r, in

'----a garden of his own,'

the flowers that had solaced his leisure hours when he was comparatively
unknown. But Cromwell died, Charles returned, and Marvel's energies
sprung into arms at acts which, in accordance with his principles, he
considered base, and derogatory to his country. His whole efforts were
directed to the preservation of civil and religious liberty.

It was but a short time previous to the Restoration that Marvel had been
chosen by his native town to sit as its representative in Parliament.
The Session began at Westminster in April, 1660, and he acquitted
himself so honorably, that he was again chosen for the one which began
in May, 1661. Whether under Cromwell or Charles, he acted with such
thorough honesty of purpose, and gave such satisfaction to his
constituents, that they allowed him a handsome pension all the time he
continued to represent them, which was till the day of his death. This
was probably the last borough in England that paid a representative.[A]
He seldom spoke in Parliament, but had much influence with the members
of both Houses; the spirited Earl of Devonshire called him friend, and
Prince Rupert particularly paid the greatest regard to his councils; and
whenever he voted according to the sentiments of Marvel, which he often
did, it used to be said, by the opposite party, that 'he had been with
his tutor.' Such certainly was the intimacy between the Prince and
Marvel, that when he was obliged to abscond, to avoid falling a
sacrifice to the indignation of those enemies among the governing party
whom his satirical pen had irritated, the Prince frequently went to see
him, disguised as a private person.

The noted Doctor Samuel Parker published Bishop Bramhall's work, setting
forth the rights of kings over the consciences of their subjects, and
then came forth Marvel's witty and sarcastic poem, 'The Rehearsal
Transposed.'[B] And yet how brightly did the generosity of his noble
nature shine forth at this very time, when he forsook his own wit in
that very poem, to praise the wit of Butler, his rival and political
enemy. Fortune seems about this period to have dealt hardly with him.
Even while his political satires rang through the very halls of the
pampered and impure Charles, when they were roared forth in every
tavern, shouted in the public streets, and attracted the most envied
attention throughout England, their author was obliged to exchange the
free air, apt type of