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Excerpt ​

Excerpt from Lucasta, by Richard Lovelace

"After the murther of king Charles I. Lovelace was set at liberty,
and, having by that time consumed all his estate,<2.13> grew
very melancholy (which brought him at length into a consumption),
became very poor in body and purse, was the object of charity,
went in ragged cloaths (whereas when he was in his glory he wore
cloth of gold and silver), and mostly lodged in obscure and dirty
places, more befitting the worst of beggars and poorest of
servants, &c. After his death his brother Dudley, before
mentioned, made a collection of his poetical papers, fitted them
for the press, and entitled them LUCASTA: POSTHUME POEMS, Lond.
1659,<2.14> Oct., the second part, with his picture before
them.<2.15> These are all the things that he hath extant; those
that were never published were his tragedy, called THE SOLDIER or
SOLDIERS, before mentioned; and his comedy, called THE
SCHOLAR,<2.16> which he composed at sixteen years of age, when he
came first to Gloucester hall, acted with applause afterwards in
Salisbury Court. He died in a very mean lodging in Gunpowder
Alley,<2.17> near Shoe Lane,<2.18> and was buried at the west-end
of the church of S. Bride, alias Bridget, in London, near to the
body of his kinsman Will. Lovelace, of Gray's Inn, Esq., in sixteen
hundred fifty and eight,<2.19> having before been accounted by all
those that well knew him to have been a person well versed in the
Greek<2.20> and Latin<2.21> poets, in music, whether practical or
theoretical, instrumental or vocal, and in other things befitting a
gentleman. Some of the said persons have also added, in my
hearing, that his common discourse was not only significant and
witty, but incomparably graceful, which drew respect from all men
and women. Many other things I could now say of him, relating
either to his most generous mind in his prosperity, or dejected
estate in his worst state of poverty, but for brevity's sake I
shall now pass them by. At the end of his Posthume Poems are
several elegies written on him by eminent poets of that time,
wherein you may see his just character."

Such is Wood's account; it is to be regretted that that writer
did not supply the additional information, which he tantalizes us
by saying that he possessed, and could have published, had he not
been afraid of being tedious. His love of brevity is, in this
case, most provoking.

As might be expected, the Journals of Parliament cast additional
light on the personal connexion of Lovelace with the Kentish
Petition of 1642, which was for the GENERAL redress of existing
grievances, not, as the editor of the VERNEY PAPERS seems to have
considered, merely for the adjustment of certain points relative to
the Militia. Parliamentary literature has not a very strong
fascination for the editors of old authors, and the biographers of
Lovelace have uniformly overlooked the mine of information which
lies in the LORDS' AND COMMONS' JOURNALS. The subject was
apparently introduced, for the first time, into Parliament on the
28th March, 1642, when a conference of both Houses took place,
respecting "a petition from Kent, which, praying for a Restoration
of the Bishops, Liturgy and Common Prayer, and other constitutional
measures, was voted seditious and against privilege and the peace
of the kingdom;" on the same occasion, Lord Bristol and Mr. Justice
Mallett were committed to the Tower for having in their possession
a copy of the document. On the 7th April it was ordered by both
Houses, that the Kentish Petition should be burned by the hands of
the common hangman.

Explanation ​

This excerpt is a biographical and historical preface to the posthumous publication of Lucasta: Posthume Poems (1659) by Richard Lovelace (1617–1658), a Cavalier poet and Royalist soldier. The passage is likely drawn from an 18th or 19th-century edition of Lovelace’s works, possibly incorporating notes from Anthony à Wood’s Athenae Oxonienses (a biographical dictionary of Oxford writers) and parliamentary records. Below is a detailed breakdown of the text, focusing on its content, context, themes, literary devices, and significance.

1. Context of the Excerpt ​

Who was Richard Lovelace? ​

  • A Cavalier poet (loyal to King Charles I during the English Civil War).
  • Imprisoned for presenting the Kentish Petition (1642), a Royalist document demanding the restoration of the Church of England’s liturgy and bishops—seen as seditious by Parliament.
  • After the execution of Charles I (1649), Lovelace was released but financially ruined, leading to poverty, illness, and an early death in 1658.
  • His poetry, published posthumously by his brother Dudley Lovelace, includes love lyrics, war poems, and elegies, often celebrating loyalty, honor, and beauty (e.g., "To Lucasta, Going to the Wars").

Source of the Excerpt ​

  • The passage blends biographical anecdotes (likely from Wood’s Athenae Oxonienses) with historical records (Parliamentary Journals).
  • It serves as an introduction to Lovelace’s posthumous collection, framing his life as a tragic decline from glory to obscurity—a common Cavalier trope.

2. Themes in the Excerpt ​

A. The Fall of a Cavalier Gentleman ​

  • Contrast between past and present:
    • "Cloth of gold and silver" → "ragged cloaths"
    • "Glory" → "obscure and dirty places"
    • "Accounted... a person well versed in the Greek and Latin poets" → "object of charity"
    • This mirrors the broader collapse of Royalist culture after the Civil War.
  • Physical and financial decay:
    • "Melancholy" → "consumption" (tuberculosis, often linked to poetic sensitivity in the 17th century).
    • "Poor in body and purse"—his suffering is both material and existential.

B. Loyalty and Sacrifice ​

  • Lovelace’s imprisonment for the Kentish Petition (a pro-monarchy document) aligns with Cavalier ideals of honor and martyrdom.
  • His poverty is romanticized—not just a personal misfortune but a symbol of Royalist suffering under Cromwell’s Commonwealth.

C. The Fate of Art and Legacy ​

  • His unpublished works (The Soldier, The Scholar) suggest lost potential.
  • The posthumous publication by his brother becomes an act of preservation and memorialization.
  • The elegies by other poets at the end of Lucasta reinforce his cultural afterlife.

D. Historical Erasure and Fragmentary Knowledge ​

  • The narrator laments Wood’s brevity, highlighting how history is incomplete:
    • "It is to be regretted that that writer did not supply the additional information..."
    • This reflects the difficulty of reconstructing Cavalier lives after the Restoration, as many records were destroyed or suppressed.

3. Literary Devices and Style ​

A. Juxtaposition and Antithesis ​

  • Glory vs. Ruin:
    • "whereas when he was in his glory he wore cloth of gold and silver... went in ragged cloaths"
    • "accounted by all... to have been a person well versed in... music... vs. lodged in obscure and dirty places"
    • This dramatic contrast emphasizes the tragic arc of his life.

B. Pathos and Melancholy Tone ​

  • Physical decay as a metaphor for political and cultural decline:
    • "grew very melancholy (which brought him at length into a consumption)"
    • "died in a very mean lodging in Gunpowder Alley"
  • The detailed description of his burial ("west-end of the church of S. Bride") adds a somber, almost elegiac quality.

C. Irony ​

  • A man of refinement reduced to squalor:
    • "befitting the worst of beggars and poorest of servants"—ironic for a gentleman-scholar.
  • Parliament’s brutality vs. Lovelace’s idealism:
    • The Kentish Petition (a call for constitutional order) is deemed "seditious" and burned by the hangman.

D. Allusion and Historical Context ​

  • Kentish Petition (1642):
    • A Royalist manifesto demanding the restoration of bishops and the Book of Common Prayer—key issues in the Civil War.
    • Its suppression foreshadows the violence of the conflict.
  • "Cloth of gold and silver":
    • Symbolizes Cavalier extravagance (contrasted with Puritan austerity).

E. Meta-Commentary on Biography ​

  • The narrator critiques Wood’s brevity, creating a self-aware historical narrative:
    • "His love of brevity is, in this case, most provoking."
    • This draws attention to the gaps in history, a common Romantic and Victorian preoccupation with lost pasts.

4. Significance of the Excerpt ​

A. Cavalier Mythmaking ​

  • Lovelace’s life becomes a symbol of Royalist martyrdom:
    • His suffering is aestheticized, reinforcing the Cavalier cult of honor.
    • Compare to other Cavalier poets (e.g., Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew) who also faced ruin after the war.

B. The Poet as a Tragic Figure ​

  • The starving artist trope (later romanticized in the 19th century) is prefigured here:
    • A man of genius and refinement destroyed by political upheaval.
    • His music, poetry, and learning contrast with his squalid death.

C. Historical Documentation vs. Literary Legend ​

  • The excerpt blends fact and myth:
    • Some details (e.g., Gunpowder Alley) are verifiable, while others (e.g., his "graceful discourse") are anecdotal.
    • This ambiguity allows Lovelace to be both a historical figure and a poetic symbol.

D. The Role of Posthumous Publication ​

  • Lucasta (published after his death) becomes a monument to a lost world:
    • The elegies by other poets (mentioned at the end) canonize him as a fallen hero.
    • This mirrors how many Cavalier texts were preserved by Royalist exiles.

5. Connection to Lovelace’s Poetry ​

While the excerpt is biographical, it reflects themes in his poetry:

  • "To Lucasta, Going to the Wars" (1649):
    • "I could not love thee, Dear, so much, / Loved I not Honour more."
    • His loyalty to the king (and thus his ruin) is romanticized.
  • "The Scrutiny":
    • Explores beauty and impermanence, much like his own fleeting glory.
  • "To Althea, From Prison" (written during imprisonment for the Kentish Petition):
    • "Stone walls do not a prison make, / Nor iron bars a cage."
    • His defiance in captivity contrasts with his later destitution.

6. Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters ​

This passage is more than a biography—it is a literary elegy for:

  1. A lost Royalist world (destroyed by the Civil War).
  2. The fragility of art and reputation (Lovelace’s works nearly lost).
  3. The romanticized figure of the doomed poet (a precursor to Keats, Byron, etc.).

The contrasts (glory/ruin, refinement/squalor, loyalty/persecution) make Lovelace’s life emblematic of the Cavalier experience. The excerpt invites readers to mourn not just a man, but an entire cultural era.

Key Takeaways ​

  • Lovelace’s life = a microcosm of Royalist collapse.
  • Biography as elegy—his suffering is aestheticized.
  • Historical gaps (Wood’s brevity) enhance the myth.
  • Posthumous publication = an act of resistance against erasure.

Would you like a deeper analysis of any specific aspect (e.g., the Kentish Petition’s role, comparisons to other Cavalier poets, or the elegiac tradition)?