1794 Sir JOHN SUCKLING. Containing His POEM S, LETTERS AND PLAY S LONDON: Printed for Jacob Tonfon, within Grays-Inn THE PREFACE. T is not from any Neceffity thefe Poems lye under of being recommended to the World, but from a Senfe of Justice due to the Memory of the Author, that I have taken this Occafion of prefixing a fhort Account of his Life and Writings. He was Son to Sir John Suckling, Comptroller of the Houfhold to King Charles I. He was born at Witham, in the County of Middlefex, in the Year 1613, with a remarkable circumftance of his Mother's going 'till the Eleventh Month with him, which the Naturalifts look upon as a Sign of an hardy and vigorous Conftitution; and it is certain, the Slownefs of his Birth was fufficiently made up in the Quickness, Strength, and Pregnancy of his Parts, which he firft discovered by his strange Propenfity to Languages; infomuch that he is faid to have spoke Latin at five Years old, and to have writ it at nine. From this early Foundation, he proceeded in the course of his Studies, to apply the use of Words to the attainment of the Arts and Sciences, most of which he arrived to in an eminent degree. Those which he more particularly admired, were Mufick and Poetry; and tho' he excelled in both, he profeffed neither, fo as to make them his Bufinefs, but used them rather as his Miftreffes, to foften the harshness and driness of his other Studies, just as his Leisure or Fancy inclined him. His Learning in other kinds was polite and general; and tho' the Sprightliness and Vivacity of his Temper would not fuffer him to be long intent upon one Study, yet he had that which made amends for it in his Strength of Genius and Capacity, which required less Pains and Application in him, than it did in others, to make himself Master of it. When he had taken a Survey of the most remarkable things at Home, he Travell❜d to digeft and enlarge his Notions from a view of other other Countries; where he made a Collection of their Virtues, without any tincture of their Vices and Follies, only that fome thought he' had a little too much of the French Air, which being not fo agreeable to the Gravity and Solidity, for which his Father was remarkable, or indeed to the Severity of the Times he lived in, was imputed to him as a Fault, and the effect of his Travels. But it was certainly rather Natural than acquired in him, the eafinefs of his Carriage and Address being fuitable to the openness of his Heart, and to the Gaiety, Wit and Gallantry, which were so confpicuous in him; and he seems all along to have piqued himself upon nothing more than the Character of a Courtier, and a Fine Gentleman, which he fo far attained to, that he was allowed to have the peculiar happiness of ma king every thing he did, become him. He was not fo devoted to the Mufes, or to the softness and luxury of Courts, as to be wholly a Stranger to the Camp. In his Travels he made a Campaign under the Great Gustavus Adolphus, where he was present at three Battels, and five Sieges, besides other Skirmishes between Parties; and from fuch a confiderable Scene of Action, gain'd as much Experience in fix Months, as otherwife he |