A little attention, however, to chronological facts will overset this marvellous tale, and reduce its exuberance to the limits of credibility.

When a short sketch of the poet's life was hastily drawn up, by the first collectors of his writings, the date of his birth was inaccurately fixed in 1613: which event has already been shown to have occurred five years earlier. Thus, his wonderful ripeness of intellect vanishes; for, in place of speaking Latin at five, and writing it at nine; these acquirements were, less marvellously, displayed at the ages of ten and fourteen.

By the same method of correcting the chronology of Suckling's earlier days, he must have been sixteen, and not eleven years old, as stated by Davenant, when he first repaired to the university of Cambridge. Though Davenant was "his intimate friend, and loved him intirely," yet his authority, on this subject, is of no great weight; as their acquaintance, though it afterwards ripened into friendship, was not formed till a much later period of their lives, when the similarity of their tastes and opinions had drawn them together.-Davenant, who was the son of a vintner at Oxford, where he was born and educated, could not have been early associated with a youth of Suckling's connexions, who was studying at a different university.

Although much credit is given to the subject of our narrative, for his eminent attainments in the arts and sciences, I should conclude with Dodsley, that he was a polite, rather than a deep scholar. Music, languages, and poetry, were the accomplishments he most cultivated, and in which he was most desirous to excel : nor is it agreeable to the acknowledged vivacity of his constitution, to imagine that more abstruse or graver subjects could very long engage his attention. Still, his

attainments must have been considerable, for we are told that he early distinguished himself by the strength of his genius and capacity, which required less pains and application in him, than it did in others, to make himself master of whatever subject he pursued."

His facility in acquiring languages, is also noticed as having been very remarkable. But, while he was thus pursuing his academical studies, he received an irreparable blow in the death of his father. The Knight had contracted a second marriage, with a daughter of a Mr. Reeve, of Bury Saint Edmund's: an alliance which proved, in its ultimate effects, unfortunate to the interests of the poet; as much variance, regarding family property, arose at the father's decease.

He died on the 27th of March, 1627, in the 58th year of his age: an event which the constitutional gaiety of the son rendered peculiarly untoward; as the gravity of the father's character, which was remarkable, would have operated essentially in diverting him from many youthful indiscretions, into which he fell, from this early exposure to the allurements of a gay and luxurious court, to which his birth and connexions had already introduced him.

That the father entertained a like view of his situation, and its consequent perils, seems almost certain; for his will debars him from entering upon the possession of his estates, till he had completed his twenty-fifth year.

Our poet's father was buried by the side of his first wife, in the church of St. Andrew, at Norwich. The poor of that city, with those of Twickenham and Whitton, share his bounties to the present hour: and, in the former place, annual sermons are preached, which his piety desired should, like his charities, be perpetual. The subject of one of these lectures shows his strong

principle of reverential gratitude to God, for the temporal prosperity he had enjoyed: he appoints "another sermon to be preached, yearly, at St. Andrew's church, on the Sunday after Michaelmas synod, between two and four o'clock, for acknowledging God's mercies and favours towards him."

e

He died in very affluent circumstances, and bequeathed to his eldest son his estates in Suffolk, Lincoln, and Middlesex. His jewels and personal effects were left, principally, to his widow and daughters; and his library to his sons; Lionel, the youngest, receiving a third part only.

f

We arrive now at a point, whence the adventures of Suckling's life are seen through a clearer horizon: nor can this be a matter of astonishment; for, the influence of birth, fortune, and person, united to talents and elegant accomplishments, has been felt and acknowledged in every stage of civilized society.

e He died seized of the advowson and manors of Towthorpe and Wandsford, in Yorkshire; the advowson and manors of Barsham and Rose Hall, in Suffolk; and of Newton in Norfolk; with lands and estates in Twickenham, Isleworth, Sion, and Lincoln the water-mills at Nafferton, in the county of York, and houses and tenements in Ludgate Hill and Dorset Court, in London; with houses and estates in the parish of St. Andrew, at Norwich.

f For the amusement of those ladies who may honour this sketch with a perusal, I subjoin the following items of Sir John Suckling's will, in which these bequests are contained. "I give to my beloved daughter Martha, a fayre ring, with eleaven diamonds and to my two pretty twynnes Anne and Mary, I give two rings with dyamonds in either of them: viz. to Anne, a ring with 13 dyamonds in it; and to Mary, one ring with 7 dyamonds in it. Item, I give to Elizabeth, my youngest daughter, a jewell with 19 dyamonds in it, an my late wyfe's girdle of pearle. Item, I give to my very loving wife, all her apparell, pearles, rings, and jewelles, which she now weareth, or hath in her possession: save only one chayne of diamonds, which I lately bought by the help of one Mr. Hardnett, a jeweller; and paid one hundred fifty-five pounds for the same, which is by her to be repayd to my executors within one yeare next after my decease; unless my eldest sonne and she agree about the redemption of the manor of Rose Hall. Item, I give to my well-beloved wife, my best coach, and twoe of my best coach-horses, and she to dwell in my house in Dorset Court (in Fleet-street) soe longe as she remaynes my widdowe."

In 1628, Suckling commenced his travels, being then in his twentieth year; though Aubrey, following his inaccurate chronology, makes him to have visited France, Italy, and Germany, (and he thinks also Spain), by the time he was eighteen. These countries, we are told, he visited with advantage to himself; nor can it be questioned that his talents enabled him to study, with correctness, the picture of human nature, under the influence of different religious and political creeds; though the assertion of his panegyrists, that "he made a collection of their virtues, without any tincture of their vices and follies," is unhappily contradicted by many extravagancies and youthful indiscretions.

But his adventures in Germany furnish the most interesting incidents in his travels. This country was, at that period, rendered an object of universal attention in Europe, by the extraordinary successes of Gustavus Adolphus; and became yet more strongly regarded in England, in consequence of the misfortunes of the Prince Palatine of the Rhine, who had married the only sister of the British monarch.

A commission, after many delays, was granted by Charles, to the Marquis of Hamilton, to raise a body of six thousand men, to act with him as their general, under the King of Sweden, and in behalf of the Palatine.

These troops embarked at Yarmouth, and landed in Germany on the 31st of July, 1631, with the loss of only two men. Suckling united himself to this expedition, being one of forty gentlemen's sons, who served about the Marquis's immediate person. This body of auxiliaries, it is well known, was not suffered to remain inactive, and rendered very effectual service to Gustavus, at the first defeat of Tilley, before Leipsic, on the 7th of September following, a battle of great importance

at that time, and obstinately contested. He was also present at the sieges of Crossen, Guben, Glogau, and Magdeburg; and obtained considerable military reputation for his conduct in several successive actions, fought during the inroads of Hamilton, in the provinces of Lusatia and Silesia.

It is probable that he continued abroad in his military capacity, till the return of Hamilton in September 1632. We cannot, however, follow him during this period of his life, with the accuracy that might be desired: for, though several of his letters from abroad are remaining, they, unfortunately, bear no dates. The following, I have selected from others, written from the seat of war at this time, as it contains much of that easiness and vigour of style, for which his epistolary compositions are so justly admired.

My Noble Lord,

Your humble servant had the honour to

receive from your hand a letter; and had the grace, upon the sight of it, to blush. I, but then, found my own negligence, and but now, could have the opportunity to ask pardon for it.

We have ever since been upon a march; and the places we are come to, have afforded rather blood than ink; and of all things, sheets have been the hardest to come by, especially those of paper.

If these few lines shall have the happiness to kiss your hand, they can assure you, that he that sent them knows none to whom he owes more obligation, than to your Lordship; and to whom he would more willingly pay it: and that it must be no less than necessity itself, that can hinder him from often presenting it.

Germany hath no whit altered me: I am still the humble servant of my Lord ****** that I was; and when I cease to be so, I must cease to be

JOHN SUCKLING.

On the conclusion of his campaigns, he returned to England, with the character of an accomplished