pretty stanza, composed apparently before the sex of the
new-born infant was known at Cambridge.
"Sive felici Carolum figura
Parvulus princeps imitetur almae
Sive Mariae decoret puellam
Dulcis imago."
After taking his Bachelor's degree in 1639, Marvell, being still a
Scholar of the college, must have gone away, for the Conclusion Book of
Trinity, under date September 24, 1641, records as follows:--
"It is agreed by y^e Master and 8 seniors y^t M^r Carter and D^r
Wakefields, D^r Marvell, D^r Waterhouse, and D^r Maye in regard y^t
some of them are reported to be married and y^t others look not after
y^eir days nor Acts shall receave no more benefitt of y^e Coll and
shall be out of y^ier places unless y^ei shew just cause to y^e Coll
for y^e contrary in 3 months."
Dr. Lort, in his amiable letter of 1765, already mentioned, points out
that this entry contains no reflection on Marvell's morals, but shows
that he was given "notice to quit" for non-residence, "then much more
strictly enjoined than it is now." The days referred to in the entry
were, so the master obligingly explains, "the certain number allowed by
statute to absentees," whilst the "acts mean the Exercises also enjoyned
by the statutes." Dr. Lort adds, "It does not appear, by any subsequent
entry, whether Marvell did or did not comply with this order." We may
now safely assume he did not. Marvell's Cambridge days were over.
The vacations, no inconsiderable part of the year, were probably spent
by Marvell under his father's roof at Hull, where his two elder sisters
were married and settled. It is not to be wondered at that Andrew
Marvell should, for so many years, have represented Hull in the House of
Commons, for both he and his family were well known in the town. The
elder Marvell added to his reputation as a teacher and preacher the
character of a devoted servant of his flock in the hour of danger. The
plague twice visited Hull during the time of the elder Marvell, first in
1635 and again in 1638. In those days men might well pray to be
delivered from "plague, pestilence, and famine." Hull suffered terribly
on both occasions. We have seen, in comparatively recent times, the
effect of the cholera upon large towns, and the plague was worse than
the cholera many times over. The Hull preacher, despite the stigma of
_facetiousness_, which still clings to him, stuck to his post, visiting
the sick, buryi
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