errors and in persuading him to return to Trinity. An odd story, and
not, as it stands, very credible; but Mr. Grosart discovered among the
Marvell papers at Hull a fragment of a letter without signature,
address, or date, which throws some sort of light on the incident. This
letter was evidently, as Mr. Grosart surmises, sent to the elder Marvell
by some similarly afflicted parent. In its fragmentary state the letter
reads as follows:--

"Worthy S^r,--M^r Breerecliffe being w^th me to-day, I related vnto
him a fearfull passage lately at Cambridg touching a sonne of mine,
Bachelor of Arts in Katherine Hall, w^ch was this. He was lately
inuited to a supper in towne by a gentlewoman, where was one M^r
Nichols a felow of Peterhouse, and another or two masters of arts, I
know not directly whether felowes or not: my sonne hauing noe
p'ferment, but liuing meerely of my penny, they pressed him much to
come to liue at their house, and for chamber and extraordinary bookes
they promised farre: and then earnestly moued him to goe to Somerset
house, where they could doe much for p'ferring him to some eminent
place, and in conclusion to popish arguments to seduce him soe rotten
and vnsauory as being ouerheard it was brought in question before the
heads of the Uniuersity: _Dr. Cosens_, being _Vice Chancelor_ noe
punishment is inioined him: but on Ash-wednesday next a recantation
in regent house of some popish tenets Nicols let fall: I p'ceive by
M^r Breercliffe some such prank vsed towards y^r sonne: I desire to
know what y^u did therin: thinking I cannot doe god better seruice
then bring it vppon the stage either in Parliament if it hold: or
informing some Lords of the Counsail to whom I stand much oblieged if
a bill in Starchamber be meete To terrify others by making these some
publique spectacle: for if such fearfull practises may goe vnpunished
I take care whether I may send a child ... the lord."[15:1]