John SucklingSir 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 Comptrller - 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. Read More Read Less