cal "Tentamina," or
essays of his, that he had confuted the atheists: Marvell declares,
"If he had reduced any atheist by his book, he can only pretend to
have converted them (as in the old Florentine wars) by mere tiring
them out, and perfect weariness." A pleasant allusion to those mock
fights of the Italian mercenaries, who, after parading all day, rarely
unhorsed a single cavalier.

Marvell blends with a ludicrous description of his answerers great
fancy:--

"The whole _Posse Archidiaconatus_ was raised to repress me; and great
rising there was, and sending post every way to pick out the ablest
ecclesiastical droles to prepare an answer. Never was such a hubbub
made about a sorry book. One flattered himself with being at least a
surrogate; another was so modest as to set up with being but a
paritor; while the most generous hoped only to be graciously smiled
upon at a good dinner; but the more hungry starvelings generally
looked upon it as an immediate call to a benefice; and he that could
but write an answer, whatsoever it were, took it for the most
dexterous, cheap, and legal way of simony. As is usual on these
occasions, there arose no small competition and mutiny among the
pretenders."

It seems all the body had not impudence enough, and had too nice
consciences, and could not afford an extraordinary expense in wit for
the occasion. It was then

"The author of the 'Ecclesiastical Polity' altered his lodgings to a
calumny-office, and kept open chamber for all comers, that he might be
supplied himself, or supply others, as there was occasion. But the
information came in so slenderly, that he was glad to make use of
anything rather than sit out; and there was at last nothing so slight,
but it grew material; nothing so false, but he resolved it should go
for truth; and what wanted in matter, he would make out with invention
and artifice. So that he and his remaining comrades seemed to have set
up a glass-house, the model of which he had observed from the height
of his window in the neighbourhood, and the art he had been initiated
into ever since from the manufacture (he will criticise because not
orifacture) of _soap-bubbles_, he improved by degrees to the mystery
of making _glass-drops_, and thence, in running leaps, mounted by
these virtues to be Fellow of the Royal Society, Doctor of Divinity,
Parson, Prebend, and Archdeacon. The furnace was so hot of itself,
that there needed no coals, much less any one to