ond
Ceremonies, Armenianism, and Mainwaring. With that he begun, with
that ended, and thereby deform'd the whole reign of the best prince
that ever wielded the English sceptre. For his late Majesty, being a
prince truly pious and religious, was therefore the more inclined to
esteem and favour the clergy. And thence, though himself of a most
exquisite understanding, yet he could not trust it better than in
their treatment. Whereas every man is best at his own post, and so
the preacher in the pulpit."[167:2]

Kings, Marvell points out to Parker, must take wider views than parsons.

"'Tis not with them as with you. You have but one cure of souls, or
perhaps two as being a nobleman's chaplain, to look after, and if you
made conscience of discharging them as you ought, you would find you
had work sufficient without writing your 'Ecclesiastical Policies.'
But they are the incumbents of whole kingdoms, and the rectorship of
the common people, the nobility, and even of the clergy. The care I
say of all this rests on them, so that they are fain to condescend to
many things for peace sake and the quiet of mankind that your proud
heart would break before it would bend to. They do not think fit to
require any thing that is impossible, unnecessary or wanton of their
people, but are fain to consider the very temper of the climate in
which they live, the constitution and laws under which they have been
formerly bred, and upon all occasions to give them good words and
humour them like children. They reflect upon the histories of former
times and the present transactions to regulate themselves by in every
circumstance.... They (Kings) do not think fit to command things
unnecessary."[168:1]

These extracts, however fatal to Marvell's traditional reputation in the
eighteenth century as a Puritan and a Republican, call for no apology.

An example of Marvell's Interludes ought to be given. There are many to
choose from.

"There was a worthy divine, not many years dead, who in his younger
time, being of a facetious and unlucky humour, was commonly known by
the name of Tom Triplet; he was brought up at Paul's school under a
severe master, Dr. Gill, and from thence he went to the University.
There he took liberty (as 'tis usual with those that are emancipated
from School) to tel tales and make the discipline ridiculous under
which he was bred.