Part 6 (1/2)
Yet I iine, poor as this evidence may seem to be, no student of Marvell's life and character (so far as his life reveals his character), and of his verse (so much of it as is positively knoants more evidence to satisfy him that the _Horatian Ode_ is as surely Marvell's as the lines upon _Appleton House_, the _Berreat popularity of this Ode undoubtedly rests on the three stanzas:--
”That thence the royal actor borne, The tragic scaffold ht adorn, While round the ar common did, or mean, Upon that e did try;
Nor called the Gods with vulgar spite To vindicate his helpless right, But bowed his coe that the death of the king should be so nobly sung in an Ode bearing Croenius:--
”So restless Crolorious arts of peace, But through adventurous war Urged his active star;
Then burning through the air he went, And palaces and teh his laurels blast
'Tis ry Heaven's flame; And if ould speak true, Much to the ardens, where He lived reserved and austere, (As if his highest plot To plant the bergareat work of tidoms old Into another mould”
The last stanzas of all havein them:--
”But thou, the war's and fortune's son, March indefatigably on!
And for the last effect, Still keep the sword erect
Besides the force it has to fright The spirits of the shady night, The saain A power,that this Ode was not published in 1650--if indeed it was the work of that, and not of a later year There is nothing either of the courtier or of the partisan about its stately versification and sober, solereat e career by one well entitled to criticise, are a the chief characteristics of this noble poe about Croet as far away as possible froot, whether of the school of Laud or Hobbes Andrew Marvell knew Oliver Croazed on his features as he lay dead--he knew his areatness, his power, and where that power lay How ly have lost, if Captain Thompson had not printed a poem which for more than a century of years had rele manuscript copy!
When Cromwell sent his picture to Queen Christina of Sweden to commeh not then attached to the public service, was employed to write the Latin couplet that accoed his task as follows:--
_In effigiem Oliveri Croavit At sub qua cives otia lenta terunt”
The authorshi+p of these lines is often attributed to Milton, but there is little doubt they are of Marvell's coht easily have been better
Marvell became Milton's assistant in September 1657, and the friendshi+p between the twoties of a co hin embassies, Marvell took his place and joined in respectfully greeting the Dutch ambassadors After all he was but a junior clerk, still he doubtless rejoiced that his lines on Holland had been published anonyly represented in this department of State just then, for Cro, who represented Northamptonshi+re in Parliament, had taken occasion to introduce his nephew, John Dryden, to the public service, and he was attached to the saeons, have often taken shelter under our public roofs, but Milton, Marvell, and Dryden, all at the same time, form a re to do with it Marvellto show that Milton and Cro which represents a theatrical Lord-Protector dictating despatches to a hly ludicrous Cromwell could have as easily dictated a book of _Paradise Lost_, on the co the last year of the Protectorate, as one of Milton's despatches
In April 1657 Adreat name in the annals of our navy, perfor the Spanish West Indian fleet at Santa Cruz without the loss of an English vessel The gallant sailor died of fever on his way ho to his deserts in the Abbey His body, with that of his master, was by a vote of Parliarave and drawn to the gallows-tree, and there hanged and buried under it Pepys, as to know so of naval administration under the second Charles, has his reflections on this unpleasing incident
Marvell's lines on Blake's victory over the Spaniards are not worthy of so glorious an occasion, but our great doings by land and sea have seldoincourt_ is imperishable, but was composed nearly two centuries after the battle
The wail of Flodden Field still floats over the Border; but Miss Elliot's famous ballad was published in 1765 Even the Spanish Arment Mr Addison's _Blenhei Chatham's victories[70:1] Campbell at a later day did better We et
Marvell's poeood hater:--
”Now does Spain's fleet her spacious wings unfold, Leaves the neorld, and hastens for the old; But though the as fair, they slouuilt to come; For this rich load, of which so proud they are, Was raised by tyranny, and raised for war
For now upon the ive the law”
The Canary Islands are rapturously described--their delightful climate and their excellent wine Obviously they should be annexed:--
”The best of lands should have the best of Kings”