MARVELL, Andrew, an ingenious writer in the seventeenth century, was bred at Cambridge. He travelled through 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 John Milton, Latin secretary to the protector. A little before the Restoration, he was chosen by his native town, Kingston-upon-Hull, to sit in the parliament ], which assembled at Westminster on the 25th of April 1660; and he is recorded 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 much influence without doors upon the members of both houses; and Prince. Rupert had always the greatest regard for his advice. He made himself very obnoxious to the government by his actions and writings; but, notwithstanding, Charles II. took great delight in his conversation, and tried all means to win him over to the side of the court. There were many instances of his firmness in resisting the offers of the court; but he was proof against all temptations. The king having one night entertained him, sent the Lord Treasurer Danby 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 abruptly opened the door and entered. Surprised at the sight of so unexpected a visitor, Mr Marvell told his lordship that he believed he had mistaken his way. Lord Danby replied that he had not, now he had found Mr Marvell; 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; and that whoever was distinguished by a prince’s favour, was certainly expected to vote in his interest. The Lord Danby told him, that his majesty had only a just sense of his merits; in regard to which he merely 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 either be ungrateful to the king in voting against him, or false to his country in giving in to the measures of the court. The only favour, therefore, he had to request of his majesty was, that he would esteem him as dutiful a subject as any he had, and more in his proper interest by refusing his offers than if he had embraced them. The Lord Danby finding that no arguments could prevail, told him that the king had ordered a thousand pounds for him, which he hoped he would receive until he could think what further to ask of his majesty. But this last offer was rejected with the same stedfastness 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 in 1678, not without strong suspicions of having been poisoned, in the fifty-eighth year of his age. In 1688, the town of Kingston-upon-Hull contributed a sum of money to erect a monument to his memory in the church of St Giles-inthe-Fields, where he was interred, and an epitaph composed by an able hand; but the ministers of that church forbade both the inscription and monument to be placed there. His works were published in 1726, in two vols. 12mo; but a much more complete collection appeared in 1776, in three vols. 4to. This edition, however, attributes to him some pieces which did not proceed from his pen.