Sir John Suckling

Sir John Suckling, an English poet, dramatist, and courtier, was born on February 10, 1609, in Whitton, England, now part of the Greater London area, on his family’s estate in Middlesex. Descended from nobility, his father was a longtime member of the English Parliament and served as a comptroller to Charles I, while his mother was the sister of the first Earl of Middlesex. Educated at the University of Cambridge, Suckling inherited his father’s estates at age eighteen and enrolled at Gray’s Inn in 1627. He was knighted in 1630 and became a barrister. As a prominent figure in the courts, biographer John Aubrey said “[Suckling was] the greatest gallant of his time, and the greatest gamester both for bowling and cards.” Known for his love of gambling and profligacy, he is credited with inventing the game of cribbage and was recognized as the best bowler in England.

Suckling circulated numerous works during his lifetime, but his poetry was not compiled until after his death. He produced three plays at his own expense: Aglaura (staged in 1637, printed by John Haviland in 1638); The Goblins (staged in 1638, printed in 1646); and the Discontented Colonel (staged in 1639, printed in 1646). Spectators remarked at his “felicity of diction” and influence on later works of satire, but noted the lack of dramatic plot in his plays. A collection of his poetry, titled Fragmenta Aurea, was published posthumously in 1646 by Humphrey Moseley. The completed collection of his work, The Selections, was compiled in 1836 by Alfred Inigo Suckling, the successor to the Suckling estates.

Suckling wrote in the Cavalier tradition, stylistically denoted by its use of short, fluent, and polished lyrics on love and dalliance, as well as honor, loyalty, and allegiance to Charles I, who ruled from 1625 to 1649. Suckling’s personal reputation as a poet hinged on his lyric style, which focused on anti-platonic love sentiments and colloquial prose, while using satire, cynicism, and gaiety. He wrote within a variety of verse forms and meters, with his most well-known piece being “A Ballad Upon a Wedding.”

In May 1641, Suckling was involved in the First Army Plot, an attempt to rescue the Earl of Strafford from the Tower of London. When he and his collaborators were discovered and accused of high treason, he fled to France. Losing his fortunes and wealth, it is believed that he committed suicide by ingesting poison.