royalty restored-第75部分

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friendship。　　His　majesty's　regard　for　Wycherley　gradually　ripened；　and　once　when　he　lay　ill　of　fever　at　his　lodgings　in　Bow　Street；　Covent　Garden；　the　merry　monarch　visited　him；　cheered　him　with　words　of　kindness；　and　promised　he　would　send　him　to　Montpelier　when　he　was　well　enough　to　travel。　　For　this　good　purpose　Charles　sent　him　five　hundred　pounds；　and　Wycherley　spent　the　winter　of　1679　abroad。

Previous　to　this　date　he　had　written；　besides　his　first　comedy；　three　others　which　had　been　received　with　great　favour　by　the　town；　viz。；　〃The　Gentleman　Dancing　Master；〃　〃The　Country　Wife；〃　and　〃The　Plain　Dealer。〃　　Soon　after　his　return　to　England　the　crisis　of　his　life　arrived；　and　he　married。　　His　introduction　to　the　lady　whom　fate　ordained　to　become　his　wife　is　not　the　least　singular　episode　in　a　remarkable　biography。　　Being　at　Tunbridge　Wells；　then　a　place　of　fashion　and　liberty；　he　was　one　day　walking　with　a　friend　named　Fairbeard。　　And　it　happened　as　they　were　passing　a　book…stall　they　overheard　a　gentlewoman　inquire　for　the　〃Plain　Dealer。〃

〃Madam；〃　says　Mr。　Fairbeard；　uncovering；　〃since　you　are　for　the　'Plain　Dealer；'　there　he　is　for　you；〃　whereon　he　led　Wycherley　towards　her。

〃This　lady；〃　says　that　gentleman；　making　her　a　profound　bow；　〃can　bear　plain　speaking；　for　she　appears　to　be　so　accomplished；　that　what　would　be　compliment　said　to　others；　spoken　to　her　would　be　plain　dealing。〃

〃No　truly；　sir；〃　replied　the　lady；　〃I　am　not　without　my　faults；　like　the　rest　of　my　sex；　and　yet；　notwithstanding　all　my　faults；　I　love　plain　dealing；　and　never　am　more　fond　of　it　than　when　it　points　out　my　errors。〃

〃Then；　madam；〃　said　Mr。　Fairbeard；　〃you　and　the　plain　dealer　seem　designed　by　heaven　for　each　other。〃

These　pretty　speeches　having　been　delivered　and　received　with　every　mark　of　civility；　Mr。　Wycherley　made　his　exit　with　the　lady；　who　was　none　other　than　the　Countess　of　Drogheda；　a　young　widow　gifted　with　beauty　and　endowed　by　fortune。　　Day　by　day　he　waited　on　her　at　her　lodging；　accompanied　her　in　her　walks；　and　attended　her　to　the　assemblies。　　Finally；　when　she　returned　to　town　he　married　her。　　It　is　sad　yet　true　the　union　did　not　result　in　perfect　happiness。　　Mr。　Wycherley　had　a　reputation　for　gallantry；　the　Countess　of　Drogheda　was　the　victim　of　suspicion。　Knowing　jealousy　is　beget　by　love；　and　mindful　of　sacrifices　she　had　made　in　marrying　him；　Wycherley　behaved　towards　her　with　much　kindness。　　In　compliance　with　her　wishes　he　desisted　visiting　the　court；　a　place　she　probably　knew　from　experience　was　rife　with　temptation；　and　moreover　when　he　cracked　a　bottle　of　wine　with　convivial　friends　at　the　Cock　Tavern；　opposite　his　lodgings　in　Bow　Street；　he；　for　the　greater　satisfaction　of　his　wife；　would　leave　the　windows　open　of　the　room　in　which　he　sat；　that　she　might　from　the　vantage　ground　of　her　home　see　there　were　no　hussies　in　the　company。

As　proof　of　her　love；　she；　when　dying；　settled　her　fortune　upon　him；　but　unhappily　his　just　right　was　disputed　by　her　family。　The　case　therefore　went　into　litigation；　for　the　expenses　of　which；　together　with　other　debts；　Wycherley　was　cast　into　prison。　Here　the　brilliant　wit；　clever　writer；　and　boon　companion；　was　allowed　to　remain　seven　long　years。　　When　released　from　this　vile　bondage；　another　king　than　the　merry　monarch　occupied　the　English　throne。

The　name　of　Andrew　Marvel　is　inseparably　connected　with　this　period。　　He　was　born　in　the　year　1620　in　the　town　of　Kingston…　upon…Hull；　his　father　being　a　clever　school…master；　worthy　minister；　and　〃an　excellent　preacher；　who　never　broached　what　he　had　never　brewed；　but　that　which　he　had　studied　some　compitent　time　before。〃　　At　the　age　of　fifteen；　Andrew　Marvell　was　sent　to　Trinity　College；　Cambridge。　　But　he　had　not　long　been　there　when　he　withdrew　himself；　lured；　as　some　authorities　state；　by　wiles　of　the　wicked　Jesuits；　repulsed；　as　others　say；　by　severities　of　the　head　of　his　college。　　Leaving　the　university；　he　set　out　for　London；　where　his　father；　who　hastened　thither　in　search　of　him；　found　him　examining　some　old　volumes　on　a　book…stall。　　He　was　prevailed　to　return　to　his　college；　where；　in　1638；　he　took　his　degree　as　bachelor　of　arts。

On　the　completion　of　his　studies　and　death　of　his　father；　he　travelled　through　Holland；　France；　and　Italy。　　Whilst　abroad　he　began　to　produce　those　satirical　verses　such　as　were　destined　to　render　him　famous。　　One　of　his　earliest　efforts　in　this　direction　was　aimed　at　the　Abbe　de　Maniban；　a　learned　ecclesiastic；　whose　chief　fault　in　Marvell's　eyes　lay　in　the　fact　of　his　professing　to　judge　characters　from　handwriting。

Whilst　in　Italy；　Andrew　Marvell　met　John　Milton；　and　they　having　many　tastes　and　convictions　in　common；　became　fast　friends。　　In　1653；　the　former　returned　to　England；　and　for　some　time　acted　as　tutor　to　Mistress　Fairfax；　he　being　an　excellent　scholar；　and　a　great　master　of　the　Latin　tongue。　　He　now　led　a　peaceful　and　obscure　life　until　1657。　　In　that　year；　Milton；　〃laying　aside；〃　as　he　wrote；　〃those　jealousies；　and　that　emulation　which　mine　own　condition　might　suggest　to　me；〃　introduced　him　to　Bradshaw；　soon　after　which　he　was　made　assistant…secretary　to　Milton；　who　was　then　in　the　service　of　Cromwell。

He　had　not　been　long　engaged　in　this　capacity；　when　the　usurper　died；　and　Marvell's　occupation　being　gone；　the　goodly　burgesses　of　the　town　of　Hull；　who　loved　him　well；　elected　him　as　their　representative　in　parliament；　for　which　service；　in　accordance　with　a　custom　of　the　time；　he　was　paid。　　The　salary；　it　is　true；　was　not　large；　amounting　to　two　shillings　a　day　for　borough　members；　yet　when　kindly　feeling　and　honest　satisfaction　mutually　existed　between　elector　and　representative；　as　in　Marvell's　case；　the　wage　was　at　times　supplemented　by　such　acceptable　additions　as　home…cured　pork　and　home…brewed　ale；　〃We　must　first　give　you　thanks；〃　wrote　Marvell　on　one　occasion　to　his　constituents；　on　the　receipt　of　a　cask　of　beer；　〃for　the　kind　present　you　have　pleased　to　send　us；　which　will　give　occasion　to　us　to　remember　you　often；　but　the　quantity　is　so　great；　that　it　might　make　sober　men　forgetful。〃

He　now；　in　the　warfare　of　political　life；　made　free　use　of　his　keen　wit　and　bitter　sarcasm　as　serviceable　weapons。　　These　were　chiefly　employed　in　exposing　measures　he　considered　calculated　to　ruin　the　country；　though　they　might　gratify　the　king。　　However；　he　had　no　hatred　of　monarchy；　but　would　occasionally　divert　Charles　by　the　sharpness　of　his　satire　and　brilliancy　of　his　wit。　Considering　how　valuable　these　would　be　if　employed　in　service　of　the　court；　Charles　resolved　to　tempt　Marvell's　integrity。　　For　this　purpose　the　Lord　Treasurer　Danby　sought　and　found　him　in　his　chamber；　situated　in　the　second　floor　of　a　mean　house　standing　in　a　court　off　the　Strand。　　Groping　his　way　up　the　dark　and　narrow　staircase　of　the　domicile；　the　great　minister　stumbled；　and　falling　against　a　door；　was　precipitated　into　Marvell's　apartment；　head　foremost。　　Surprised　at　his　appearance；　the　satirist　asked　my　Lord　Danby　if　he　had　not　mistaken　his　way。　〃No；〃　said　the　courtier　with　a　bow；　〃not　since　I　have　found　Mr。　Marvell。〃　　He　then　proceeded　to　tell　him　that　the　king；　being　impressed　by　a　high　sense　of　his　abilities；　was　desirous　of　serving　him。　　Apprehending　what　services　were　expected　in　return；　Marvell　answered　that　he　who　accepted　favours　from　the　court　was　bound　to　vote　in　its　interests。　　〃Nay；〃　said　my　lord；　〃his　majesty　but　desires　to　know　if　there　is　any　place　at　court　you　would　accept。〃　　On　which　Marvell　replied　he　could　receive　nothing　with　honour；　for　either　he　must　treat　the　king　with　ingratitude　by　refusing　compliance　with　court　measures；　or　be　a　traitor　to　his　country　by　yielding　to　them。　　The　only　favour　he　therefore　begged　was；　that　his　majesty　would　esteem　him　a　loyal　subject；　the　truer　to　his　interests　in　refusing　his　offers　than　he　would　be　by　accepting　them。　　It　is　stated　that　Lord　Danby；　surprised　at　so　much　purity　in　an　age　of　corruption；　furthermore　tempted　him　with　a　bag　of　gold；　which　Marvell　obstinately　refused　to　accept。

He　died　suddenly　in　the　year　1678；　leaving　behind　him　a　reputation　for　humour　and　satire　which　has　rarely　been　excelled。

Besides　these　poets　and　dramatists；　there　were　other　great　men；　who　as　prose　writers；　helped　to　render　the　literary　history　of　the　period　remarkable　for　its　brilliancy。　　Amongst　these　were　Lord　Clarendon；　High　Chancellor　of　England；　concerning　whom　much　has　already　been　said；　and　Thomas　Hobbs　of　Malmesbury；　better　known　as　author　of　〃The　History　of　the　Causes　of　the　Civil　War；〃　and　of　〃Human　Nature；〃　than　as　a　translator　of　the　Iliad　and　the　Odyssey。　　Dr。　Gilbert　Burnet；　author　of　〃The　History　of　his　Own　Times；〃　and　Dr。　Ralph　Cudworth；　author　of　〃The　True　Intellectual　System　of　the　Universe；〃　were　likewise　men　of　note。　　But　one　whose　name　is　far　more　familiar　than　any　writer　of　his　time　is　John　Bunyan；　author　of　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress。〃

He　was　the　son　of　a　tinker；　and　was　born　within　a　mile　of　Bedford　town　in　the　year　1628。　　He　imbibed　at　an　early　age　the　spirit　of　Puritanism；　fought　in　the　civil　wars；　took　to　himself　a　wife；　and　turned　preacher。　　Six　months　after　the　merry　monarch　landed；　Bunyan　was　flung　into　Bedford　gaol；　where；　r