Sir John Suckling (1609-1641) was a significant figure in the group of poets who followed Ben Jonson (often referred to as the “tribe of Ben”), and was a close friend of both Robert Herrick and Thomas Carew. These writers tend to be described as Cavalier poets, having been supporters of King Charles I in the English Civil War and, in some cases, having fought actively with the royalist forces. Suckling raised troops and led them into battle – singularly unsuccessfully: it seems they all ran away at the first sign of violence and thus Suckling could proudly report that not one person under his command had been lost in battle. He had a sense of humour, as did many of his friends in the “Tribe”. According to legend, he also invented the game of Cribbage, and was accounted one of the finest card-players of his day.
Suckling was regarded as a “wit” – an educated man about town, able to turn a courteous and amusing phrase, or a poetic tribute, but also a gambler, a womaniser, and a man who dabbled in court politics. This last inclination would lead to him being on the wrong side of history, when his outspoken support for the fallen Earl of Strafford, and participation in a plot to free the Earl from the Tower of London, led to his own condemnation for treason by Parliament. In order to avoid arrest Suckling fled to France but died not long after his arrival, with most reports suggesting that he died of poisoning, either by his own hand or by that of another.
Suckling’s witty and well-turned verses are typical of his circle and place him on a par with such contemporary figures as Lovelace. They are still well worth our attention today some 500 years later.
Sir John Suckling (1609-1642) is most famous for his prominence as a 17th century Cavalier poet. Born in Middlesex, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge but never took a degree, leaving in 1626. His father died the same year; he had been a Comptroller - a financial officer - for King James I, and for that reason, upon his death, Suckling inherited several large estates and plenty of money. Just eighteen at this time, he entered into a military career and was knighted three years later. Upon his return from the military, he grew quite the reputation as a party-goer and a gamer. It is rumored that he invented the game Cribbage. After a brief first-go at writing in 1637, he re-entered the military life, forming a well-dressed Calvary to aid King Charles I in 1639 and found himself sitting in Parliament the following year. After a scandal involving rescuing the Earl of Strafford from the Tower of London, Suckling fled to France where he was found dead a few months later. The exact cause of his death is unknown, but save for one wild theory about a servant hiding a razor blade in his boot, it is accepted that he died from ingesting poison either intentionally or unintentionally. While he had some of his work published in 1637, the majority of his works were published posthumously in a collection titled Fragmenta Aurea.
