced in plenty, and of sufficient tenderness; but then, these were but formal tenders of fashionable compliment, and their artificiality was safely understood. Men then, as women now-a-days, moved in circles, coteries, cliques; and each wit of the hour, any inventive producer of lively verses, was, for the nonce, acknowledged Coryphœus of some little set. Each happy hit at any passing political absurdity, each racy version of some present circular scandal, had its willing pedlars, notable people who were "in the joke," and eager to provide for its publicity. Of such squibs as these Marvell was. a prolific producer. By their means he achieved unparalleled popularity with the Commonwealth party, and in the estimation of the gallant cavaliers, some reputation for formidability as an intractable arch-roundhead. Nevertheless, it was not as a licensed lampooner, and no better, that the bluff old patriot figured. His was graver sport. To be sure, he played somewhat widely with the lash of his wit, on this side and on that, tipping an absurdity in a tender part with a taking grace; but then all was done with a good-humored air, and all pro bono publico. Still, apart from political purposes, Marvell produced many verses of rare excellence which have easily lived down to our day, and, thanks to the careful nursing of Hazlitt and Leigh Hunt, even yet retain their wonted health and vigor. Hazlitt bestows enthusiastic commendation upon "the power and sweetness" of Marvell's verse, but seems to despair of convincing the public against its will, and despite its preconceived prejudices. He furnishes, for proof of Marvell's merit, these very elegant lines "ΤΟ HIS COY MISTRESS. "Had we but world enough and time, 1851. Waller and Marvell. Thou by the Indian Ganges' side Thy beauty shall no more be found; In some lines entitled "Thoughts in a Garden," suggested by the quaint device of " flower-dial," the following passage, luscious as bursting grapes, and refreshing as water-melons, occurs : a "What wondrous life is this I lead! reach; And elsewhere, speaking of Providence, he says: "He hangs in shade the orange bright, VOL. VII. NO. V. NEW SERIES. But we must proceed to consider Marvell and Waller in their offices of political poets. It must be remembered then that both were not partisans, for Waller was not one, save in so far as he found his party in himself. They could not be at all times political opponents, so long as Waller, invariable only as he was Waller, continued to pendulate, let Marvell be never so inflexible and tenacious, and at no time to be bought, begged or borrowed for the use of royalists. Marvell was the recognized oracle of the popu lar party. His speeches and writings furnished political maxims for the adherents of Cromwell and upholders of the Commonwealth. Waller was the veriest time-server and sycophantic waiter on the powers that be, ready to be any thing in the ecstacy of being in favor, and holding prosperity in higher estimation than honesty. Waller was the nephew of John Hampden, yet the world of factional turbulence has scarcely produced another such mere professional traitor. His mother, however, (Hampden's sister,) was a rabid royalist, and is said to have soundly rated Cromwell for his share in the death of Charles I. When Judge Crawley was impeached for his opinion favorable to the levy of ship-money, Waller conducted the prosecution against him, and 20,000 copies of his speech on that occasion were bought up by "the people." Yet, very shortly afterwards, he was implicated in a plot to surprise the city militia, and was detected in arranging to admit the King's forces. For this he was tried, and sentenced to one year's imprisonment and a fine of £10,000; and nothing can equal the abject meanness, pitiful poltroonery, and wretched prostitution of every sentiment of honor which he discovered in his apology to Parliament and the people. Waller sat for the town of Hastings in Charles II.'s first Parliament, and throughout that reign represented different constituencies. From his wide and open field of political experience, Waller descried afar off the fate of James II.; and when that reckless monarch was about to throw the national Church and the Constitution into "confusion worse confounded," prophesied of him that he would be " left like a whale upon the strand." Waller was born in 1605 at Coleshill, in Hertfordshire. Shortly before his death, he purchased a small property there, that "he might die, like a stag, where he was roused." This was well in him, and more worthy than 40 was his wont. One is almost persuaded to | Marvell was chosen to represent the town of pardon the meanness of his past life for the Hull, and he was the latest English member sake of its close. This praiseworthy ambi- who received a regular per diem from his tion of his eleventh hour, however, was not constituents. The Messrs. Chambers, remark to be gratified. He died at Beaconsfield, in 1687, and in the churchyard there he lies hard by to Edmund Burke. Rare company for each other are they, there under the mould! ing upon this fact, have appended this note Andrew Marvell was a rare good man. He inherited many excellences from his father, and, like a good and faithful servant, he abundantly multiplied those "talents of trust." Of this same father of his a curious (may we term it pleasant?) story is related. He was a clergyman, residing in Hull; and on one occasion, proceeding to Lincolnshire to marry a youthful couple, he embarked with the lovers in a small boat. The weather was calm, and the water quiet, but old Marvell had an anticipative feeling of danger. Nothing alarmed by the promise of quick death presently, on the contrary seeming strangely cheerful, he threw his cane ashore as he entered the boat, crying out, "Ho! for Heaven!" The boat sank, sure enough, and all were lost together. There is something very beautiful in all this. His parting gift to the familiar shore, and his brave affection and fidelity for his young friends, have in them something of modest martyrdom and the gentlest heroism. His son, Andrew, received his education at Cambridge, and having completed his studies there, and been graduated, he early proceeded to avail himself of the advantages of travel. It was at Rome that he met with Milton, and there an acquaintance, which afterwards was matured to friendship, political and personal, was easily established between these two. After having been secretary to the embassy nople, Marvell was selected by General Fairfax to instruct his daughter in languages. It was while thus employed, immediately Waller's "Panegyric upon the completion of this duty, that Milton, who had lately been presented with the unsolicited appointment of Latin Secretary, obtained, through the interest and kind offices of his friend the Secretary Bradshaw, Marveli's appointment to assist him. Milton's friendly interest was afterwards richly repaid by Marvell, who at the Restoration co-operated with Davenant to procure for Milton, who had rendered himself danger. ously obnoxious, a share in the general am- So has your Highness, raised above the rest, nesty. Shortly previous to the Restoration, I Storms of Ambition, tossing us, repressed. or to the Lord Protector." We will now supply some specimens of "Let partial spirits still aloud complain, "Above the waves as Neptune showed his face, To chide the winds, and save the Trojan race, *Your drooping country, torn with civil hate, "The sea's our own; and now all nations greet, "Heav'n, that has placed this island to give law, "Whether this portion of the world were rent "Hither the oppressed shall henceforth resort, The rising sun night's vulgar lights destroys. "Had you, some ages past, this race of glory "This Cæsar found; and that ungrateful age, What politic impudence, this reminding Cromwell of Brutus! "That sun once set, a thousand meaner stars In the next stanza he proceeds to contrast the Roman Senate with the English Parliament on a like occasion, and Rome's dire catastrophe with England's sudden prosperity; and concludes with "As the vex'd world, to find repose, at last "Then let the Muses, with such notes as these, We will now give Marvell's treatment of the same subject; and herein we have an admirable study of the distinction between the true and false of sentiment, in written matter of any sort: "AN HORATIAN ODE UPON CROMWELL'S RETURN FROM IRELAND. "The forward youch that would appear, ""Tis time to leave the books in dust, "So restless Cromwell could not cease But through adventurous war "And, like the three-forked lightning, first "For 'tis all one to encourage high, Or with such to inclose "Then burning through the air he went, And Cæsar's head at last Did through his laurels blast. "Tis madness to resist or blame " Who from his private gardens, where "Could by industrious valor climb "Though Justice against Fate complain, "Nature, that hateth emptiness, And therefore must make room "What field of all the civil war, "They can affirm his praises best, "Nor yet grown stiffer by command, "He to the Commons' feet presents "And has his sword and spoils ungirt "She having killed, no more does search, "What may not then this isle presume, While Victory his crest does plume? What may not others fear, If thus he crowns each year? "As Cæsar, he, ere long, to Gaul, And to all states not free "The Pict no shelter now shall find, Within his party-contour'd mind; But from this valor sad Shrink underneath the plaid, "Happy, if in the tufted brake The English hunter him mistake, Nor lay his hands in near The Caledonian deer. "But thou, the war's and fortune's son, March indefatigably on; And, for the last effect, "Besides the force it has to fright This, in a merely literary sense, is a very noble and elegant eulogy. In addition, from our knowledge of the author's character, it is but just to judge it honest and sincere. Holland was the enemy of the Commonwealth, and harbored and comforted the outcast King; therefore it was obnoxious to Marvell, who has made a very whimsical, almost absurd, satire upon it, which should be familiar to all who have ever heard the name of the author. It is only necessary to hint at it here. He styles Holland "the indigested vomit of the sea;" "so much earth as was contributed by English sailors (or pilots? this last is better, because more contemptuous) when they heav'd the lead!" and says, " the Dutch, with mad labor, fished the land ashore," "And dived as desperately for each piece Of earth, as if 't had been of ambergrease." "How did they rivet, with gigantic piles, Through the centre their new-catched miles ! And to the stake a struggling country bound, Where barking waves still bait the forced ground !" "Yet still his claim the injured ocean laid, And oft at leap-frog o'er their steeples play'd;" "The fish ofttimes the burgher dispossest, And sat not as a meat but as a guest;" "And oft the Tritons, and the sea-nymphs, saw Whole shoals of Dutch served up for cabillau." "Who best could know to pump an earth so leak, Him they their lord, and country's father, speak. To make a bank was a great plot of state; Invent a shovel, be a magistrate." And other such; but we must have done with these rare worthies. Of politicians of the passing day, their story will serve to instruct a gracious few, and amuse the graceless many. Surely, history, personal, political, or literary, no where presents another instance of such sustained symmetrical con trast. |