Saturday Rave: Out upon it, I have lov'd by John Suckling.

John Suckling was an extraordinary character. For a start, he was said to be the best player of bowls (the sort you play on a bowling green) in England. He was also said to be the best card player in England, too, and, indeed, he invented the game of cribbage, though part of his reputation might be something to do with his having sent packs of cards to all the stately home of England and then embarked on a tour of visits that netted him the equivalent of several million pounds. 

I don't like to be suspicious about those cards, but...oh dear...

John Suckling was also a soldier who spent £12 000, an absolutely enormous sum, raising a mere hundred horse for Charles I's first Scottish War. The troop was magnificent to behold, but, sadly, not very good at all at the actual fighting bit. 

Ah well! 

Suckling had a similar attitude to drama, producing some of his own plays, spectacularly, at vast expense (though they weren't, apparently, very good plays).

As if all that wasn't enough, he wrote this wonderful...I don't know what to call it. A love poem? 

What do you think?

Out upon it, I have lov'd
Three whole days together;
And am like to love three more,
If it prove fair weather.

Time shall moult away his wings,
Ere he shall discover
In the whole wide world again
Such a constant lover.

But the spite on't is, no praise
Is due at all to me;
Love with me had made no stays,
Had any been but she.

Had it any been but she,
And that very face,
There had been at least ere this
A dozen dozen in her place.

Word To Use Today: constant: This word comes from the Latin constāre, to be steadfast, from stāre, to stand.