Andrew Marvell (1621-78) is best known to us as the author of a handful of exquisite lyrics and provocative political poems. In his own time, however, Marvell was famous for his brilliant prose interventions in the major issues of the Restoration, religious toleration and what he called "arbitrary" as distinct from parliamentary government. This is a modern edition of all Marvell's prose pamphlets, complete with introductions and annotation explaining the historical context. From the "Rehearsal Transpros'd", a serio-comic best-seller which appeared with tacit permission from Charles II himself to the documentary "Account of the Growth of Popery and Arbitrary Government", Marvell established himself not only as a model of liberal thought for the 18th century but also as an irresistible new voice in political polemic - and he was wittier, more literary and hence more readable than his contemporaries.

Annabel Patterson is Sterling Professor of English at Yale University and the author of Nobody's Perfect: A New Whig Interpretation of History (ISBN 0 300 09288 1, [pound]19.50), published by Yale University Press. Martin Dzelzainis is senior lecturer in English, Royal Holloway College, University of London. Nicholas von Maltzahn is professor of English at the University of Ottawa. N. H. Keeble is professor of English at the University of Stirling.

"This book provides a much needed properly edited, extensively and expertly annotated edition that has been wanting in literary and historical studies for more than a hundred years. An extremely important scholarly achievement." Nigel Smith, Princeton University