MARVELL (Andrew), an ingenious writer in the
17th century, was bred at Cambridge. He travelled
thro' the most polite parts of Europe, and was secretary
to the embassy at Constantinople. His first appearance
in public business at home was as assistant to Mr John
Milton Latin secretary to the protector. A little be-
fore the restoration, he was chosen by his native town,
Kingston upon Hull, to sit in that parliament, which
began at Westminster April 25th 1660; and is record-
ed as the last member of parliament who received the
wages or allowance anciently paid to representatives
by their constituents. He seldom spoke in parliament,
but he had great influence without doors upon the
members of both houses; and prince Rupert had al-
ways the greatest regard for his advice. He made
himself very obnoxious to the government by his ac-
tions and writings; notwithstanding which, king
Charles II. took great delight in his conversation, and
tried all means to win him over to his side, but in vain;
nothing being ever able to shake his resolution. There
were many instances of his firmness in resisting the of-
fers of the court; but he was proof against all tempta-
tions. The king having one night entertained him,
sent the Lord treasurer Danby the next morning to
find out his lodgings; which were then up two pair
of stairs in one of the little courts in the Strand. He
was busy writing, when the treasurer opened the door
abruptly upon him. Surprised at the sight of so un-
expected a visitor, Mr Marvell told his Lordship,
"That he believed he had mistaken his way." Lord
Danby replied, "Not, now I have found Mr Mar-
vell;" telling him he came from his Majesty, to know
what he could do to serve him. Coming to a serious
explanation, he told the Lord-treasurer, that he knew
the nature of courts full well; that whoever is distin-
guished by a prince's favour, is certainly expected to
vote in his interest. The Lord Danby told him, that
his Majesty had only a just sense of his merits, in re-
gard to which he only desired to know if there was
any place at court he could be pleased with. These
offers, though urged with the greatest earnestness, had
no effect upon him. He told the Lord-treasurer, that
he could not accept of them with honour; for he must
be either ungrateful to the king in voting against him,
or false to his country in giving into the measures of
the court. The only favour therefore he had to re-
quest of his Majesty was, that he would esteem him as
dutiful a subject as any he had, and more in his pro-
per interest by refusing his offers, than if he had em-
braced them. The Lord Danby finding no argu-
ments could prevail, told him, that the king had or-
dered a thousand pounds for him, which he hoped he
would receive till he could think what farther to ask
of his Majesty. The last offer was rejected with the
same steadfastness of mind as the first; though, as soon
as the Lord-treasurer was gone, he was forced to send
to a friend to borrow a guinea. He died, not without
strong suspicions of his being poisoned, in 1678, in
the 58th year of his age. In 1688, the town of King-
ston upon Hull contributed a sum of money to erect a
monument over him in the church of St Giles in the
Fields, where he was interred, and an epitaph compo-
sed by an able hand; but the minister of that church
forbid both the inscription and monument to be plac-
ed there. He wrote many ingenious pieces; as, The
Rehearsal transposed; A short historical Essay con-
cerning General Councils, Creeds, and Impositions in
matters of Religion, &c.
MARVEL of Peru, in botany. See MIRABILIS.