2, 1654._"

Addressed: "For my most honoured friend,
John Milton, Esquire, Secretarye
for the Forrain affaires
at his house in Petty France,
Westminster."

To conclude Marvell's Eton experiences; in 1657, and very shortly before
his obtaining his appointment as Milton's assistant in the place of
Philip Meadows, who was sent on a mission to Lisbon, Marvell was chosen
by the Lord-Protector to be tutor at Eton to Cromwell's ward, Mr.
Dutton, and took up his residence with his pupil with the Oxenbridges.
The following letter, addressed by Marvell to Oliver, will be read with
interest:--

"May it please your Excellence,--It might, perhaps, seem fit for me
to seek out words to give your Excellence thanks for myself. But,
indeed, the only civility which it is proper for me to practice with
so eminent a person is to obey you, and to perform honestly the work
that you have set me about. Therefore I shall use the time that your
Lordship is pleased to allow me for writing, onely for that purpose
for which you have given me it; that is, to render you an account of
Mr. Dutton. I have taken care to examine him several times in the
presence of Mr. Oxenbridge, as those who weigh and tell over money
before some witnesse ere they take charge of it; for I thought that
there might be possibly some lightness in the coyn, or errour in the
telling, which hereafter I should be bound to make good. Therefore,
Mr. Oxenbridge is the best to make your Excellency an impartial
relation thereof: I shall only say, that I shall strive according to
my best understanding (that is, according to those rules your
Lordship hath given me) to increase whatsoever talent he may have
already. Truly, he is of gentle and waxen disposition; and God be
praised, I cannot say he hath brought with him any evil impression;
and I shall hope to set nothing into his spirit but what may be of a
good sculpture. He hath in him two things that make youth most easy
to be managed,--modesty, which is the bridle to vice; and emulation,
which is the spur to virtue. And the care which your Excellence is
pleased to take of him is no small encouragement and shall be so
represented to him; but, above all, I shall labour to make him
sensible of his duty to God; for then we begin to serve faithfully,
when we consider