Part 17 (1/2)
The following letter deals with another matter of human concern than politics, for it seeks to condole with a father who has lost an only son
_To Sir John Trott_ (Undated)
”HONOURED SIR,--I have not that vanity to believe, if you weigh your late loss by the cohten your resents by the rules of christianity, do I think it needful to co a great esteerateful reen and fresh upon my spirit, I cannot forbear to inquire, how you have stood the second shock at your sad ht of those who have been witnesses of our better fortune, doth but serve to reinforce a calarief and infection of tears, and especially when it runs in a blood And I myself could sooner is of nature, so that they spring from tenderness only and humanity, not froether like those little drops that compact the rainbow, and if they be placed with the sae towards Heaven as those are to the sun, they too have their splendour; and like that bohile they unbend into seasonable showers, yet they promise, that there shall not be a second flood
But the dissoluteness of grief, the prodigality of sorrow, is neither to be indulged in a man's self, nor complyed with in others If that were allowable in these cases, Eli's was the readyest way and highest co, who fell back from his seat and broke his neck But neither does that precedent hold For though he had been Chancellor, and in effect King of Israel, for so many years (and such her rate than others), yet, when he heard that Israel was overcome, that his two sons Hophni and Phineas were slain in one day, and saw himself so without hope of issue, and which iovernment, yet he fell not till the news that the ark of God was taken I pray God that we may never have the same parallel perfected in our publick concernrace and nature to support us But on a private loss, and sweetened with so many circumstances as yours, to be impatient, to be uncoh an only son be inestiry at God for the withering of his shadow Zipporah, though the delay had almost cost her husband his life, yet, when he did but circumcise her son, in a womanish peevishness reproached Moses as a bloody husband But if God take the son himself, but spare the father, shall we say that He is a bloody God? He that gave His own son, may He not take ours? It is pride thatof ourselves and our own things that raises us against Divine Providence Whereas Abraham's obedience was better than sacrifice And if God please to accept both, it is indeed a farther tryal, but a greater honour I could say over upon this beaten occasion ion which have been so often repeated, and are as soon forgotten We abound with precept, but ant exas in your reater interposition, should be exemplary to others in your own practice 'Tis true, it is an hard task to learn and teach at the same time And, where yourselves are the experiment, it is as if a man should dissect his own body, and read the anatohten the difficulty while I advise the attes, you would do well to then and assist you; the word of God; the society of good men; and the books of the ancients; there is one way more, which is by diversion, business, and activity; which are also necessary to be used in their season But I myself, who live to so little purpose, can have little authority or ability to advise you in it, who are a person that are and enerally useful All that I have been able to do since, hath been to write this sorry Elogy of your son, which if it be as good as I could wish, it is as yet no indecent e kindly from your very affectionate friend, and most humble servant”
Milton died on the 8th of Nove the poet's intimate friends until the end, and intended to write his life
It is idle to mourn the loss of an unwritten book, but Marvell's life of Milton would have been a treasure[199:1]
When Parliament met on the 13th of April 1675, members found in their places a mock-speech from the throne They _knew_ the hand that had penned it It was a daring production and ran as follows:--
_His Majesty's Most Gracious Speech to Both Houses of Parliament_
”MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,--I told you at our last , the winter was the fittest tiht so, tillwas the best season for sallads and subsidies I hope therefore that April will not prove so unnatural a month, as not to afford soapes for want of theerous to make me too rich; but I do not fear it; for I proive s ht a slender authority, yet in that, you may rely on me, I will never break it
”MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,--I can bear my straits with patience; but my Lord Treasurer does protest to me, that the revenue, as it now stands, will not serve him and me too One of us must pinch for it, if you do not help me I must speak freely to you: I am under bad circumstances, for besides my harlots in service, my reforood estate, I confess, but, God's-fish, I have a great charge upon 't Here's ned for next suuards must, of necessity, be applyed to the next year's cradles and swadling-cloths What shall we do for shi+ps then? I hint this only to you, it being your busyness, not mine I know, by experience, I can live without shi+ps I lived ten years abroad without, and never had my health better in my life; but how you will be without, I leave to yourselves to judge, and therefore hint this only by the bye: I do not insist upon it There's another thing I ood part of my revenue will expire in two or three years, except you will be pleased to continue it I have to say for 't, pray, why did you give ive on as fast as I call for it? The nation hates you already for giving so ive me more So that if you stick not to land On the other hand, if you will give s for your religion and liberty, that I have had long in hts, but cannot effect theh Therefore look to 't and take notice that if you do not h to undo you, it shall lie at your doors For ood opinion, the best way is to acquaint you what I have done to deserve it, out of ion and your property For the first, my proclalass, see land, does not deserve any farther satisfaction, for I declare hiood Some may, perhaps, be startled, and cry, how co, and that's sufficient, I think But to convince uments:--
”First, I tell you so, and you know I never break my word
”Secondly, My Lord Treasurer says so, and he never told a lye in his life
”Thirdly, My Lord Lauderdale will undertake it for me; and I should be loath, by any act of mine, he should forfeit the credit he has with you
”If you desire more instances of my zeal, I have them for you For example, I have converted my natural sons from Popery; and I may say, without vanity, it was etting thee can read already in the Psalter They are all fine children, God bless 'es But, as I was saying, I have, to please you, given a pension to your favourite ht he wanted it, as that you would take it kindly I have made Carwell dutchess of Portsmouth, and marryed her sister to the Earl of Pembroke I have, at my brother's request, sent ion aier I have made Crew Bishop of Durham, and, at the first word of my Lady Portsmouth, Prideaux Bishop of Chichester I know not, for my part, what factious men would have; but this I aain the good will of their subjects So ion, and now for your property My behaviour to the Bankers is a publick instance; and the proceedings between Mrs Hyde and Mrs Sutton for private ones, are such convincing evidences, that it will be needless to say any more to 't
”I must now acquaint you, that, by my Lord Treasurer's advice, I have made a considerable retrenchment upon my expenses in candles and charcoal, and do not intend to stop there, but will, with your help, look into the late e-pans and kitchen-stuff; of which, by the way, upon my conscience, neither uilty I tell youin that busyness, I tell you plainly, I leave 'em to you; for, I would have the world to know, I am not a man to be cheated
”My Lords and Gentlemen, I desire you to believe me as you have found ive ed with the same conduct, trust, sincerity, and prudence, that I have ever practised, since 's Speeches have often been made, but this is the first, and I think still the best of theion from the debates of those days A new Oaths Bill suddenly appeared in the House of Lords, where it gave rise to one of the greatest debates that asse seventeen days The bishops were baited by the peers with great spirit, and the report of the proceedings usto
Marvell, in his _Growth of Popery_, thus describes what happened:--
”While these things were upon the anvil, the 10th of Nove, but that was put off till the 13th of April 1675 And in the meantime, which fell out most opportune for the conspirators, these counsels werefurther to be contrived, that was yet wanting; the Parlia, and the House of Lords, as well as that of the Co in deliberation of several wholesome bills, such as the present state of the nation required, the great design ca in the House of Lords, whereby all such as injoyed any beneficial office, or imployment, ecclesiastical, civil, or military, to which was added privy counsellors, justices of the peace, and members of Parliament, were under a penalty to take the oath, and :--
'I AB do declare, that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take up ar, and that I do abhor that traiterous position of taking arainst those that are commissioned by him in pursuance of such commission And I do swear, that I will not at any tiovernment either in Church or State So help ht into the House of Coue year at Oxford, to have been imposed upon the nation, but there, by the assistance of those very same persons that now introduce it, 'twas thrown out, for fear of a general infection of the vitals of this kingdoh it passed then in a particular bill, known by the name of the Five Mile Act, because it only concerned the non-conforhly opposed by the late Earl of Southaht well have been reckoned for the standard of prudence and loyalty”[204:1]
Of the proposed oath Marvell says, ”No Conveyancer could ever interland”
This was no s are no niceties, or re of laws, and which es, _durante bene placito_, all cases are to be put and i an act in Scotland for 20,000 reat a body of English soldiery in France, within sued by treaty to furnish, and it being so fresh in me us, to which add the many books then printed by license, writ, soreen cloth, wherein the absoluteness of the English ainst all law asserted