IX.
SIR JOHN SUCKLING'S CAMPAIGNE.
When the Scottish covenanters rose up in arms, and advanced to the English borders in 1639, many of the courtiers complimented the king by raising forces at their own expence. Among these none were more distinguished than the gallant Sir John Suckling, who raised a troop of horse, so richly accoutred, that it cost him _£_12,000. The like expensive equipment of other parts of the army, made the king remark, that "the Scots would fight stoutly, if it were but for the Englishmen's fine cloaths." (Lloyd's _Memoirs_.) When they came to
## action, the rugged Scots proved more than a match for the fine shewy
English: many of whom behaved remarkably ill, and among the rest this splendid troop of Sir John Suckling's.
This humorous pasquil has been generally supposed to have been written by Sir John, as a banter upon himself. Some of his contemporaries however attributed it to Sir John Mennis, a wit of those times, among whose poems it is printed in a small poetical miscellany, intitled, _Musarum deliciæ: or the Muses recreation, containing several pieces of poetique wit_, 2d edition.--By Sir J. M. (_Sir John Mennis_) and Ja. S. (_James Smith_.) Lond. 1656, 12mo.--(See Wood's _Athenæ_. ii. 397, 418.) In that copy is subjoined an additional stanza, which probably was written by this Sir John Mennis, viz.:--
"But now there is peace, he's return'd to increase His money, which lately he spent-a, But his lost honour must lye still in the dust; At Barwick away it went-a."
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[This song is a parody of the famous old song, _John Dory_, commencing.--
"As it fell on a holiday And upon a holytide-a John Dory bought him an ambling nag To Paris for to ride-a."
Suckling's satirical powers made him peculiarly odious to the Parliamentarians, as they were turned against them, and consequently Mennis's lampoon was a great favourite with the Roundheads. In _Le Prince d'Amour_, 1660, there is a song _Upon Sir John Suckling's 100 Horse_, and the following are two of the seven stanzas of which it consists:--
"I tell thee, Jack, thou gav'st the king So rare a present, that nothing Could welcomer have been; A hundred horse! beshrew my heart, It was a brave heroic part, The like will scarce be seen.
"For ev'ry horse shall have on's back A man as valiant as Sir Jack, Although not half so witty: Yet I did hear the other day Two tailors made seven run away Good faith, the more's the pity."
The uniform adopted by Suckling for his troop consisted of a white doublet, and scarlet coat and breeches, with a scarlet feather in the bonnet. The men were vigorous, well mounted and armed, and these famous 100 horsemen were considered to be the finest sight in his majesty's army. Mr. W. C. Hazlitt points out that the earliest news of them appears to be in a letter of Jan. 29, 1638-9, from the Earl of Northumberland to Lord Conway, in which the writer speaks of Suckling having then engaged himself to raise the troop "within these three days." (_Calendar of State Papers_ (_Domestic_,) 1638-9, p. 378.) The army was badly commanded, and no greater disgrace attached to Suckling's troop than to the rest.]
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Sir John he got him an ambling nag, To Scotland for to ride-a, With a hundred horse more, all his own he swore, To guard him on every side-a.
No Errant-knight ever went to fight 5 With halfe so gay a bravada, Had you seen but his look, you'ld have sworn on a book, Hee'ld have conquer'd a whole armada.
The ladies ran all to the windows to see So gallant and warlike a sight-a, 10 And as he pass'd by, they said with a sigh, Sir John, why will you go fight-a?
But he, like a cruel knight, spurr'd on; His heart would not relent-a, For, till he came there, what had he to fear? 15 Or why should he repent-a?
The king (God bless him!) had singular hopes Of him and all his troop-a: The borderers they, as they met him on the way, For joy did hollow, and whoop-a. 20
None lik'd him so well, as his own colonell, Who took him for John de Wert-a;[826] But when there were shows of gunning and blows, My gallant was nothing so pert-a.
For when the Scots army came within sight, 25 And all prepared to fight-a, He ran to his tent, they ask'd what he meant, He swore he must needs goe sh*te-a.
The colonell sent for him back agen, To quarter him in the van-a, 30 But Sir John did swear, he would not come there, To be kill'd the very first man-a.
To cure his fear, he was sent to the reare, Some ten miles back, and more-a; Where Sir John did play at trip and away, 35 And ne'er saw the enemy more-a.
FOOTNOTES:
[826] Ver. 22. _John de Wert_ was a German general of great reputation, and the terror of the French in the reign of Louis XIII. Hence his name became proverbial in France, where he was called _De Vert_. See Bayle's _Dict._