THE LIFE OF SUCKLING. SIR JOHN SUCKLING, was fon of Sir John Suckling, Comptroller of the Household to Charles I. and was born at Witham in the county of Middlefex, in the year 1613, with the remarkable circumstance of his mother going till the eleventh month with him. "His life," fays Langbaine," was not lefs remarkable than his birth; for he had fo pregnant a genius, that he spoke Latin at five years old, and writ it at nine years of age." If this circumitance is true, it would feem that he had learned Latin from his nurse, nor ever heard any other language, for it is not to be supposed that he could speak Latin at five, in confequence of study. From this early foundation, he proceeded in the course of his studies, and acquired a general knowledge of polite literature; but applied himself more particularly to music and poetry. In the acquifition of polite and general knowledge, his proficiency exceeded his application; for though the sprightliness and vivacity of his temper would not suffer him to be long intent upon any particular study, he was made ample amends for it by the ftrength of his genius and quickness of his apprehenfion. When he had completed his ftudies, and taken a survey of the most remarkable things at home, he travelled to digeft and enlarge his knowledge, from a view of the government and manners of other countries. In his travels, he made a campaign under Gustavus Adolphus, where he was prefent at three battles, five fieges, and several skirmishes. He returned to England a most accomplished gentleman, and devoted himself to the Court, where he became confpicuous for his gaiety, wit, and gallantry, and was allowed to have the peculiar happiness of making every thing he did become him. Already a finished courtier and a man of fashion, he was now a prodigy of poetry; the intimate friend and companion of Jonfon, Carew, Davenant, and other wits, and like them had the honour of writing plays for the diverfion of the Court, in the exhibition of which he went to great expence. "Sir John Sutlin's (Suckling's) play cost three or four hundred pounds setting out; eight or ten fuits of new clothes he gave the players; an unheard-of prodigality." Strafford's Letters, vol. ii. p. 150. The play on which he expended this large fum was Aglaura. At the breaking out of the civil war, his loyalty was more confpicuous than his valour. He raifed a troop of horse for the king's fervice, entirely at his own charge, and fo richly and completely mounted, that it coft him 12,ocol. But this troop, and their leader, distinguished themselves only by their finery, for they did nothing for the king's fervice. He laid his miscarriage very much to heart; but the immaturity of his death prevented him from repairing it. He died of a fever, the 7th of May 1641, in the 28th year of his age. The advantages of birth, perfon, education, parts, and fortune, with which he fet out in life, had raised the expectations of his contemporaries to a prodigious height; and, perhaps, his dying fo young, was better for his fame than if he had lived longer. While he valued himself upon nothing more than the character of a courtier, and a fine gentleman, it is no wonder that he neglected the higher excellencies of genius, and cultivated poetry merely as an amufement. He did enough, however, in the short space he lived, to procure him the esteem of his own age and to entitle him to the gratitude of pofterity. He wrote four dramatic pieces. The Goblins, a comedy, acted at the private houfe in Blackfriars, 1636. In this play he has followed the footsteps of Shakspeare, of whom he was a profeffed admirer. His Reginella is an imitation of Miranda in the Tempeft; and his Goblins, though counterfeits, being only thieves in difguife, feem to be copied from Ariel in the fame play. Aglaura, acted at Court, and at the private house in Blackfriars, 1637, with much applaufe; it has the last act so altered, that it may be either reprefented as a tragedy, or tragi-comedy. The Difcontented Colonel. The first sketch of Brennoralt, a tragedy, exhibited in 1639. The Sad One, a tragedy, unfinished. His plays were printed together in 1646. There are feveral editions of his Poems, Letters, and Plays,under the title of Fragmenta Aurea; or, a Collection of all the Incomparable Pieces of Sir John Suck ling, 8vo.; the last in 2 vol. 12mo. 1774, by T. Davies. His poems, commonly feen in detached portions, are now, for the first time, inferted in a collection of claffical English poetry, The Seffion of the Poets, his most celebrated performance, was written in 1637, about the time of Jonfon's death, as appears from Strafford's Letters, vol. ii. p. 114. It contains a species of fatire, humour, and raillery, that has been imitated by many fucceeding poets, and applied to a variety of occafions. The Eallad on a Wedding, has much humour and vivacity. His other pieces, which are chiefly amatory, contain marks of genius and true poetry, with much levity and extravagance. The poem Against Fruition, in particular, has fome weighty and vigorous lines; but there is a lufcious warmth in fome of his defcriptions, which is rather to be admired than approved of. The Supplement of fome verfes of Shakspeare, is not inferior to the imperfect copy in Tarquin and Lucrece. The Songs are gay and fprightly, and more polished than his other pieces; the general defect of which is want of smoothness and harmony, in which he does not much excel Jonfon, and is greatly inferior to Carew, Davenant, and other poets of that age. His character is given by Dryden, who calls him " a sprightly wit, and a courtly writer." Winftanley fays, "he was the delight of the Court, and the darling of the Mufes, and one fo filled with Phoebean fire, as for excellency of his wit, was worthy to be crowned with a wreath of ftars." Lloyd, with lefs exaggeration, and more truth, fays " his poems are clear, fprightly and natural; his difcourfes full and convincing; his plays well humoured and taking; his letters fragrant and Sparkling." He obferves farther, that his thoughts were not fo loofe as his expreffions, nor his life fo vain as his thoughts; and, at the fame time, makes allowance for his youth and fanguine complexion, which a little more time and experience would have corrected. The juftness of the obfervation is exemplified by his Difcourfe on Religion, to Lord Dorfet, and his Thoughts on the State of the Nation, 1640, in which he has shewn that he could think as coolly, and reafon as juftly, as men of more years and lefs fire. Lloyd concludes his account of him with the following character, in which he alludes to his Thoughts on Public Affairs, and to some serious reflections which he delivered to his friends, during his laft illness. Ne ha zelantis animæ facriores Scintillulæ ipfum, unde deciderant, fpirantes Pofteris putavimus brevem honoratiffimi Utpote qui nobiliffima Sucklingiorum familia oriundus, cui tantum reddidit, quantum accepit, honorem, Nat. Cal. April 1613. Withamæ in agro Middles, renatus ibid. Maii 70. et denatus 1641, haud jam trigefimus, et fcripta digniffima fecit, et factu digniffima fcripfit, calamo pariter et gladio celebris, pacis artium gnarus et belli, What rack can fancy find so high? Here we must court, and here engage; Though in the other place we die. 'Tis torture all, and cozenage; Make fuch ftrange rapes upon the place 't may be [ And which the harder is I cannot tell, No longer joy there, but an ecftafy. Awake, awake, &c. V. May every pleasure and delight That has or does your fenfe invite Double this year, fave thofe o' th' night: For fuch a marriage-bed muft know no more Than repetition of what was before, To hide true love, or make false love look well. IV. Since it is thus, God of Defire, Give me my honesty again, And take thy brands back, and thy fire; I'm weary of the state I'm in: Since, if the very best should now befal, Love's triumph must be honour's funeral, A Seffion was held the other day, And therefore the wits of the town came thither, There was Selden, and he fat close by the chair; There was Lucan's tranflator too, and he The first that broke filence was good old Ben, And he told them plainly he deferv'd the bays, For his were call'd works, where others were but plays. And bid them remember how he had purg'd the ftage Of errors that had lafted many an age, Apollo ftopt him there, and bid him not go on, But thofe that were there thought it not fit And therefore Apollo call'd him back again, And made him mine hoft of his own New Inn. Tom Carew was next, but he had a fault His Mufe was hard bound, and th' iffue of's brain Was feldom brought forth but with trouble and pain. And all that were prefent there did agree, Will. Davenant, afham'd of a foolish mifchance And furely the company wou'd have been content, To Will Bartlet fure all the wits meant well, That concluded of merit upon fuccefs. Suddenly taking his place again, He gave way to Selwin, who straight stept in; Toby Matthews (pox on him) how came he there? Wat Montague now ftood forth to his trial, For if he cou'd do it, 'twould plainly appear During thefe troubles in the court was hid Murrey was fummon'd, but 'twas urg'd, that he Hales fet by himself moft gravely did smile But he was of late fo gone with divinity, At length who but an Alderman did appear, He openly declar'd, that the best fign Of good store of wits to have good store of coin, At this all the wits were in fuch amaze Only the small Poets cheer'd up again, Love's World. IN each man's heart that doth begin Instead of earth unto this frame, Yet, as the earth may fometimes fhake So often jealoufy, and fear, Stol'n into mine, caufe tremblings there. My Flora was my Sun, for as My hopes I call my Moon; for they Sometimes it would be full, and then My thoughts, cause infinite they be, My burning flame and hot defire Must be the element of fire, Which hath as yet fo fecret been That it as that was never feen: No kitchen fire, nor eating flame, But, as it plainly doth appear My fancy was the air, moft free And full of mutability, Big with chimeras, vapours here Innumerable hatch'd as there. The fea's my mind, which calm would be Were it from winds, my paffions, free; But out alas! no fea I find Is troubled like a lover's mind. Within it rocks and fhallows be, But in this world it were good reafon Long abfence in far diftant place Diversity of weather came |